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The Young Initiative invites foreign policy experts and guest speakers to campus to engage in discussions on international relations and the global political economy with students and faculty.

Annually: United Nations Week

With the William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program, the Young Initiative supports the annual United Nations Week at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ, each spring. We are passionate in maintaining students involvement and engagement in sustainable development. Our students choose topics that link Global Political Economy, Social Justice, and Sustainable Development.

One Day Conference - Data and the Feminist City Conference - September 30, 2025

The Young Initiative will host invited representatives from city governments from around the world for a one-day conference on the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ campus. Attendants will share experiences and best practices on reporting mechanisms to gather data, identify gaps in data collection, and help develop strategies for data-driven, actionable solutions.

Ongoing Young Speakers Events

Young Initiative speakers give students and faculty an opportunity to expand their understanding of global issues. The Young Initiative sponsors several speakers each academic year highlighting particular aspects of global affairs and the global political economy.  The Young Speakers program is devoted to highlighting the work and success of eminent international affairs experts and Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ alumni in public service and academia.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ UN Week Student Panel (photo Amirah Al-Sagr/The Occidental)
Year in Review: "The Occidental" Interviews UN Week Student Organizers

Perrin Shyne and Amirah Al-Sagr of The Occidental cover the student organizing efforts for UN Week 2020

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Joe Nye
Joseph Nye, "Morality and American Foreign Policy"

Joseph S. Nye Jr. has consistently been named one of the most influential American political scientists in history. Nye co-created the international relations concepts of neoliberalism and smart power and is the former dean of Harvard's prestigious Kennedy School of Government.

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Steven Were Omamo Keynote (Photo Kyler Parris)
Steven Were Omamo: Water, Markets, and Peace | UN Week Keynote

On Thursday, February 13th, the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ UN Week Keynote speaker, Dr. Steven Were Omamo, explained his work on food insecurity in Ethiophia in connection to environmental justice and climate change.

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Climate Change professor panel (Photo: Kyler Parris)
Climate Change for Future Presidents | UN Week Professor Panel

A multi-disciplinary panel of professors challenge students to to use their expertise to fight climate change at all levels.

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Alberto Saldamondo Indigenous Climate Activist
Alberto Saldamando: Indigenous Activism & Global Environmental Justice

On Wednesday February 12, 2020 Alberto Saldamando, a Lawyer Advocate at Indigenous Environmental Network, gave a presentation on “Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations.â€

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The new Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Arts on York space
Climate Imaginaries: Built Environment, Art, & Climate Change

The built environment and climate change converge at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Arts on York with Alison Hirsch and Aroussiak Gabrielian of USC Landscape Design as part of UN Week 2020.

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LA climate activism is discussed at Choi Auditorium
Los Angeles Climate Activism | UN Week 2020

As part of UN Week 2020, Jasmin Vargas of Food and Water Watch discusses locally-based environmental climate activism and its intersections with politics professor Michael Sardo and Aerex Narvasa.

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ at the UN Returnees Share Experiences on Climate Change Task Force

Kahane U.N. Program students report back on their fall 2019 experiences at the U.N., including Task Forces regarding the Green Economy and Digital Jobs.

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Schoenberg used his piano to show his creative process (Photo Kyler Parris)
Adam Schoenberg: The Creation of "Losing Earth," a Symphony of Climate Catastrophe

On February 10th, the first day of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s 2020 UN week, students studying everything from music to diplomacy to environmental policy gathered in Booth Hall to hear Professor Adam Schoenberg talk about his composition entitled Losing Earth.

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Toby Dalton
Toby Dalton: Trump and Nukes

Toby Dalton '79 from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace engaged with Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ students and faculty on modern nuclear proliferation. Dalton is an expert on non-proliferation and nuclear energy.

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Contact the John Parke Young Initiative on the Global Political Economy
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The McKinnon Center for Global Affairs