Plan International USA’s Post

Sara Mora is a 28-year-old human and migrant rights activist who uses her platforms to encourage conversations about immigration and create opportunities for migrant students. Sara began her advocacy work on her college campus and later became the first Latino co-president of the Women's March Youth branch, while working with Teen Vogue’s voter registration campaign. Sara has openly shared her experiences as a DACA recipient, and how the stigma she faced has shaped her life and informed her activism. From volunteering for the New Sanctuary Coalition and serving as a delegate for Eighteen X18 to a collaboration with the American History Museum, she has openly and honestly shared her experiences in the hope of destigmatizing migration. Sara regularly works with global brands including META, HBO and Reebok, elevating Latina representation and bringing a youth perspective to their marketing. Follow Miss Sara Mora mora to learn more!

The future girls want includes a seat at the table where decisions are being made about their lives. Nora had just that opportunity recently when she took over for Plan International USA President & CEO in celebration of International Day of the Girl. Nora spent time with Plan staff and asked how their roles contributed to the future girls want. Watch the video to see her conversation with Needa from our humanitarian response team. Stay tuned for more from Nora’s Takeover and follow our socials for all things International Day of the Girl through Oct. 11!

Coming to you from the future young people want! Last weekend, Plan International USA’s Director of Policy Justin Fugle attended the U.N. Summit of the Future with Plan’s global leadership and youth advocates. This important event convened key stakeholders in creating a Pact for the Future, which will guide international action to address current crises and prepare for the future with peace-building efforts, conflict resolution and protection of human rights. Head to the post to get a behind the scenes look at the weekend and hear from Justin on the impact youth have in these processes!

Staff on the move! Colleagues from Plan International NL recently joined members of our Youth Economic and Empowerment team in D.C. for a week of collaboration. From attending the Global Youth Economic Opportunity Summit hosted by Making Cents to hosting a lunchtime presentation on global collaboration within the Plan network, it was a busy and exciting week! Adam Shreeve Colton Hubbard Marieke Keulen Ana Maria Peña

Daphne Frias is a 26 year old Latina activist, who often works at the intersection of climate and disability. Daphne has cerebral palsy and shares her experiences navigating the activism space as a wheelchair user. She has always championed collective action for young people. Appointed as the NY State Director for @marchforourlives in 2019, she became interested in empowering youth to be active voters during her year-long term. She founded @BoxtheBallot as a result, a nonprofit that partners with college students to harness the power of absentee ballots. Daphne focuses on issues affecting youth, concentrating much of her recent advocacy work on climate justice. As a spokesperson for the global climate strikes and a former county committee woman in West Harlem, she advocates for minority communities who are disproportionately affected by climate change. Daphne speaks nationwide at colleges, events and summits, amplifying the voices of Gen Z. Follow @frias_daphne over on Instagram to learn more and stay tuned for another featured leader next week!

Our board and staff teamed up at Plan International's D.C. office for an action-packed leadership retreat last week! Want to learn more about our incredible leadership team? Meet our board members here: https://bit.ly/3ZC7tuy

Valery is creating space for art, instead of violence, every time she plays her violin. The Empower Art for Peace project works to foster reconciliation and peacebuilding in regions heavily impacted by armed conflict in Colombia. This project uses art and citizen participation to promote peace, including through music. Valery shares: “Many people didn't believe peace could be built; they thought it was simply the government's responsibility. Now, they've realized that we can do something with what we know, with what we do and with what we can control. We can try to change and contribute to peacebuilding.” This #InternationalDayofPeace, we’re highlighting Valery’s efforts, using her talent to create spaces for people of all walks of life to come together in dialogue and reconciliation processes.

Young women are the experts in what they need to stay safe online. Digital creator and activist Hiqmat spoke at a webinar Plan International recently hosted with CNN As Equals, titled "Protecting Girls Online: Are We Doing Enough?" exploring the critical issue of social media's impact on young people, particularly girls and women. Over the past year, Plan collaborated with CNN to produce a comprehensive report as part of the As Equals series, titled "Building Digital Resilience.” This webinar was a chance to highlight that critical research with activists from across the globe, including Hiqmat. Watch the full replay on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3TB5brE

Young people are elevating the needs of girls and young women at the United Nations! The United Nations Summit of the Future will take place Sept 22-23rd, and convene key stakeholders in creating a Pact for the Future. This pact will guide international action to address current crises and prepare for the future including efforts toward peace-building, conflict resolution and the protection of human rights. Plan International created a youth task force for policy and influencing connected to the Summit and Youth Advisory Board member, Isa has been a key part of this group of young activists. Isa contributed to the creation of the Girl's Pact for the Future, that highlights five critical issues that adolescent girls are urging decision-makers to address at the Summit. Watch the video to hear from Isa on this important work, and head to the link below to learn more about how you can get involved: https://bit.ly/3Tvdkhv