Category Archives: 2018

Sam Elzinga and Andrew Jensen contributed to the IMD 2018 at the United Nations

On December 11th, 2018 two of us had the opportunity to present on a panel at a side-event co-hosted by the Permanent Mission accredited to the UN of the Kyrgyz Republic, Canada, Austria, and the Principality of Andorra. The theme was “Tackling climate change and building resilience in mountainous and rural communities.”  Sam and I had were able to secure this opportunity after meeting briefly with the Permanent Representative (PR) of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations, Ms. Mirgul Moldoisaeva in New York during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development  in New York in July 19, 2018. The mission was impressed with UVU’s preparedness and presentation during the HLPF, and as such we were contacted by the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic about participating in their side event.

Group photo of panelists before the IMD 2018 at UN

At the event, we joined the PR of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN, Ms. Moldoisaeva, the PR of Austria to the UN Mr. Jan Kickert, the Deputy PR of Andorra to the UN, Mr. Joan J. Lopez, and Deputy PR of Canada to the UN, Ms. Louise Blais. The event was moderated by H.E. Ms. Carla Mucavi, who is the Director of the FAO Liaison Office in New York. Each country had the opportunity to address the topic of sustainable mountain development. H.E. Ms. Mirgul Moldoisaeva, the PR from the Kyrgyz Republic, was the first to address the gathered group, highlighting that because 95% of the country is mountainous they are highly invested in the process of sustainable developing those mountainous regions. She mentioned the various programs and conferences that the Kyrgyz Republic has worked on to promote Sustainable Development of Mountains. Next, the PR of Austria to the UN, H.E. Mr. Jan Kickert,  had the opportunity to address the assembled delegation. He highlighted that Austria too is a stakeholder in the mountain process, referencing statistics that show glacier retreat in Austria has accelerated form 1% in the mid-20th century to 2-3% at the current rate. This double and triple rate increase means that half of the glaciers in Austria will soon be gone. This affects both mountainous communities and their downstream counterparts. Following him, the DPR of the Principality of Andorra to the UN, H.E. Mr. Joan J. Lopez, addressed the delegation. He highlighted that Andorra, as a small country that has a minimum elevation of 2000 feet, is entirely mountainous. He referenced Andorra’s recent shift to sustainability as an indicator of future opportunities for growth. Following the PRs and DPRs, the panel of assembled experts had the opportunity to address the delegation.

First to address everyone was Landry Riba, the representative from the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Agriculture, and Sustainability in the Principality of Andorra. He addressed the topic of adapting agriculture and livestock sectors to climate change impacts in mountainous areas. He talked about how 90% of available land is used for cattle grazing and management. He mentioned that an additional 8% of land is used for tobacco farming, which provides 78% of income from the natural land resources. He established that this is a worrying statistic and that the Principality of Andorra has found that they must diversify economically to sustainably develop the mountain. Following Mr. Riba, Dr. Benjamin S. Orlove, Professor of International and Public Affairs at Colombia University addressed the delegation and spoke on responding to climate change in mountain communities. He highlighted the COP24 Conference that has been held during the month of December and its implications for sustainable mountain development. He also highlighted the IPCC Special Report and Assessment and their partnership with the UNFCCC. Next, Giorgio Grussu, Project Coordinator of the FAO- Mountain Partnership Secretariat, who we met with during our trip to the HLPF in 2018. He addressed the delegation, highlighting the #MountainMatter movement and how the Mountain Partnership is working with developing countries throughout the world to bring attention to the issue of mountain communities. He addressed the need to work together in partnerships for mountain-related SDGs. The next speaker was Ms. Yoko Watanabe, the Global Manager of GEF Small Grants Programme for the UNDP, who we met at HLPF 2018 during a side-event hosted by the Principality of Andorra. She spoke on the UNDP’s experience in protecting livelihoods and biodiversity in mountain ecosystems. She spoke of the Small Grants Programme and how it has impacted different developing countries around the world. She highlighted that the average grant receives $50,000 of funding and that these project shave helped to develop many projects around the world.

(R to L) Samuel Elzinga, Andrew Jensen and Yoko Watanabe during panel discussion 

Finally, Samuel  Elzinga and Andrew Jensen had the opportunity to address the delegation, using statements that we had prepared before the conference. We addressed the panel by focusing on UIMF and UVU  commitments and contribution to the sustainable mountain development agenda.  We also presented  distinguished panelists folders with copies of the official invitation letter from Dr. Lago to Mr. Mastrojeni to host a side event on mountains during the conference, copies of written statements made in 2018 at three ECOSOC forums,  a copy of written statement accepted for the 63rd session of the Commission on Status of Women, a a copy of the statement of Congressman John Curtis about UIMF, a copy of the Report on SMD in North America for RIO+20 with the UIMF contribution and the 2017 issue of the journal Youth and the Mountains.

After the event, H.E. Carla Mucavi, the moderator of the events and the Director of the FAO Liaison Office in New York, and Andrew Jensen talked about UVU’s future implications in the international community. She said she was impressed to see people so young and active in the United Nations. She talked about our increased need to work towards climate resiliency because we are the generation that will inherit many of the problems of today. Overall, the event was an excellent opportunity to network with United Nations professionals and learn more about mountain development in a sustainable way.

