Pauline Waithaka IBVM is the coordinator of Loreto Neema Project and was one of our delegates to the United Nations (UN) Civil Society Conference 2024 that was held at the UN Gigiri, Nairobi on May 9 – 10, 2024. Read her reflection below.
The UN Civil Society Conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya on May 9 and 10, 2024. It was the largest gathering for civil society members; (over 2,000 participants) ahead of the Summit of the Future (which will bring delegations from all over the world to UN headquarters in September 2024; to agree on actions aimed at enhancing cooperation, addressing emerging gaps at global level and to reaffirm commitment to the attainment of the sustainable development goals.)
My Journey
Since I had not attended such a high-profile event before, I felt excited and surprised at the same time. I did not know much about the event or what was expected of me. Conversations on email with our link person (IBVM/CJ
NGO rep to the UN) and reading about the event online helped me have a clear picture. I became eager to be in a
forum where I could explore, network, exchange ideas, expertise and best practices for the benefit of humanity and
Mother Earth.
In the build up to the gathering, pre-conference events were organized to allow groups to meet, interact, strengthen collaborations, and build strategic partnerships in the lead up to the summit of the future. I was privileged to attend two pre-conference meetings.
The meeting with the Faith for Earth Coalition was at UNEP on 8th May 2024. The meeting was attended by representatives of Catholic religious NGO’s at the UN and UN civil society conference delegates (13). We met with the Director of Faith for Earth, Dr. Iyad Abumoghli. Faith for Earth Coalition was established in 2017 as part of UNEP with its main purpose being;
- Engaging with faith-based organizations at policy level decision making.
- Greening investments/ assets for religious organizations.
Providing religious environmental literacy (ecosystems and biodiversity) - Engages with 5 councils (High level Faith Leaders Council, Youth Council, Interfaith Women Council, Science & Religion, Faith Council – CEO’s of Faith organizations) in advocacy and awareness, consultations, empowering women of Faith, gender and environment, policies on climate change among others.
The Girl Deliver meeting was held at the Population Council at Kilimani on 8th May 2024. The meeting was attended by members of different stakeholder groups that develop programs and policies advancing the welfare and rights of girls. The discussions centered on increasing visibility of girl’s perspective and experiences (encourage their participation and leadership in various processes.)
Learnings
The experiences were profound and it felt great to meet and be introduced to other participants. It was a reassuring start to our engagement at the UN Civil Society Conference.
The sharing at the UNEP meeting were inspirational and reinforced our shared responsibility as stewards of the environment. In particular, my attention was drawn to the emphasize on the audit for our carbon footprints and sustainability plans for religious organizations. “Much can be done together in taking care of our common home as most schools, hospitals and habitable land are owned by faith based Institutions”.
An interesting and new learning was that the coalition published Ecological Guidelines for faith and spiritual practices. Green Festival is an example given on sustainability versus wastage based on how some religious festival practices can destroy the environment (e.g. wastefulness during Christmas/ Ramadhan).
The young generation that attended the Girl Deliver meeting, including our two students from Loreto Msongari, were encouraging. It reminded me of Mary Ward’s vision and belief that “Women in time to come will do much”.
Civil Society Conference Events
Organized by Civil Society and UN partners to discuss issues emerging from the Pact for the Future Zero Draft themes: Sustainable Development, Financing for Development, Peace and Security, Science, Technology Innovation and Digital Technology, Youth and Future Generations, and Transforming Global Governance.
I attended the Future Generations Workshop where the discussions were very lively with a focus on successes and barriers of meaningful youth engagement. The key recommendations were:
- Grassroots involvement/ platforms to reach more youth in remote areas and informal settlements.
- Modes of youth engagement that work and strengthen the voices of young people in a more inclusive way.
Side Event on the Importance of Universal Social Protection for Inclusive Development, Peace and Security.
- Learnings: Challenges in implementing social protection, Demand increase for social assistance, Challenge in identification of beneficiaries, Duplication of interventions, Inadequate funds, Inadequate capacity to manage risks.
- Major issues; Unemployment, Exclusion, Health access, Affirmative action incentives, Challenge with free education especially in Kenya (parents have to pay for remedial, uniforms, books)
- Recommendation; Need for stakeholder approaches for effective delivery of social protection programs as well as integrated interventions covering needs for the vulnerable and marginalized populations.
ImPACT Coalitions
On the second day, CSOs were invited to participate in ImPACT Coalitions (diverse organizations with similar objectives to deepen expertise, share best practice). I participated in 3 ImPACT coalitions:
- Youth and Intergenerational Engagement: Collective Action for Youth, Adolescents and Older Generations’ – During the group discussions, I shared on the importance of promoting initiatives that combine international participation and grass roots –level impact.
- Children’s Rights and Participation – There is a need to bring the voices and needs of children and solutions to a global level. It was encouraging to see very young children speaking and raising issues on behalf of many children in the world.
- Drug Policy for the Future – Need for addressing root causes of drug-related issues such as poverty, inequality and lack of access to education and healthcare.
The Closing Ceremony was attended by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the President of the Republic of Kenya his excellency Dr. William Ruto.
Conclusion
Reflecting on this opportunity, I feel it was a really impactful experience. Through interaction with various action
oriented and vibrant groups, I felt challenged to renew my passion and dedication to implementation of the initiatives in my ministry. The event was an eye opener and my sincere gratitude goes to my Province Leadership who presented the opportunity to me from our IBVM/CJ UN NGO representative. It is an experience that has encouraged me to advance my work in bridging the poverty gap of the vulnerable and marginalized people reached through Loreto Neema project and all other spheres within our ministries.
Author: Pauline Waithaka IBVM, Eastern Africa Province
