UNICEF opened its chapter in Manitoba on Dec. 1 at the U of M. The launch was held at the J.A. Russell Atrium to celebrate U of M UNICEF with community and conversation.
Harisharn Bahra, president of the club, explained that UNICEF Canada has a chapter in many universities, and what drove them to launching a chapter in Manitoba was a common vision to turn advocacy into action.
When talking about the launch event, Bahra said, “It was supposed to serve as our main concept of advocacy for the year.” The event had a segment where attendees formed into groups and engaged in group discussions following prompts regarding children’s rights. These prompts included discourse about technology, safety and children.
Officials such as MLAs David Pankratz and Jennifer Chen attended and engaged in discussions with the students at the event. Bahra emphasized the importance of having such figures at the event as she received positive responses from these officials afterward, offering to meet to talk about enacting change.
“Initiatives to expect would fall along the lines of collaborating with existing organizations,” Bahra explained when asked about this year’s plan for the new club. The club is also looking to help set up educational programs for students with disability needs, as traditional tutoring has not always been able to cater to everyone. U of M UNICEF is also looking to get involved in the foster system and help with things such as food and displacement.
The club is currently in discussion with authority figures of the province to look into youth advocacy within policy.
“I feel like it’s not about today’s political and global climate. Child rights and humanitarian advocacy has mattered since day one,” said Bahra, as she stressed on how infants and younger children cannot speak up for themselves like adults can, making it paramount that we advocate for them.
“That’s a basic necessity,” she said, “We need to be more conscious.”
The goal of U of M UNICEF is to help, even if it is something small, such as making someone feel like there is someone looking out for them. Anyone is welcome to join U of M UNICEF in these initiatives and contribute to change.