Samuel Elzinga, President, Utah International Mountain Forum, a coalition of student clubs at UVU and Andrew Jensen, President, Model United Nations Club

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Concept Note of the FAO-UN liason office to the UN about IMD 2018

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Statement of Samuel  Elzinga      Statement of Andrew Jensen

STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Andrew Jensen-Meeting with GUS in New York City

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DOCUMENTS PRESENTED BY UIMF DURING IMD2018

Letter of invitation from Dr. Lago to Mr. Mastrojeni

Report on SMD in North America for Rio+20

2017 issue of the Youth and the Mountains journal \

Written statement for 53rd session of the Commission on Social Development 

Written statement for 62nd session of the Commission on Status of Women 

Written statement for High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development 2018

Written statement for 63rd session of the Commission on Status of Women 

Statement of Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) about UIMF from the Congressional Record

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ECOSOC Publishes UIMF Statement on Mountain Women for CSW63

On December 7, 2018, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) published a statement  submitted by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and Utah-China Friendship Improvement Sharing Hands Development and Commerce, NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC for the 63rd session of the commission on the status of Women (CSW63). It was prepared by Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU) under the title “Mountain women and mountain targets have to be in the focus of 2030 Development Agenda.” The statement outlines UIMF’s concern that mountain women are left out of the UN 2030 Development agenda and calls for changes in the process of reviewing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by relevant ECOSOC forums, as well as highlights the effectiveness of UVU’s student engaged learning model for students’ professional growth, international recognition and for the advocacy of mountain women and sustainable mountain development agenda of the United Nations.

The statement is the result of efforts to start preparations for the 2019 advocacy campaign at ECOSOC by UIMF from our group, which includes UIMF members, such as Andrew Jensen, Angela Landa, Colin Fuller, and myself with mentorship from Dr. Butler and Dr. Abdrisaev Dr. Baktybek Abdrisaev, and Michael Hinatsu.

In addition, we have sent the statement copy and letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of ECOSOC Inga Rhonda King, and 46 member-states who provided Voluntary National Reviews at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development. UIMF’s main priority in contributing to the agenda of CSW63 in this way is to get language concerning mountain women – who have been neglected in high-level forums on sustainable development in 2018 – into the final agreement of CSW63.

UIMF is continuing preparations for CSW63 by preparing to host a parallel event at CSW63 that will advocate for mountain women and showcase student engaged learning. The parallel event is currently scheduled at the second floor of the Church Center of the UN for Tuesday, March 19, at 8:30am. UIMF also continues to contribute to the preparation of the Zero Draft Outcome Document for CSW63 by participating in online sessions organized by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW/NY).

Michael Hinatsu, UIMF member

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Written statement for CSW63 

A Review of UIMF Efforts to Contribute to the Zero Draft for CSW63

Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU), has been participating in online conference calls led by the NGO Commission on the Status of Women, New York () to prepare the Zero Draft Outcome Document for the  63rd Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) in 2019. The Zero Draft consists of policy recommendations relating to the of CSW63 (social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls) that member states agree to support and is the foundation for their negotiations on agreed conclusions at Commissions on the Status of Women.

Since November 2nd, 2018, UIMF has made substantial contributions to the document by adding specific language about mountain women and citing important UN documents, agreements, and studies showing the need to include mountain women specifically in global forums on sustainability. At the first online session, UIMF added multiple references about mountain women and sustainable mountain development (SMD), but only one of UIMF’s contributions—a reference to a 2015 FAO-Mountain Partnership Secretariat showing how mountain communities are more vulnerable to food security—was kept by the Zero Draft committee.

Realizing the importance of citing UN documents, agreements, and other studies and documents from civil society, UIMF came more prepared to the second online session on November 16th and added references to UN Secretary-General reports and   about how education can help sustainable mountain development. UIMF also cited UN documents E/CN.5/2018/NGO/71; E/CN.6/2018/NGO/37/Rev.1; and a presentation given by the UIMF delegation at CSW62 describing Utah Valley University’s student engaged learning model, as well as the importance education plays in implementing SMD. By providing detailed language and citing important sources such as UN documents, studies, and official statistics, UIMF was much more successful in this session with contributing in a meaningful way to the potential Zero Draft document.

At a third online session on November 29th, UIMF added references to describing the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems to climate change, natural disasters, and land use; the 1992   1992 about the fragility of mountainous ecosystems regarding climate change, and a UN Secretary-General describing the unique roles of mountain women and their neglect from education, policies, and other measures that would improve their lives. UIMF was also able to direct the attention of session moderators to UIMF’s additions.

On December 7th, UIMF added references to the which, while not having specific language about mountain women, contains language asserting the importance of approaches to address climate change among vulnerable groups and communities, especially of women. UIMF also referenced a , in which a number of civil society participants specifically called for Paris Accords mechanisms to specifically address mountain areas and concerns relating to climate change and SMD.

UIMF’s participation in these online sessions are important in bringing mountain women into the focus of high-level forums and for implementing the mountain targets into the 2030 Development agenda. UIMF will continue to work with other participants who have similar concerns about empowering women and advocating for often-ignored groups of women, particularly through education. UIMF will continue to attend subsequent sessions to contribute to the Zero Draft, which will be crucial in making sure that mountain women are included in the negotiations for both the agreed conclusions of CSW63 and global sustainability efforts.

Michael Hinatsu, UIMF member

Ninth International Mountain Day Celebration at Utah Valley University

On December 5, 2018, the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF) hosted the Ninth International Mountain Day (IMD) event at Utah Valley University (UVU). This was an opportunity for UIMF to highlight the achievements of students, faculty, and the community in promotion of mountain targets within the year of 2018. These people were recognized with an official certificate from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). This year’s event ran along with the theme of #MountainsMatter. During the event four guest speakers shared on the importance of mountains and what they had accomplished within the past year. The audience also heard from UIMF President Mr. Samuel Elzinga, who spoke first.

