Home to The Youth Assembly for 15 years, New York City is the ultimate melting pot with millions of visitors each year. New York is a place where every nationality imaginable is represented and also celebrated. The diverse population makes this beautiful city unlike anywhere else in the world. No matter your skin color, religion, sexuality, or gender you will always find a common connection and never feel like an outsider.
The “Big Apple,” as it is called, is the epicenter of culture and the arts, with various world class theatres including Broadway, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall bringing in the greatest music and dance talents in the world. Also a stylish capital, it features the Fashion Institute of Technology and the largest fashion brands in the world.
As the historic host city of The Youth Assembly, New York City is also a critical hub of International Relations, hosting the headquarters of the United Nations on 42nd street. With major global organizations centered here, including various UN agencies, the Council on Foreign Relations, Earth Institute, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and numerous global education institutions including Columbia University and New York University – New York City has definitely established itself as a megacity leading decisions and change in contemporary global issues.
Although we will conduct our Youth Assembly for the first time in Washington D.C., this year we introduced our Global Leadership Development series, featuring the International Affairs and Premier Tracks that take place in both NYC and DC. GDL series conducted in NYC enable Delegates to experience the international taste of both cities in the company of fellow Delegates and friends from around the world – all in celebration of International Youth Day!
As a student of International Relations, it is very exciting for me to have been given the opportunity to reside in downtown Manhattan for the summer and get the full experience of living in New York. Now, entering and experiencing the United Nations, and the country missions that conduct their daily work there — is especially exciting through the Youth Assembly GDL Series this summer! It is it important to embrace and incorporate the goals of the United Nations and its partner institutions in our daily lives in order to fully live as informed global citizens.
Like our world, the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation is evolving with the changing times. As global citizens at the Youth Assembly, this is our opportunity to combine diverse perspectives to generate solutions to world conflicts – and what better place to do it than in Washington DC and New York City. Through face to face communication (which is sometimes less common in the tech-centric communication age of 2019) we are able to share our unique experiences through friendship, gathering insight and a deeper understanding of one another’s cultures and backgrounds in one of the most iconic melting pot cities. I am looking forward to seeing your friendly faces in August! Until then, stay positive, keep playing your role in the world, and enjoy the summer!