If representation can be said to be in the blood, then it surely is in Lina Achour’s. Even as a first-year, Lina, now studying for a master’s in international and European law, stood up for her VUB classmates’ interests on the student council. Now, a few years later, the Brusselaar is among the final candidates to be the Flemish Youth Council’s youth representative at the United Nations. “If I’m chosen, I will be the voice of a wide range of young people, not just a particular group,” she says.
It’s a passion, she says of the UN. And those aren’t just empty words. As a member of KULMUN, she has already met Ban Ki-moon, the organisation’s former secretary-general. KULMUN is KU Leuven’s equivalent of VUBMUN – the Model United Nations that introduces students to the working of the UN. She’s taken part in various overseas conferences with KULMUN, defending states within a particular UN body during role plays. It was a crucial exercise, she says: “It prevents you from defending your truth as the only truth.”
One final hurdle
But Lina is not yet the Flemish Youth Council’s UN representative. There are two other candidates in the running. To be selected, she has to complete a participation task, which involves starting conversations with young people and finding out the subjects that are close to their hearts. “These subjects should then get extra attention during the UN youth representative’s mandate,” says Lina. “In addition, from all the themes, three will be selected for the Flemish Youth Council to work on in the coming years.” And she is immediately putting out an appeal to all VUB students. “Anyone who wants to talk to me can always get in touch via lina.achour@vub.be. I’m looking forward to it!”
The challenge has to be completed by 11 May, so anyone who wants to be heard shouldn’t wait too long to contact Lina. The actions she has in mind if she is chosen as UN representative are an extension of this assignment. “The task you have as youth representative entails making the voices of Flemish children and young people heard at the UN,” she says. But she also wants to go a step further, by creating a channel via social media that will teach young people about the UN and its Sustainable Development Goals. And she sees herself organising guest lessons and workshops for schools, youth groups and events. “It’s a way of better understanding what’s happening with young people, but also an exchange in which I can talk about the United Nations in general and in specific matters.”
Help Lina Achour become UN youth representative
Get in touch and tell her what subjects are close to your heart. Email lina.achour@vub.be and you’ll soon get a reply!