Samuel Elzinga speaks before the audience

Mr. Elzinga started by talking about all of the achievement that UIMF was able to accomplish in 2018. One of these being the opportunity that Mr. Elzinga himself and two other UVU students had to speak for three minutes at the High Level Political Forum on sustainable development in July 19, 2018 on advocacy for mountain targets. He then spoke about all of the foreign dignitaries that UIMF was able to co-host in coordination the UVU Office of Global Engagement. He referenced the Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to UN, His Excellency Mahmadamin Mahmadaminov, who visited UVU earlier in the year. Guest from Tajikistan then famously said that “if the mountains go, everything else will go to.” Mr. Elzinga also announced his recent invitation from the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to speak at the UN on December 11 in New York City in commemoration of the International Mountain Day. He will be attending with Mr. Andrew Jensen, who also spoke at the HLPF in July and is a student at UVU. After Mr. Elzinga’s presentation, Ms. Megan Davis presented him with an official certificate from the FAO-UN commending his advocacy for mountain targets in 2018. After this, a video clip was played of the three students speaking at the HLPF.

Dr. Baldomero Lago speaks before the audience

Mr. Andrew Jensen, a student at UVU and President of the Model UN Club, introduced the next guest speaker, Dr. Baldomero Lago. Dr. Lago is the CIO/Vice-Rector for Global Engagement at UVU. He plays the key role in bringing the United Nations DPI conference in August to Utah, which UVU will co-host with the Salt Lake City. Dr. Lago spoke about the conference that will be coming to Utah next August and how it came to be. He also spoke a great deal on the UVU student’s involvement in all of these activities. Without student engaged learning, none of this would be possible. Dr. Lago emphasized that students are the future and will pick up everything that is happening now. So being involved at such a high level now will result in great progress when students in the audience will graduate and start to take over. Finally, Dr. Lago spoke on how popular Utah is becoming at the United Nations. He answered questions for hours during a teleconference discussing details of the UN DPI conference coming to Utah. He read a letter of invitation to Mr. Mastrojeni and the Mountain Partnership to be part of the side event on mountains during the next year conference. After his presentation, Dr. Lago was presented with a gift on behalf of the UIMF and a FAO certificate presented by Ms. Megan Davis, for his contributions to the 2018 International Mountain Day campaign.

Mayor Richard Brunst speaks before the audience

Mr. Michael Hinatsu, who is studying political science at UVU and is a member of UIMF, introduced the Mayor of Orem City, Mr. Richard Brunst. Mayor Brunst’s presentation focused on why mountains matter. He gave examples of how almost everything we have either comes from mountains or is connected to them. He advocated for the protection of mountains, especially for water, lumber, and clear air. Finally, he commended UIMF and UVU for the progress made in 2018 and committed Orem to helping in UIMF goals and in the future. Mayor Brunst also received a gift from UIMF and was presented with a FAO-UN certificate from Ms. Megan Davis.

Mr. Joseph Lloyd, Vice President of UIMF and student at UVU, introduced the next speaker at the event, Dr. Ross Butler. Dr. Butler is the main representative at the United Nations for the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS). RANS is an NGO in general consultative status under ECOSOC since 2002. Dr. Butler discussed the importance of NGO involvement at the United Nations. He also recognized the role that students have in working with his NGO, RANS. He addressed the example of letting the three students speak at the High Level Political Forum in August, instead of himself. He mirrored some of Dr. Lagos’s points about youth involvement. He stressed how important it was to allow the youth to be able to participate and have a voice on issues that matter. He stated that himself and RANS would continue to work with the students at UVU, in particular UIMF, to bring them to the UN and give them a chance to have their voices heard. Dr. Butler was also presented with a gift from UIMF and an official certificate from the FAO-UN, recognizing his contribution to the 2018 International Mountain Day campaign and advocating for mountain targets.

Ms. Hannah Bieker, a member of UIMF who is studying national security at UVU introduced the fourth speaker, Ms. Wendy Jyang, the President of the Utah China Friendship Improvement Sharing Hands Development and Commerce. Her organization was granted the special consultative status of NGO with ECOSOC in 2015. Mrs. Jyang focused on the family as a factor in lifting people out of poverty. She also used the power of education as a salient factor in doing this. Her organization takes people from all over the world, provides them the opportunity to come to the US to pursue higher education and teaches them the importance of family. Mrs. Jyang shared stories from her experiences and had pictures to go along with them. Her NGO, along with RANS, played a key role in UIMF advocacy at the UN in 2018. Mrs. Jyang received a gift on behalf of UIMF and an official certificate from the FAO-UN, presented by Ms. Megan Davis.

The final guest speaker to present was Ms. Rebecca Bindraban, a current student at UVU and vice president in UIMF. She is also the editor-in-chief of the Youth and the Mountains journal, an on-campus journal that highlights students’ work on sustainable mountain development topics. Ms. Bindraban gave a brief presentation on this year’s journal issue and presented journal copies to William Crist and Derk Horlacher, student authors in the issue. Ms. Megan Davis presented Ms. Bindraban and both authors with official FAO-UN certificates for their contributions to mountain target advocacy.

After the guest speakers presented, the event moved to presenting certificates to students and faculty at UVU that advocated for mountain targets and causes in 2018. The ceremony was started with those who participated and helped with the 62nd Session on the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN. All of these people received official certificates from the FAO-UN. Next, certificates were presented to faculty and staff who contributed to the mountain agenda. The first in the list was Dr. Alexander Stecker, who was faculty at UVU and one of the main organizers of the first Women of the Mountains Conference in 2007. His contribution to the advocacy of mountain sustainability was recognized through the Honorary Professorship at the International University of Kyrgyzstan. After Dr. Stecker received his certificate, the rest of the faculty who contributed were given certificates as well. Finally, the event was ended with the presentation of FAO-UN certificates to students who contributed to the mountain sustainability targets.

