More than 350 secondary school students from the Greater Philadelphia area met again at Chestnut Hill College, this time to learn more about Human Rights and the Millennium Summit Development Goals. The United Nations Day program has become a staple of fall schedules for schools in the Philadelphia area. Students began the day together for the moving key-note address by Dr. Abiodun Williams, Office of the UN Secretary-General, as he spoke on "The Implementation of the Millennium Summit Development Goals". Dr. Williams spoke on a variety of issues ranging from his role at the United Nations to his experiences in Sierra Leone, giving students a wonderful basis for their discussions throughout the day.

United Nations Day is an opportunity for students to explore global issues, and then move from education into action on these issues. Students were encouraged to join with their peers from around the Philadelphia area to help society reach the human development goals set for 2015. Moving from "words to deeds", students worked from these ten topics; Discrimination, Poverty, Gender Issues, Education, the International Criminal Court, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, Child Exploitation, Health Issues, Sustainable Development, and Child Morality; both prior to and during the program in order to develop actions plans with a local, state, national or global perspective. Below you will find the Declaration developed by the students of the Greater Philadelphia Area

The Greater Philadelphia Student Declaration 2002

Also included for selected students from each school, at no additional cost, was participation in the United Nations Student Conference on Human Rights. This conference took place on December 6, 2002 via an all day, live, interactive, international videoconference at CHC linked with students around the world involved in similar pursuits. Students presented their work to the UN and each other and also developed their own Youth Plan of Action for a Better World that will be presented officially to the United Nations at the end of the day. The December 6th program will be webcast live. 

UNITED NATIONS DAY PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: Archbishop Carroll HS, Radnor, PA; Akiba Hebrew Academy, Merion Station, PA; Blessed Sacrament School, Margate, NJ; Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, PA; Eastern HS, Voorhees, NJ; Galloway Twp MS, Absecon, NJ; Harriton HS, Rosemont, PA; Haverford HS, Havertown, PA; Lasalle HS, Wyndmoor, PA; Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, PA; Mt. St. Joseph's Academy, Flourtown, PA; Norristown HS, Norristown, PA; North Penn HS, Lansdale, PA; Patton MS, Kennett Square, PA; Ridley HS, Folsom, PA; St. Lawrence School, Lindenwold, NJ; Schalick HS, Pittsgrove, NJ; Sterling HS, Somerdale, NJ; Upper Dublin HS, Fort Washington, PA; Wilmington Friends, Wilmington, DE