On April 13th, on our Instagram account @youthrussia we hosted a live stream with Regine Guevara, a youth activist from the Philippines, founder of the Asian Youth Peace Network, Regional Coordinator of the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth, Youth Ambassador of the UNESCO DREAM Centre and the South-South Cooperation Council. Regine talked about her background, peace and women’s rights activism, working at the UN, COVID-19 impact on young people and so on.
Regine is proud of her mixed origins and believes it has taught her to see a human in every person regardless of nationality, gender, age or culture. She has been a member of youth organizations since childhood: first, at the youth organization of at the village level, then the National Youth Council and later the Asian Youth Council.
Regine also shared her vision for the Asian Youth Peace Network that she founded. The main objective of the network is to promote peace-building initiatives, which is related to SDG 16 – promoting building a peaceful and open society. Such a project is particularly important in Asia where conflicts are still active. In addition, the Asian Youth Peace Network organizes educational webinars and online courses for young people. Regine also specified that she views ‘peace’ in a broader sense – it is not only the absence of war, but the ability to coexist, share with others and respect one another. The activist invited young people and youth organizations from Russia to become part of the Asian Youth Peace Network.
Regine told the viewers that women’s empowerment is important for any country. But she noted that it is up to each person individually to define what gender equality and freedom are, taking into consideration traditions, culture, social context of their country.
One of the most interesting topics for the audience was Regine’s work at the UN. Regine admitted that working at the UN was her childhood dream and her journey to the UN began with an internship. She thinks that it is quite achievable to join the organization, but at the same time says that young people greatly overestimate the UN as a place to work. «It’s not as cool as it sounds. Unfortunately, due to bureaucracy, many processes are delayed. I hope people will understand what’s really important in a situation where the virus is spreading», Regine stressed. Nevertheless, the UN is a great place to gain experience and new connections.
When asked how to combine so many responsibilities and manage everything, Regine advised to make up plans, set timers and reminders and most importantly, to delegate work. The activist admitted that she never tries to do everything on her own, but rather distributes tasks among like-minded working groups.
Throughout the live stream, Regine also answered the questions from the viewers. Below you can read the answers to the questions that were not answered during the interview.
What do you think about gender equality in Russia? What solutions do you see for gender inequality around the world?
More than anything, I value the human person. The question is, do we believe that every man or woman born into this world has basic standards of living, such as right to live, quality education, equal pay, etc? There is no question even across gender orientations – everyone has a right to a decent life.
The next question, how do we describe a society that we share with others? I think this has to do with respecting values. Only women in Russia can truly define what women’s rights mean in Russia. In the West, they value individual liberty a lot – choose one’s own career paths, etc. In Asia, and even Russia, we tend to value community, and we take care of our families. There are pros and cons. Each community needs their own honest discussion on gender.
In UN Women we talk about “gender mainstreaming” which is about using a gender lens in all types of programming, directly or indirectly about women– be it food security, decent work, peace and security, all other SDGs. One doesn’t need to be a full-time feminist to do this. In general, wage gap and domestic violence are shared issues of women around the world.
What are the most efficient youth participation practices for COVID response?
Of course each community has its own needs – in our city, due to lockdown, public vehicle (tricycle/ jeepney/ taxi) drivers are most disturbed that’s why my cousins and I launched a drive called “Save a Trike.” We tried to be conscious of gender and age lenses, by asking what are the specific needs of the more vulnerable – women, youth, children and elderly during this time? Hygiene kits? Milk, baby food, diapers? Medicines?
Also, the internet is at our fingertips. Many young people are taking capacity building online. Some offer online classes or webinars, and make money through Facebook marketplace, and such. I use fundraising platforms like PayPal and GoGetFunding – it’s the easiest way to contribute while at home. Kids draw and write poems to inspire doctors. Cooks volunteered their time to send food at hospitals. You can simply check up on your neighbors too, on what supplies you can buy in bulk together. Finally, during quarantine, let’s not lose the human element even if most things are online. I’ve organized 2 Global Soirees with my friends and I chat with my extended family every week. One of our AYPN members, Youth for Peace International, organizes online meditation for those who need it!
Which of the famous women inspires you? Which woman is your idol? Which woman can you call an example to follow?