UVU faculty and students during IMD 2018

This year’s International Mountain Day was a great success. This was my first time organizing an event like this and it was a great learning experience. This event did a great job of honoring all of those who contributed this year and can be used a springboard into next year, which will also be a fantastic year for UVU, UIMF, and the sustainable mountain development goals. The focus of UIMF will be on advocacy of mountain targets at UN forums in New York City and during the UN NGO conference in Salt Lake City in August 2019.

In addition, Samuel Elzinga and Andrew Jensen participated at the IMD commemoration at the United Nations on December 11, 2018.  The event titled “Tackling climate change and building resilience in mountainous and rural communities,” was co-hosted  as a side-event by the Permanent Missions to the UN of the Kyrgyz Republic, Canada, Austria, and the Principality of Andorra.

Hagen Isaackson, member, UIMF

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UIMF leaders spoke at IMD at United Nations

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Rebecca Bindraban – Presentation

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Letter of invitation to Mr. Mastrojeni and the Mountain Partnership  

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Brochure

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Task List – International Mountain Day 2018

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An announcement about IMD Celebration at UVU

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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS

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Michael Hinatsu – Reflections on UIMF Celebration of International Mountain Day

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Mark Driggs-UIMF and IMD A Celebration and Reminder of Why Mountains Matter

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Kyle Williams-Ninth celebration of International Mountain Day at UVU

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Cory Levin-UIMF celebrates the ninth International Mountain Day

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Laila Mitchell – Ninth Annual IMD Celebration at Utah Valley University

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Hailee Hodgson – My contribution to the ninth International Mountain Day Celebration at UVU

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Taylor Bell Ninth International Mountain Day celebration at UVU

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Mary Nelson-IMD at UVU recognizes Youth and the Mountains journal

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Mary Nelson-UVU IMD hosts Wendy Jyang

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Victoria Bindrup-International Mountain Day at Utah Valley University

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Joseph-Lloyd-United Nations Ninth International Mountain Day at UVU

UIMF Continues to Discuss Online Zero Draft Outcome Document for CSW63 (Part 3)

On November 29 at 10:00am, Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU), participated in a third conference call session led by the NGO Commission on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW/NY). This session was the continuation of a session held on November 16th, 2018, in which a number of civil society participants from around the world, led by Winifred Doherty, Main NGO Representative to the United Nations (UN), and Jourdan Williams, Youth Representative to the UN for the International Health Awareness Network, gathered via video call to discuss topics, concerns, and groups of people that will be included in the Zero Draft Outcome Document of CSW63 (see http://utahimf.org/archives/3980). The November 29th session continued in-depth contributions by the participants with a focus on the topics of human rights and access to justice.

The duration of this session consisted of presentations by interns and representatives affiliated with NGO CSW/NY on a number of topics relating to human rights and access to justice. These topics were outlined in a number of papers presented at an in September, and dealt with how human rights and justice are related to the priority theme of CSW63 (social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls).  The presentation also discussed the need to make the CSW63 priority them as inclusive and comprehensive as possible, especially for groups not normally considered in related agreements and work. A number of presenters also focused on the role of education to empower women in relation to the CSW63 priority theme.

Because much of the session’s time was taken up by such presentations, other participants along with UIMF were not able to bring up further additions to the Zero Draft, nor voice additional concerns. However, UIMF was able to further contribute to the Zero Draft in a positive way by adding more references to UN official documents and high-level agreements that focus on mountainous areas and mountain families, women, and girls. UIMF specifically added language to sections of the Zero Draft on climate change and sustainable infrastructure, further adding the influence of UIMF’s advocacy for mountain women and sustainable mountain development in this important draft document. Via messaging, UIMF was able to direct the attention of session moderators to UIMF’s additions, which were relevant to the topics addressed by the NGO CSW/NY interns regarding education and marginalized groups of women.

Overall, this session was an additional important step in bringing mountain women into the focus of high-level forums and for implementing the mountain targets into the 2030 Development agenda. UIMF’s contributions to this draft document continue to increase and provide a necessary component of the future Zero Draft. Additionally, UIMF will continue to build bridges of cooperation with other participants who have similar concerns about empowering women and advocating for often-ignored groups of women, particularly through education. UIMF will continue to attend subsequent sessions to contribute to the Zero Draft, which will be crucial in making sure that mountain women are included in the negotiations for both the agreed conclusions of CSW63 and global sustainability efforts.

UIMF continues to prepare for CSW63 by lobbying the UN Secretary-General, President of ECOSOC, and 46 member states who gave Voluntary National Reviews at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development. UIMF also will be focusing efforts on 14 of those member states who are also members of the Mountain Partnership. Furthermore, UIMF is pleased to announce positive feedback and encouragement from the permanent missions of Malta and Australia to the UN, in response to letters sent on October 29 describing UIMF’s concern about the lack of transparency in negotiations of final documents for CSW and ECOSOC forums by member states, as well as the lack of implementation of mountain women and girls into the global sustainability agenda.

