Prime Minister David Cameron visits the Young Women's World Forum
On Friday 22 October Prime Minister David Cameron visited
the Young Women's World Forum at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire. The
forum took place last week and over the weekend and was in his
parliamentary constituency of Witney.
The Prime Minister addressed the 100 delegates representing 61
countries, all members of Girl Guide organisations who had been
selected to represent their country. The delegates of the Forum,
which was held in partnership with the World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), met throughout last week to
discuss three of the Millennium Development Goals, learn
campaigning skills and design personal action plans to effect
change in their communities when they return to their home
countries.
The Prime Ministers’ impromptu visit coincided with a workshop
on campaigning so
he was able to give the delegates some tips on how to grab the
attention of politicians. He also fielded questions from delegates
from several countries and stressed the government’s commitment to
its overseas development priorities, especially the increase in the
development budget announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending
Review. He emphasised that Girl Guide organisation’s both in the UK
and internationally have an important role to play in his vision
for the Big Society.
Amelia Schofield, one of the two UK delegates said “It was such
a surprise that he visited us and we were all delighted that he was
able to visit the first Young Women’s World Forum. I was really
impressed with his public speaking skills – it was great that he
took questions from us and he seemed really interested in what we
had to say. We are all really inspired now that through our Guiding
networks we really can make a difference to our communities.”
The Forum culminated in the delegates creating a declaration of
their recommendations for the three Millennium Development Goals of
Ending Poverty, Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability.
One of the recommendations has called for introducing a tax on
non-sustainable production and using the revenue to fund recycling
and nature projects. These will go to Governments, Civil Society
and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The Prime
Minister said he would be very interested to hear their ideas.
What is the Young Women's World Forum?
The Young Women’s World Forum started on Tuesday 19 October and
finished on Sunday 24 October 2010. It brought together young
women from around the world to discuss the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). They drafted a declaration which details their
recommendations for discussion makers to push achievement of the
MDGs forward as well as creating a personal action plan to
enable them to effect change in their country and their community
after the forum. Each of the World Association of Girl Guides and
Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) 145 member organisations around the world were
invited to send two young women aged 18-25 to attend the Young
Women’s World forum. Discussions focussed on three of the MDGs
which were voted as priorities by members of WAGGGS from across the
globe in a poll carried out last year. These three goals are
“Ending Hunger”, “Gender Equality” and “Environmental
Sustainability”.
You can find out more about the Young Women's World Forum by
visiting our Centenary website.
Download the newsletters from
the Young Women's World Forum by visiting the WAGGGs
website.