UNICEF USA Youth Lead Virtual Congressional Meetings
This August, UNICEF UNITE teams across the country scheduled and attended meetings with members of Congress and their staff as part of UNICEF USA’s annual “August Recess” advocacy campaign. While these meetings were held in person at Congressional district offices in previous years, the challenges posed by COVID-19 made August Recess 2020 completely virtual.
These meetings empower young people to advocate for issues that impact children around the world by giving them a platform and a voice in their representatives’ offices. The UNICEF UNITE program offers this campaign and other grassroot civic engagement opportunities to young activists across the United States. Specifically, UNICEF UNITE aims to strengthen advocacy skills and empower UNITERs to build and strengthen relationships with their congressional offices. By hosting these meetings virtually this year, even more UNITERs had the opportunity to meet with their representatives and develop their advocacy skills
This year’s advocacy work focused on gaining and recognizing support for the U.S. Government voluntary contribution to UNICEF’s core resources in their appropriations bill this year and preserving the $134 million from the last fiscal year. The following pieces of legislation were also addressed:
- Gavi Resolution (H.Res. 861)
- Global Child Thrive Act (H.R. 4864)
- Keeping Girls in School Act (S. 1071)
- Dream Act (S.874)
- Secure Act (S. 879)
A total 60 meetings were held nationally, Senate: 20 meetings and House: 40 meetings. An astounding 9 were completed by the UNICEF UNITE Houston team:
- Rep. Michael McCaul
- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher
- Rep. Kevin Brady
- Rep. Pete Olson
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw
- Rep Will Hurd
- Rep Bill Flores
- Rep. Brian Babin
- Rep. Michael Cloud
UNICEF UNITE Houston has always been active and speak up! If you are willing to learn more about the UNICEF USA Houston UNITE or to join the team, please contact the Olivera Jankovska. Community Engagement Associate for the Southwest Region at ojankovska@unicefusa.org or the Regional Office at houston@unicefunite.org