Michael Hinatsu, UIMF member

UVU Hosts UN DPI Director of Outreach Division, Mr. Maher Nasser

The Utah Valley University (UVU) Office for Global Engagement hosted Mr. Maher Nasser, the Director of the Outreach Division in the United Nations (UN) Department of Public Information (DPI) on November 28, 2018. Mr. Nasser visited UVU after taking part in the press-conference a day before together with Mayor of Salt Lake City Mrs. Jackie Biskupski to announce about Salt Lake City with UVU hosting the . The conference will bring together thousands of civil society members from NGOs and other groups around the world to discuss the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Mr. Maher Nasser speaks at UVU 

While promoting the conference, Mr. Nasser spoke on the need for multilateralism and why achieving the SDGs is a collective responsibility. In his presentation, Mr. Nasser advocated for working with the UN at local, regional, national, and international levels to implement the SDGs and foster international cooperation.

Mr. Nasser began by addressing misconceptions about the UN, stating that while the UN is a collection of diplomats and international organizations, the issues that it addresses cut across all borders and affect the global population. In arguing why multiculturalism matters, Mr. Nasser said that all aspects of life are touched in some way by a part of the UN, and that the most important global issues cannot be solved without the UN. In describing the pillars of UN work—peace and security, development, and human rights—he mentioned terrorism, organized crime, disease, , human rights, natural disasters, and climate change in particular as examples of interrelated issues that cannot be solved without the UN and multilateralism.

Mr. Nasser described how UN organizations have been working with governments, organizations, and other groups to coordinate a global response to such issues, highlighting the work of the World Food Programme (WFP), which with food and nutritional issues, and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which has of the world’s children. Mr. Nasser noted that many UN successes go unnoticed or are eclipsed by a few instances of gridlock and reports about the failures of UN endeavors, but that overall, the UN has achieved many successes, citing the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, formation of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the general improvement of living conditions and avoidance of war because of UN efforts.

Faculty and students during lecture of Mr. Nasser at UVU

Mr. Nasser also described one of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ main , to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce mankind’s impact on the environment, adding that the world must do more in this regard. Mr. Nasser also emphasized the Secretary General’s priority to UN processes and to realize the interconnectedness of global issues and the importance of multilateralism.

On the SDGs, Mr. Nasser said that the goals are not simply UN development goals, but are really the goals of individuals, given the nearly 10 million people who contributed to the 17 goals and 169 targets’ language. In saying this, Mr. Nasser stressed that people, organizations, and governments should view the goals in this way, noting both the importance of local action and global coordination by the UN. Mr. Nasser specifically urged young people to take ownership of their futures and unitedly face global issues related to the world population, climate change, and food access. Mr. Nasser also called upon civil society in general to push politicians to be true to multilateral commitments, emphasizing that such action is about working for the good of the future, not about political goals or simple awareness.

In a brief question and answer period, Mr. Nasser again addressed climate change, noting that he finds it difficult to measure which country has done the most to respond to climate change, but that a measurement of success should go beyond specific countries and focus on coordination and effective solutions. Mr. Nasser cited a about deforestation cause by the US palm oil biofuel mandate to show how responding to climate change should be comprehensive and reliant on multilateral decision making. Mr. Nasser also discussed how the UN works to promote human rights and give aid in the midst of opposition, describing the way that the UN has worked to shrink the deficit in funding to Palestinians.

Overall, Mr. Nasser’s visit constituted a timely discussion of the role and efficacy of the UN. Clearly, global issues require global responses and international-level work, and, as Mr. Nasser mentioned, the UN is the recognized, legitimate body in the eyes of nations that can coordinate and drive such efforts. While a discussion about the UN’s successes and failures, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, and necessary reforms of the organization should not be ignored—especially given current geopolitical issues, transnational conflicts, and the current state of poverty and hunger—civil society, politicians, and other groups should also pragmatically consider how to work multilaterally to achieving solutions to global issues, especially the critical ones described in the SDGs, so that the benefits of globalization are extended more effectively and comprehensively.

Full video of Mr. Nasser’s presentation is available .

Group photo of UVU faculty, students and Orem Rotary members with  Mr. Maher Nasser

Mr. Nasser’s visit also provided an important opportunity for students and members of the Utah International Mountain Forum, a coalition of student clubs at UVU, to interact with dignitaries at both UN and local levels. It helped in their professional advancement and to make connections with influential officials to not only promote the UVU engaged learning model but also the specific issues UIMF advocates for. Sam Elzinga, UIMF President, Kyle Warren, Vice President, UVU Rotaract and myself were also invited to a luncheon in honor of Mr. Nasser with UVU faculty, and members of the   in attendance. Personally, I was able to speak directly with Mr. Nasser to explain UIMF efforts to prepare for the 63rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, highlighting UIMF’s written statement as well as advocacy of mountain women with permanent missions. Additionally, UIMF members and I introduced ourselves to members of the Orem Rotary, which will play an important role in the UN Conference next year as part of Rotary International. Rotary International is a respected globally institution, which is registered as a non-governmental organization under the UN Economic and Social Council since 1993. We had conversations with a number of Orem Rotary Club members about the mission of UIMF and the importance of local cooperation with implementing the UN sustainable mountain development agenda in Utah and the UN. From our interactions, it was clear that local action is highly effective at bringing high-level leaders such as Mr. Nasser to work with local causes, but also to advocate for global issues and more effectively have important voices heard.

Michael Hinatsu, UIMF member

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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS

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Laila Mitchell                             Hagen Isaacson

Brandon Pedler                        Nathan Wagstaff

Steven Thompson                   Cassandra Klindt

Kyle Williams                                    Megan Davis

Aldon Trimble                                       Cory Levin

Jesse Sandstrom                              Reagan High

Paige Graves                                             Taylor Bell

Joseph Lloyd                                         Mary Nelson

Awal T Momen                                    Titus Elanyu

You’re Going Where? A Brief Adventure Journal With Western Fly Fishermen

We Ttraveled, with fly rods in hand, to an obscure land in search of pristine rivers, Sevan Trout and Fishermen.

