Youth worker off to London for Global Summit

She is Irish Street youth worker Rachel McMonagle, who says she is excited about the prospect of taking part in the Summit and in relaying her findings to community groups in the Londonderry district on her return.

Nominated by Catherine Cooke and Maureen Fox from FWIN, Rachel will represent the north west at the Summit between June 10 and 13 the ExCel, London. It will be the largest gathering ever brought together on this subject, with a view to creating irreversible momentum against sexual violence in conflict and practical action that impacts those on the ground.

There will be three days of free public events taking place, at which Rachel will be taking part.

“I’m excited. I fell very grateful that I have had the opportunity to be selected to go and to be given the opportunity to take part. The whole nature of the conference is to explore what sexual violence does and how it destroys lives,” she said.

“I am interested in learning how sexual violence has effected people and how what they have suffered has effected the rest of their lives,” she said, continuing: “The Foreign Secretary William Hague will be there, as will Angelina Jolie, who is Special Envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees and they will be co-chairing the Summit.”

“I will form part of the Northern Ireland delegation party which is being led by the Training for Women Network in Belfast. Other groups that will be there will be drawn from legal, military and judicial groups internationally.”

As part of her role at the Summit, Rachel will feed into the process of helping to create movement towards ending the use of rape and sexual violence in conflict.

The Summit aims to deliver a set of practical agreements that bring together and focus the efforts of conflict and post conflict-affected countries, donors, the UN and other multilateral organisations, NGOs and civil society in an ambitious and cohesive programme for change.

The summit will also identify specific actions by the international community in four key areas: To improve investigations/documentation of sexual violence in conflict; to provide greater support and assistance and reparation for survivors, including child survivors, of sexual violence; to ensure sexual and gender based violence responses and the promotion of gender equality are fully integrated in all peace and security efforts and, finally, to improve international strategic co-ordination.