Kariha urges youth to speak out

CHANGE happens when people take steps to achieve their goals, Miss Pacific Islands Leoshina Kariha says.
Kariha, also this year’s United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) youth advocate, left to attend a two-day Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum in New York this week.
Kim Allen, an avid youth advocate in his community, is also attending the forum.
“Thank you to the United Nations PNG for giving both Kim Allen and I this opportunity to participate in ECOSOC 2019, a prominent global forum,” Kariha said.
“We will do our best to represent the collective voice of our youths across the nation.
“I thank Unicef for my recent appointment as a youth advocate, a great honour and challenging responsibility to spearhead.
“I encourage other young people in the nation to take the initiative to contribute your say and actions to help initiate development in your individual community at all levels.
“Our youth is vibrant and capable of making a positive impact on the development in our country.”
UN resident coordinator in PNG Gianluca Rampolla said: “Youth are key partners actors in bringing about positive change to the community and to the entire country.
“This is an opportunity for Leoshina and Kim to represent Papua New Guinea and engage meaningfully with other member states’ youth representatives on the implementation of sustainable development goals.
“By sending these inspiring and proactive young Papua New Guineans to this forum, we will be exhibiting the country’s strong commitment and the greatest assets for the nation’s future.”
During the forum, youth representatives from around the world will discuss, share ideas and think together about what they can do to advance the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, the Addis Ababa action agenda, and the Paris climate agreement.
They will take part in brainstorming sessions, interactive speaker panels and discussions with member states on the theme, “youth: empowered, Included and Equal”.
Kariha, then 18, was the youngest of six finalists when crowned Miss Pacific Islands in Tonga in December.
She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at the Divine World University in Madang and says she would like to serve the country as a diplomat or social worker.
Allen is a member of the Commonwealth Youth and Gender Equality Network and was selected last year as a representative from PNG to attend a gender equality training in Sri Lanka.