For years, the “Stans” have been loosely placed on the list of destinations “I’d like to visit before I die.”  But those lands moved to the forefront when my mom overheard my dad and I discussing the location, geography, climate and seemingly endless pristine rivers of a little and almost forgotten Central Asian country. The conversation quickly progressed to the idea of bringing western fly fishermen to Kyrgyzstan to help the local economy grow through a success model of sustainable, fly fishing tourism.

My mom, Marcia Barlow, quickly connected the dots between Kyrgyzstan (one of the mountain nations in transition to build a market economy and open society), Utah Valley University’s Utah International Mountain Forum – UIMF (a coalition of student clubs with whom she advocates for mountain women at the United Nations Economic and Social Council), and our concept of sustainable-fisheries management coupled with fly fishing tourism.

In less than one month, my partner and I found ourselves sitting in an office with a UVU team discussing ways we can work with a Mountain Partnership, which advocates a SMD agenda globally, to bring sustainable economic growth and destination-fly-fishing tourism to the mountain people of Kyrgyzstan.  After an hour and half of chatting, we concluded we needed to travel to the pristine mountains and rivers of that land to find the fish.

Four months later, in October 3-15, 2018, with a team of photographers/ videographers/fishermen, Sam Woods, Zach Heath and I stepped off an airplane in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with fly rods, camera gear and a healthy anticipation for adventure.

Our first stop was the Suusamyr River.  It had everything we had hoped for, clean coldwater, fast runs, deep holes, acceptable sub-straight to sustain the abundant insect life necessary to prop up a healthy trout population.  With no history of industry or significant mining in the area, this drainage was high on our list of potentials. We spent an entire day combing the runs, using multiple different fly fishing techniques, only to find a few trout. This would become the common thread; pristine rivers filled with life giving food for trout and very small to non-existent fish populations.

As we traveled the countryside the people became more welcoming and more interested in spending time getting to know us and learn about where we came from.  Everywhere we went the locals were trying to take us home to learn about the strange Americans they found on the road or in hopes of giving us a glimpse into their life.

We had the opportunity to share tea and spent the night with a young family and their friends in Toluk. On the upper reaches of the Suusamyr/Kokomeren river drainages we broke bread with a nomad family in their yurt – after we helped them to break down their summer camp before winter set in.  The people of the Kyrgyzstan are probably the most gentle and welcoming people I’ve met.

Hungry to find more trout, we inquired of anybody that would listen.  Following a lead from the Dedushka at the homestay, we loaded up for an 80-km-round-trip excursion up a tributary to the Suusamyr River.  As we prospected dozens of likely spots, it became obvious that fish counts were extremely low and that seine netting* was probably the cause. We had traveled to a half a dozen other rivers and found a similar situation; spectacular water, prolific insect hatches, very limited numbers of beautiful trout and discarded seine nets.

The Opportunity                  

One thing was clear, if the fish in Kyrgyzstan were allowed a chance to live and grow unmolested in rivers and lakes, a world-class fishery could quickly evolve.  There are few places on the planet that offer the abundance of healthy rivers and streams that Kyrgyzstan offers.  These simple facts, combined with fly fishing’s ethic of “catch and release,” could be a winning combination for the mountain populations of Kyrgyzstan.  The economics of world-class fly fishing tourism can be summarized like this:  “A large trout is worth far more to the local population in the water than on a dinner plate.”

As the world searches for that last untouched, authentically natural place on this earth, we conclude it may be that ancient, majestic land and culture now known as Kyrgyzstan.  It is our commitment to be a part of assisting the Kyrgyz people in welcoming the world, while preserving and enhancing all of its natural resources.  To this end, we view fly fishing tourism as a sustainable, regenerative, profitable opportunity for the mountain people of Kyrgyzstan.

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*Seine fishing (or seine-haul fishing) is a method of fishing that employs a fishing net that hangs vertically in the water with its bottom edge held down by weights and its top edge buoyed by floats. Seine nets can be deployed from the shore as a beach seine, or from a boat.

Taylor Barlow, Co-Founder, Mondo Fly Fishing,

UIMF Addressed Sustainable Development Issues of Indigenous Sovereign Nations in the State of Utah

The Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University (UVU) hosted an event with UVU students who belong to indigenous sovereign nations on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. This was a part of their outreach efforts to promote sustainable mountain development agenda of the UN in the State of Utah and among diverse members of local communities in particular.

Panel on sustainable development and Indigenous People in Utah

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues warns recently that “The 2030 Agenda…involves serious risks for Indigenous Peoples, such as clean energy projects that encroach on their lands and territories. To avoid negative impacts, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals needs to take place in conformity with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. . . . It is also important that programs to implement the 2030 Agenda are culturally sensitive and respect Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination as well as collective rights in terms of land, health, education, culture, and ways of living.”

Taking into account efforts of the United Nations to include Indigenous People in the UN 2030 Development Agenda, the UIMF invited a panel of students to highlight the economic sustainability issues for Native Americans in the State of Utah and how they are impacted by complicated international relationships between the United States and Indians. UVU students Jacob Crane, Chase Hobson, and Jaclyn Booth were asked to be on the Indigenous Sovereign Nations panel. Professor Jansen, who teaches Native American Studies at UVU, joined them at the panel as well.

Outreach was established as an important initiative of the UIMF early this semester. The reason outreach is an important part of the UIMF’s agenda is because engaging the student body, foreign themed clubs, and local community is important to the UIMF’s leadership. As the UIMF grows, it seeks more opportunities to network with clubs that have similar interests. With hope this will be the first of many events with specific focus on contribution and involvement of Native American communities in the implementation of the UN 2030 Development Agenda.