My personal hero is my mother, and my grandmothers too. My mom was a beauty queen, one grandmother a politician, and another an urban gardener – they were all from different fields but strong women who did things that were not expected of women to do, while fulfilling all the roles their families needed. I think we, women, can find strength in each other. I like Jacinda Ardern, NZ Prime Minister – she’s breaking the mold of what a politician, and a younger female politician/ mother – at that – should be. I suggest to find heroes who know themselves deeply that they don’t need to follow what others say. Those who are strong enough to balance fulfilling a role in society or family, without seeing it as a threat to personal success.
What work in UNESCO requires from the candidate to work there? How did you start with UN MGCY? What was your first step?
My mentor Mdme. Cecile Alvarez is a UNESCO Artist for Peace. She was the one who established UNESCO Dream Center in the Philippines, which I am currently working with for the SDG Art Festival for UN 75. Weseek to bring together artists of all genres to use their creativity to promote the Sustainable Development Agenda in the local communities. This is a good example of working with, not for, an agency, if you have a passion for culture and the arts.
Meanwhile, working under the purview of UN, you may find the UN Major Group for Children and Youth as a platform for young people mandated by the General Assembly. It has working groups for many SDGs, across mostly Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America Caribbean.Through this, I convene the Asia Pacific Youth Caucus in Bangkok. I am also with the UN Youth Advisory Board of the Philippines. It helped me to be engaged with youth councils and organizations at all the levels – from local, to regional, and then global.
What do you need to be a good diplomat?
As a peace negotiator, or diplomat if you may, I prefer a humanist approach. I try to find the similarities of all peoples – for example, this person may not be Filipino, but we’re both young, or we’re both women, so on and so forth. There’s always something human you can share with someone. Then focus on joint contribution – what can we do together for the common good? That way, my diplomacy comes from a genuine place of trust and friendship. At the same time, I’ve learned to know where to draw the line. There are times when you need to take sides – stand up for certain issues, or protect your allies – when they deserve to be. This also helps one develop a reputation of integrity.
What are the most important qualities of a leader? How do you manage your time to keep up with all your work?
There is enough room for everybody in this world – anybody who understands this can lead. All leaders survive because of their teams, followers, communities. We need more leaders that understand this collective approach, not just for allies, but for all peoples. Like youth peer-to-peer approach, this is one of the perks of our globalizing world – we can find solidarity as youth, as women, as Russians/ Filipinos, maybe in terms of advocacies, or religions, too.
This is also how I actually manage to keep up with all my tasks. On a project level, I always, always work in teams. I try to delegate, and avoid micromanaging. On top of that, self care is also important. I dedicate time for my personal hobbies like painting and gardening, so that I don’t get anxious and pass my stress on to others. I also have a routine – I follow my daily calendar, I run, I eat healthily, I meditate, and I drink my coffee. 🙂
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
At first, I thought working for the UN was the end goal, but I quickly realized that the UN is just one of the many ways one can contribute to “changing the world” and “serving others.” There is UN75 but we don’t really know what’s next, especially after COVID19. In fact, back in the regional and local, I was able to put my youthful energies to more effective use. So to answer the question, I think I will stay here. I follow-up with family businesses in the transport industry in the Philippines, while I am currently part of Friends for Leadership where I get to promote my civic projects with Asian Youth Peace Network, UNESCO Dream Center, etc. in 1 global, horizontal platform. I’m not so sure what exactly the new plan will look like, but the world is an oyster. I’ve learned in my 10 years of traveling that there is always something to learn anywhere, with anyone.
What difficulties did you encounter in establishing a youth peace network?
As a youth advocate, it’s important to have human capital and political capital. Then of course financial, but all youth organizations have difficulty with this. Human capital involves our peers, volunteers, like-minded people who believe in the cause. The challenge has been how to connect them to spaces of political decision making. It’s been a fine balance of staying true to our principles, and working pragmatically with current stakeholders. This has been our vision for the Asian Youth Peace Network, connecting young peacebuilders on the ground with youth councils, young politicians, and young civil servants. Activities online and offline are easy once you have these 2 in place. In the end, an organization’s strength and weakness lies in the people behind it.
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Watch full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbYdlE77f4U