Georgetown Student Advocates for Access to Education at United Nations

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) student Dana Al-Anzy (SFS ’17) was in New York recently, where she attended the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Al-Anzy, who is a youth advocate for Education Above All (EAA), was there to promote the right of access to education for children around the world.

EAA, an initiative founded in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, aims to build a global movement that contributes to human, social and economic development through the provision of quality education. The initiative particularly focuses on the needs of children, women and the youth affected by poverty, conflict and disaster, and aims to empower them to become active community members.

“My role on the team was to represent Qatari youth and indicate their active involvement through our training and projects in the field of access to education,” said Al-Anzy of her participation in the recent UN meeting.

“Education alone is not enough. For it to be effective, it needs to sit alongside economic empowerment, leadership skills and psychosocial support. This is a model unique to EAA that is not just about supporting individuals to improve their lives, but building the skills of whole communities to build a better future. My aim was to relay these messages continuously on a platform where political leaders and influencers existed to insist for change and action. A shift in ideas is the first step towards creating change – and what better way to shift the narrative on youth and education than by hearing from youth and a student herself?”

Al-Anzy has been part of the EAA youth advocacy program since her first year at GU-Q, which has enabled her to benefit from training in leadership skills, vocational skills, cultural sensitivity, project management and facilitation, to support her work with the organization.

“EAA’s youth advocacy program is – first and foremost – about strengthening relationships between young people in Qatar and those across the rest of the world to promote the importance of access to education for all,” explained Al-Anzy. “As an EAA Youth Advocate, I have travelled to Ethiopia to help establish a youth mentoring project to keep young people in school and at the UN, I was given the opportunity to publically address the need for education to be at the heart of all development planning.”

“I am proud to be part of an organization which has set a target of educating 10 million out of school children, is expanding its higher education and leadership skills program to offer support to thousands of Syrian refugees, and is advocating for a change in international law to protect education in areas affected by conflict.”

Over the summer, Al-Anzy interned at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in New York. She also participated in a General Assembly High Level Thematic Conversation at the United Nations headquarters on youth and children affected by violent extremism. This led to her work at the recent United Nations General Assembly session, where she participated in side events and meetings to draw attention to the needs of the youth, and reported back to public through social media and official outlets about EAA activities.

“My experience at Georgetown has definitely been a strong influential force. My courses do not only equip me with diplomacy tools and political etiquette, they also aid me to eloquently voice my thoughts with supporting material and facts,” said Al-Anzy. “My deans and professors have been very supportive of my journey beyond the walls of Georgetown. Furthermore, my family has been my driving force to follow my dreams and pursue my passions.”

“The awareness and courses at Georgetown build you up to serve in the field of foreign affairs. With my focus on cultural diplomacy in the Middle East, I have become more aware of the ways in which one must portray one’s culture to the rest of the world in efforts to preserve it and harness its continuous growth simultaneously. I have also learned to be a mediator for inter-faith, inter-cultural and inter-religious interactions. The latter are very strong assets to have in our modern day in the Middle East.”

The GU-Q student has long been involved in campaigning for access to education, and was part of the 2011 United Nations Alliance of Civilizations conference and COP18 climate summit in 2012. In 2014, she became one of the first Qatari woman to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. She completed the climb in order to raise money as part of the “Elevate to Educate” expedition to build and renovate schools in Gaza through Reach out to Asia.