United States may have its most complex relationship with indigenous sovereign tribes. Hundreds of years before the US was established, England had acknowledged “Indians” as a sovereign entity. Over time and in part due to western expansion, Indians have found themselves in a difficult position. Primarily, Indians are having a hard time creating economic sustainability. Jacob Crane, Chase Hobson, and Jaclyn Booth (panel members) concluded that part of the problem is that over time the US hasn’t honored treaties made with Indians throughout the centuries. This has isolated indigenous people from being able to control their own development and has caused stagnation.

Jacob Crane speaks during panel

For instance, Jacob Crane studies Business Management. He lives on a reservation near Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Crane’s passion is learning how to start businesses on reservations, but in his words, “its hard to find seed money,” and “there are grants but it’s not enough.” To Crane, there are people who can make goods and provide services, but educating locals about business and connecting them to a market can be hard. Jacob wants to focus on marketing to Indians when he said, “I want to make videos,” and linking their products to the internet when he stated a goal to “find a way to link natives to [e-commerce].” Crane seems to be indicating that the reason economic development is not sustainable is because of the lack of access to a market.

Chase Hobson who studies several subjects including economic development at UVU and lives on a trust land in northern California. He found his motivation to help his community after being confronted with serious problems on his reservation. Hobson stated that there is a lack of jobs, “if you don’t work for the government, the tribe, or in the tourism industry then it’s hard to find a job north of minimum wage.” He said that where he is from, “there is a decreasing population with negative four percent growth” and “if you want an education you have to leave.” According to Hobson, in addition to high unemployment, drugs and housing are the reasons that economic development sustainability is a challenge.

Professor Dusty Jansen speaks during panel

Professor Dusty Jansen, who teaches classes regarding Native American Studies at UVU, added “if there are no jobs on the reservation after you have gotten your education, why would you go back?” This is a great point. As Indians become better educated, opportunities back home are absent. This contributes to the dwindling population on reservations, but there are more problems facing Indians. Economic development will certainly be a challenge if there is no population.

Jaclyn Booth speaks during the panel at UVU

Jaclyn Booth is studying deaf studies at UVU, described her life growing up on Navajo reservation, watching other Indian families struggle with addiction, abuse, and poverty. She added to the conversation that, “there are people being raised in abusive households surrounded by drugs; it’s hard to get out of that situation.” Booth explained that her mother had became a psychologist in hopes of learning how to better address these issues facing their community, but as Booth admits, “how can you fix these problems? It takes a long time to overcome substance abuse.” Booth helps us understand the stagnation of economic development. Drugs and physical abuse can be devastating for any community, especially mountainous regions.

Student audience listens to the panel

The Indigenous Sovereign Nations Panel concluded that the long standing complex international relationship with the US has resulted in the difficult position that Indians find themselves in. To Crane, the problem is a lack of funding; Hobson believes that the problem is centered on jobs and education; Professor Jansen finds it hard for Indians to want to return home after obtaining an education because of the lack of jobs there; and Booth sees a long road ahead for Indians facing physical abuse and drug problems.

All of these are problems that are contributing to economic development difficulties. The UIMF has reached out to international students at UVU who face challenges of sustainability in mountainous regions. Jacob Crane, Chase Hobson, Professor Jansen, and Jaclyn Booth shared their experiences on Native American reservations as they relate to economic development sustainability and the complex relationship it has with the US.

Dirk William Gum, member, UIMF

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Mark Driggs-UIMF Hosts Indigenous Panel Discussion

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UIMF Continues to Discuss Online Zero Draft Outcome Document for CSW63

To further prepare for the 63rd Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) in 2019, on November 16th, 2018 from 8:30 to 9:30am, UIMF again participated in a conference call session led by the NGO Commission on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW/NY). This session was the continuation of a session held on November 2nd, 2018, in which a number of civil society participants from around the world, led by Winifred Doherty, Main NGO Representative to the United Nations, and Jourdan Williams, Youth Representative to the United Nations for the International Health Awareness Network, gathered via video call to discuss topics, concerns, and groups of people that will be included in the Zero Draft Outcome Document of CSW63 (see http://utahimf.org/archives/3980). The November 16th session built off of the previous one and was characterized by more in-depth contributions by the participants, including greater, more specific implementation of language advocating for mountain families, women, and girls in the draft on the part of UIMF.

Winifred Doherty, Main NGO Representative to the United Nations speaks during online session,

The session agenda was more abbreviated that before, partly because the participants were the same as before, but also because more time was needed by them to add language about their individual concerns. In this regard, UIMF was more effective than before in adding specific language about mountain women, about Utah Valley University’s (UVU) student engaged learning model, nontraditional students, and how education can empower students to have both professional advancement and contribute in a meaningful way to the UN 2030 Development agenda, particularly for the advocacy of mountain women and sustainable mountain development.

The working document for the Zero Draft is organized according to topics relevant to the priority theme of CSW63 (see ), including topics such as Education, Health, Human Rights, and Infrastructure. Because the working document is an amalgamation of many civil society concerns, it is important for participants such as UIMF to be detailed in proposed concerns and potential language, so that the language will have a better chance of being included in the actual Zero Draft. Equally important is the inclusion of sources that back up proposals, which can be official UN documents, international agreements, scholarly studies or other research, or otherwise.Michael Hinatsu during online session

By providing detailed language and citing important sources such as UN documents, studies, and official statistics, UIMF was much more successful in this session with contributing in a meaningful way to the potential Zero Draft document. As a result of UIMF efforts, the issues that mountain women face, as well as UVU’s engaged learning model and facts concerning nontraditional students, are now integral parts of the working document. In fact, UIMF’s contribution to the Education section constitutes a substantial portion of the proposed language offered by civil society, citing the engaged learning method as well as how UIMF members have used the model to contribute to UN forums on sustainable development. UIMF also was able identify with a civil society participant from Canada, who, like many UIMF coalitions, has been advocating for specific issues regarding education among adult women at the UN level for many years, with no results.

