UNICEF
provides understanding to students
By Ramon Torres
On-line Forty-Niner
United
Nations Children’s Fund Regional Manager
Katie Scolari gave a presentation Monday
on the relevance of art in UNICEF programs
and fund raising with the purpose to increase
awareness among Cal State Long Beach students
about what the world’s children face.
The mission of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF
is to promote the survival, protection and
development of all children worldwide through
fund raising, advocacy and education, Scolari
said. The U.S. Fund is one of 37 national
committees set up around the world to raise
money for UNICEF.
UNICEF works in more than 160 countries
and territories providing health care, clean
water, improved nutrition and education
to millions of children in Africa, Asia,
Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America,
and the Middle East, Scolari said.
“UNICEF has committees around the world
including the USA Fund for UNICEF, which
educates, advocates and fund raises for
UNICEF,” Scolari said. “And we love to work
with college campuses and work with students
because we think that children can change
the world.
Scolari said that a generation ago, 70,000
children died each day, but today that number
has been cut by more than half. In 1980,
10 percent of the world’s children were
immunized against the killer diseases, but
the number has increased to 80 percent today.
In addition, 2.5 million more children will
live to see their fifth birthday this year
than did in 1990.
Candace Kaye, director of the graduate program
in early childhood education at CSULB, said
the program uses a lot of the information
from UNICEF for the International Perspectives
of Early Childhood Course within the program.
Because many students do not have an understanding
about what this organization does, the department
invited an UNICEF representative, Kaye said.
“I thought it was a way for information
to be given about UNICEF,” Kaye said. “I
think it is a way to inform a university
community where we want more knowledge in
order to make choices.”
Staff and volunteers for the U.S. Fund for
UNICEF support the United Nations Children’s
Fund in three important ways, according
to the UNICEF Web site. The U.S. Fund:
• Raises money by selling greeting cards,
holding fund raisers and encouraging children
to “Trick-or-Treat” for UNICEF during October,
National UNICEF Month.
•
Advocates for the world’s children by keeping
the public informed about what the world’s
children face and how to help. The Fund
also urges Congress to support programs
that put children first, both in the United
States and overseas.
•Raises
awareness among the United States by visiting
schools and campuses to talk about children’s
needs around the world and creating educational
materials for teachers.
Rainer
Radoc, a business major taking the university
Odyssey course said that he had never heard
about this organization but he is glad organizations
like UNICEF exist.
“I think this organization is really good,”
Radoc said. “They are doing something really
good for children.”
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