Youth and Diplomacy: My Experience as the U.S. Youth Delegate
Abstract
Brooke Loughrin '14 will speak about her experience as the first-ever Youth Delegate to join the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations. In her position, Loughrin attended the UN General Assembly in New York in September and October. She worked closely with forty other Youth Delegates to ensure that youth voices and priorities are better incorporated into the institutional framwork of the UN. She will also speak about how her coursework and activities as a 51茶馆 student have influenced her agenda at the U.S. State Department and the UN.
Speaker Bio
Brooke Loughrin听is a junior in the Presidential Scholars Program at Boston College where she studies Political Science and Islamic Civilizations and Societies. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Noor: The Boston College Middle East and Islamic Studies Journal and the Vice President of the Iranian Culture Club. She is also an Undergraduate Research Fellow for Dr. Ali Banuazizi. Her research focuses on political cultures of the Middle East; comparative study of religion, civil society, and politics in the Middle East; and Iran's social history and contemporary domestic politics and foreign relations. In Boston, she volunteers for ACEDONE, Haley House, and in the Education Department of the Suffolk County House of Corrections. Since 2005, she has also volunteered for the Fabric of Life Foundation, based in Seattle, Washington, which works to stop the begging cycle of poor girls on the streets of Mali, Africa. She has studied abroad in Visakhapatnam, India and Dakar, Senegal, and has traveled extensively in Iran, Nicaragua and Tajikistan. Most recently, she was named the first-ever U.S. Youth Observer, making her the first student to ever join the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations.
Event Photos
Brooke Loughrin, first-ever U.S. Youth Delegate to the United Nations, at the Boisi Center on February 6, 2013.
Ms. Loughrin discusses her experience balancing a challenging course load and work at the U.N.
Event Recap
For the first time in the Boisi Center鈥檚 twelve-year history, on February 6 we hosted an undergradu颅ate speaker at one of our headline events. We were delighted to hear 51茶馆 junior Brooke Loughrin de颅scribe her experience as the first Youth Delegate in the United States鈥� mission to the United Nations.
Appointed in 2012 for a one-year term, Loughrin at颅tends international conferences, connects with young people through social media and has even addressed a full meeting of the UN General Assembly鈥攁ll while managing her heavy courseload as a Presidential Scholar at 51茶馆. Loughrin said she has been deeply inspired by her encounters with young people during her travels to India, Iran, and Tajikistan, and is keen to promote youth involvement in international politics. Over fifty percent of the world population is under the age of thir颅ty, yet youth often have little influence on international decisions that profoundly affect their lives. Through the Youth Delegate program, Loughrin joins representatives from forty countries committed to giving the world鈥檚 young people a voice at the UN.
During General Assembly Week in September 2012, Loughrin spoke on panels and attended meetings along颅side prominent international leaders including Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates. She was even able to address the full General Assembly on behalf of American youth. Al颅though the world鈥檚 youth face major challenges today鈥攅ducation and employment among them鈥擫oughrin expressed optimism for the future of her generation. She announced that the U.S. Youth Delegate program will continue next year, a sign of the program鈥檚 success in improving American youths鈥� involvement in UN dis颅course. She encouraged eligible young people to apply to serve as the youth delegate in future years.
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Further Reading
"."听Boston College Office of Undergraduate Admission. 2012-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin.
English, Bella. 鈥�.鈥澨�The Boston Globe. October 24, 2012.
Loughrin, Brooke. "."听United Nations Association of the United States of America.
Pellegrini, Rosanne.听听The Chronicle.听October 4, 2013.
Rocheleau, Matt. "."听Boston.com.听September 27, 2012.
Son, Clara. "."听The Heights. February 7, 2013.
In the News
The听听Loughrin describes the joys and difficulties of her new post, such as balancing work and school, learning about diverse cultures, and acting as a liason between leaders and youth. Brooke also shares how her experiences travelling and volunteering have fostered her commitment to social justice. At a Boisi Center colloquium on Wednesday, February 6, Brooke will go into further detail about her life and her work.