While many of UIMF’s contributions to the first conference call session relating to mountain women were removed afterwards, by providing detailed language and citations in this session, language about the problems faced by mountain families, women, and girls, as well as language advocating UVU’s student engaged learning model and nontraditional students was not only incorporated in the working document, but the leaders of the project stated that such contributions were not only meaningful but necessary to the document. This is a very important step in UIMF’s efforts to get mountain women into the language of the Zero Draft document. Furthermore, UIMF is continuously building relationships with other civil society members, whose concerns intersect with the mission of UIMF, which makes our efforts more relevant and opens up the possibility of better coordination among civil society.

Michael Hinatsu speaks during online session

UIMF will continue to attend subsequent sessions to contribute to the Zero Draft, which will be crucial in making sure that mountain women are included in the negotiations for both the agreed conclusions of CSW63 and global sustainability efforts. Additionally, UIMF is continuing to lobby the UN Secretary-General, President of ECOSOC, and 46 member states who gave Voluntary National Reviews at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development, particularly 14 who are members of the Mountain Partnership, in preparation for CSW63, where UIMF has submitted a written statemen and is planning a parallel event advocating for student engaged learning to advocate for sustainable development, in particular for mountain women and girls.

Michael Hinatsu, member, UIMF

 

Ambassador of Hungary to the US, Dr. Laszlo Szabo Visited UVU

On November 6, 2018, Dr. Laszlo Szabo, Hungarian Ambassador to the United States, visited Utah Valley University to speak to the students and faculty in attendance about “Hungary and the Geopolitical Importance of Central Europe: What’s in it for the United States?”

Ambassador of Hungary to the United States, Dr. Laszlo Szabo speaks at UVU

After his introduction, Ambassador Szabo briefly explained his background in the pharmaceutical industry and his experience as vice president of fortune 500 company, Eli Lilly, and as the CEO of TEVA Hungary until 2014. To transition into his current role in diplomacy, Szabo joked that he now works in a world where he does twice as much work for a fraction of what he used to earn. From 2014 to 2017, Szabo served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, and from 2017 to now has represented as top envoy of Hungary in the United States.

Ambassador Szabo briefly touched on Hungary’s history since its establishment in 896 AD. Because of Hungary’s geographic position, it has been subjected to many great empires throughout time, including the Ottoman Empire and the Soviet Union. Szabo explains that the Hungarian people draw much of their national identity from their years of living under different foreign powers. Ambassador Szabo then spoke on the Hungarian economy and how Hungary currently has the lowest tax rate in Europe. Szabo referenced the global economic crisis and said that Hungary had almost gone bankrupt during this time, and that it has been able to survive due to its early repayment of International Monetary Fund loans and also in part due to its partnerships with several countries throughout the world, including the United States. Mr. Szabo then talked about many of the inventions that have originated from Hungary, ranging from electrical engines to ballpoint pens to the Rubik’s Cube. He explained also that due to Hungary’s inventive capacity, it has become a technological gateway into Europe for the United States. Ambassador Szabo described Hungary’s economic relationship with the United States as a symbiotic one, where Hungary can provide a product and the U.S. can effectively market the invention. From Ambassador Szabo, we learned that there are nearly 1,700 American companies that have centers in Hungary and there is an unseen Hungarian influence in the American entertainment industry, Hollywood, specifically.

Following a presentation that depicted Hungary’s role in Hollywood to help Utah Valley University students find common ground with Hungary, Ambassador Szabo began to dive into Hungary’s geopolitical situations, citing that one of the largest challenges for Hungary is illegal immigration. According to Ambassador Szabo, Hungary deals with approximately 10,000 illegal entrance trials every day. Hungarian official addressed his country’s rich Jewish culture and their good relations with Israel, stating that the current Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, labelled Hungary as “the best country in Europe for the Jewish people.” Ambassador Szabo also spoke about Hungary’s humanitarian efforts to aid Christians that are being persecuted in countries located in the Middle East and North Africa.

Audience during Ambassador Szabos presentation

Ambassador Szabo then opened up for questions. One event attendee asked about Russia’s influence in Hungary’s trade economy and education. In response, the Ambassador said that while it is true that Russia is a large gas supplier for Hungary, Hungary has followed and supported the sanctions against Russia. In regards to education, Szabo stated that Russia did not have any influence in the Hungarian education system, despite being under the U.S.S.R. decades ago. Another attendee asked Ambassador Szabo about the negative depictions on some aspects of life in Hungary, including extremism and state sponsored media. Ambassador Szabo responded to this question by addressing that every country and every political ideology has extremists. The Ambassador Szabo then spoke regarding news agencies by saying that even in the United States, there are news agencies such as Fox or CNN that are partial to a specific political party and that state-sponsored media is not exclusive to Hungary. As Utah Valley University student, I was grateful to Ambassador Szabo for taking the time to visit and provide an inside perspective on the country of Hungary.

Matthew Brady Simon, UVU student  

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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS

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Laila Mitchell                           Stuart Cannon

Cory Levin                                    Raige Graves

Steven Thompson                  Cody Conklin

Zachary Smith                    Awal T Momen

Titus Elanyu

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