Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England Council
Lily James, Sonam Ngamdung, Olivia D’Ambra, Amelia Riveire
Warwick, RI (March 28, 2024) —Earlier this March, four Girl Scouts from Southeastern New England traveled to the United Nations in New York City to participate as youth delegates at the 68th Commission on the Status on Women.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. (Source: unwomen.org) This year’s theme addressed poverty with a gender perspective.
Amelia Riveire, Lily James, Sonam Ngamdung, Olivia D’Ambra
After a national application process, Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England was selected to bring four exceptional Girl Scouts who exhibit a close relation and understanding of CSW themes to the UN. After an open application process and round of interviews the following Girl Scouts were selected as delegates for GSSNE:
· Olivia D’Ambra, Providence, RI
· Lily James, Wrentham, MA
· Sonam Ngamdung, Middletown, RI
· Amelia Riveire, Tiverton, RI
Throughout the week at the United Nations, these outstanding teens attended general discussions, meetings of the Secretary General, and focus groups dedicated to addressing human rights violations all over the world. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Riveire began on her experience, “The key for girls is our ability to change our hopes into realities.” James spoke on the worldwide suppression of girls seeking education, “1 in 5 girls will miss a substantial amount of school due to a lack of access to safe and clean hygiene products,” elaborating how accessible experiential education opportunities is the greatest action to close the gender gap in poverty.
Girl Scouts in session
Two youth delegates from GSSNE, Sonam Ngamdung and Olivia D’Ambra, were guest speakers at CSW Parallel Events. Ngamdung spoke on her Tibetan heritage and advocacy for their freedom at the “Girls Deliver Workshop on the Sidelines of CSW68” in conjunction with Population Council, Girl Center, Women Deliver and Girls Deliver. D’Ambra participated in the Girl Scouts of the USA Panel Discussion detailing Girl Scouts as a trauma-responsive program for girls experiencing housing insecurity. At both events, Girl Scouts spoke to international audiences of world leaders, current and future change-makers.
Girl Scouts enjoyed meeting like-minded people, including from sister Girl Scout councils, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) members, and different presenters throughout the week. They learned about what poverty looks like in different cities and countries, how taking local actions combined with stronger public policies to address issues leads to effective change, and that accessibility for support is key. When they weren’t in session, they were able to visit the Rockefeller Center, they saw Wicked on Broadway, and some of the Girl Scouts went to the Irish Mission.
Olivia D’Ambra
More about our delegates:
Olivia D’Ambra from Providence, RI is a high school senior. She is an aspiring astronaut, who loves learning about space and physics. She is also very involved in her school’s theater program. Her favorite part about CSW so far has been getting to speak with and learn from other young women who are passionate about human rights. Every meeting has been extremely rewarding and educational for her. Olivia is looking forward to getting to know everyone during the trip to New York.
Lily James from Wrentham, MA is a junior at King Philip High School, and has been a Girl Scout since the fourth grade when she moved to the area. She plays clarinet in the high school marching band and wind ensemble. She has always had a passion for global topics, history, and social studies both in school and out of it, and she’s very excited for the experiences CSW will bring.
Sonam Ngamdung from Middletown, RI is a Tibetan student at Middletown High School and the co-founder/President of Students for a Free Tibet MHS. She has a passion for human rights advocacy, particularly the rampant human rights abuse against Tibetans by the Chinese government. Sonam is a strong believer of intersectionality between gender and ethnic issues which pushed her to join the Girl Scouts CSW delegation. She hopes to use her unique perspective as a daughter of Tibetan immigrants to aid her role as a delegate. Her goal is to one day see a free Tibet.
Amelie Riveire from Tiverton, RI attends Moses Brown School. You can find her at school participating in the theatre program, Mock Trial, and Science Olympiad. She has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten and enjoys all the adventures with her troop and beyond including summer camp, trips to Belize and Florida, and time spent locally with her troop exploring, learning, and selling cookies. Amelia earned her Silver Award by building a Book Nook for the children at Boys Town in Portsmouth.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs across Southeastern New England, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit gssne.org, follow @gssne on Instagram, follow @GirlScoutsofSNE on Twitter, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GSSNE.