The Earth Charter Youth Group of the month (June 2013) goes to the Youth Department of UISCUMARR, also an ECI Affiliate based in Buenos Aires.
UISCUMARR focuses mainly on Corporate Social Responsibility, and they have a Youth Department where they promote actions on youth empowerment and the environment. Here is a description of their current activities and projects:
– “Youth Vote: Citizen Engagement” talk: Argentina passed several laws this year that authorize young people as young as 16 to vote in national and provincial elections. Previously the minimum age to vote was 18.
As the coming legislative elections will be the first experience of many young people, UISCUMARR Youth Dept has conducted talks over the last two years engaging youth at various schools throughout their region. The talks were run by two young lawyers who are Chamber members.
– Event: “1st CSR Programs Workshop for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)”: On June 13th 2012 a workshop for SMEs was organized with the aim to demonstrate how they can start infusing corporate social responsibility into their work.
– Participation in “Tree Week”: For the last year, the Water and Youth Movement and UNICEF, Argentina have been organizing “Tree Week” throughout the last week of August. This day is based on raising environmental awareness and tree planting. In 2012. UISCUMARR planted 60 trees in the city of Lanús and in 2013 they aim to plant more trees in different municipalities. They will also organize talks in schools on the subject and prepare seedlings that will be planted for Tree Week 2014.
– Children’s Day: Like last year, for Children’s Day in Argentina, UISCUMARR Youth Department will be collaborating in recreational activities primarily with toys in a hospital or dining setting. This activity is organized entirely by young people.
– Presentations about Entrepreneurship: In order to encourage and promote entrepreneurship among young people, two young entrepreneurs will make presentations in high schools.
– Delivery of Books, Scholarships and Participation in International Events: With the intention to train the young members of the Department, the Board allocated resources that purchased materials, scholarships and participation in international events. In 2012, the scholarship was awarded to eight young people to participate in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20).
Earth Charter International would like to congratulate UISCUMARR Youth Department and its members for all of their efforts to raise awareness on the issue of Social Responsibility and to empower the Youth of Argentina.
We strongly encourage our Earth Charter Youth Groups around the world to keep up the great work, to keep us informed with their activities and projects and to keep on updating their Wikispace pages, which is a great tool to connect with a global and active youth network aiming to build a more just and peaceful world!
To know more about UISCUMARR Youth Department, visit their official website, Wikispace page and the ECYG Google Map.
If you have any questions, please contact Nora Mahmoud, at [email protected]