Peer to Peer Learning
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is one of the most prestigious form of learning as it imparts experiences, raw ideas, perspectives and stories to other members.
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UN YOUTH SEYCHELLES
248 2619092
P.O.Box 8015
Every month one or two members share their knowledge, views experience on ANY topic they want or passionate about and we remain attentive to what they share and engage on the topics to understand various views of the organisation.
Peer to Peer on Corruption
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Our peer to peer session on the topic corruption was presented by Ms Turissa Sullivan on Wednesday 29th December. The presentation started with the definition of corruption, a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted with a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse of power for one’s personal gain. This was followed by the highlight of different forms of corruptions i.e. Grand/high level corruption, Petty or bureaucratic corruption and systematic corruption. Some of the causes of corruption are Greed of money, higher levels of market and political monopolization, Weak property rights and large ethnic divisions and high levels of in group favoritism. Methods of corruption include bribery, embezzlement, theft and fraud, Extortion and black mail, influence peddling, Networking, abuse of discretion, favouritism, nepotism and clientelism.
Ms Sullivan further highlighted countries that are perceived as the most corrupt, that being Somalia and south Sudan scoring 12 out 100 in 2020. According to World Bank we should care about corruption because “[Corruption] undermines development by distorting the rule of law and weakening the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends. The harmful effects of corruption are especially severe on the poor, who are hardest hit by economic decline, are most reliant on the provision of public services, and are least capable of paying the extra costs associated with bribery, fraud, and the misappropriation of economic privileges. Corruption sabotages policies and programs that aim to reduce poverty. Do you think corruption exist in our society? What can we do to reduce corruption in our everyday life? Thank you Ms Sullivan for this very interesting topic.
Ms Sullivan further highlighted countries that are perceived as the most corrupt, that being Somalia and south Sudan scoring 12 out 100 in 2020. According to World Bank we should care about corruption because “[Corruption] undermines development by distorting the rule of law and weakening the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends. The harmful effects of corruption are especially severe on the poor, who are hardest hit by economic decline, are most reliant on the provision of public services, and are least capable of paying the extra costs associated with bribery, fraud, and the misappropriation of economic privileges. Corruption sabotages policies and programs that aim to reduce poverty. Do you think corruption exist in our society? What can we do to reduce corruption in our everyday life? Thank you Ms Sullivan for this very interesting topic.
Peer to Peer on Cancel Culture - Andrea Jean Louis
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Our peer to peer session on the topic cancel culture was presented by Miss Andrea Jean-louis on Wednesday 29th December. Cancel culture is the practice or tendency of engaging in mass cancelling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure. Ms Jean-Louis took a famous example of a celebrity that was cancelled this year is James Charles. For those of you who don’t keep up with the beauty cosmetic industry, James Charles is a youtuber/influencer and has collaborations with Morphe for his makeup line. A number of people under the age of 18 accused the 21 year old of predatory behaviour, many of them had screenshots to show the conversations. But this was not the first accusation made, back in 2019 he was accused of preying on straight men and using his fame as leverage. His initial reaction was to deny the claims however he later on chose to own up to it in a video titled ‘holding myself accountable’, shortly after this video was uploaded Morphe ended the business relationship with James as it was ‘winding down sales’. Youtube had also temporarily demonetised his channel.
One of the benefits of cancel culture that was highlighted Cancel culture has been utilized in defense of those seriously wronged, from women who experienced sexual abuse to trans communities to African American communities. Defending these groups is a just cause in a liberal society, and cancellations help these causes come to light. This was seen with the ‘black lives matter’ movement across the US. On the other hand one of the drawbacks of cancel culture is Cancellations often go too far, especially in cases where ordinary people may have made mistakes, resulting in the loss of jobs. However, attempts to cancel the famous, wealthy, or powerful often do not work at all; in fact the additional media coverage sometimes results in greater support for the individuals. For example Giada Smith. We Ms Jean-louis for this very insightful topic.
One of the benefits of cancel culture that was highlighted Cancel culture has been utilized in defense of those seriously wronged, from women who experienced sexual abuse to trans communities to African American communities. Defending these groups is a just cause in a liberal society, and cancellations help these causes come to light. This was seen with the ‘black lives matter’ movement across the US. On the other hand one of the drawbacks of cancel culture is Cancellations often go too far, especially in cases where ordinary people may have made mistakes, resulting in the loss of jobs. However, attempts to cancel the famous, wealthy, or powerful often do not work at all; in fact the additional media coverage sometimes results in greater support for the individuals. For example Giada Smith. We Ms Jean-louis for this very insightful topic.
Peer to Peer on Cross Cultural Awareness - Tanmay Tank
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Our peer to peer session on the topic of Cross-Cultural Awareness was held on Wednesday 24th November with Mr Tanmay Tank as the presenter. The session began with an overview of cross-cultural awareness and how it is not as simple as it appears whereby there are different factors to take into account when discussing cross-cultural awareness such as individualism vs collectivism, high & low context, invisible border and cultural paradox.
Furthermore, Mr Tank proceeded to explain the importance of this topic and which course of action one can take to be more aware. These include observing non-verbal communications, allowing oneself to be open to criticism or feedback and keeping in mind the language you use as something that is normal to you may be considered rude to someone else. The session piqued the UN Youth team's attention whereby some members shared some of the experiences they had when meeting people from different cultures. Altogether, the session was informative and interactive, with Mr Tank effectively responding to members questions and providing excellent responses. Thank you for the fascinating presentation, Mr Tank
Furthermore, Mr Tank proceeded to explain the importance of this topic and which course of action one can take to be more aware. These include observing non-verbal communications, allowing oneself to be open to criticism or feedback and keeping in mind the language you use as something that is normal to you may be considered rude to someone else. The session piqued the UN Youth team's attention whereby some members shared some of the experiences they had when meeting people from different cultures. Altogether, the session was informative and interactive, with Mr Tank effectively responding to members questions and providing excellent responses. Thank you for the fascinating presentation, Mr Tank
Peer to Peer on Mental Health - Steffie Khan
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Our peer to peer session on the topic of mental health was presented by Ms Steffie Khan on Wednesday 24th November. The discussion started with an introduction to mental health and the various types of mental illnesses. Ms Khan went on to show some statistics from 2017, stating that 10.7% of the population suffers from mental illness. She proceeded to focus on one type of mental illness for the session which is anxiety. Ms Khan explained what causes anxiety and the possible symptoms one may experience.
Furthermore, Ms Khan unfolded the reason she chose the topic of mental health is due to her passion for studying psychology and her desire for the topic to be an open discussion, whereby people can voice out without feeling judged as mental health is really important. She finished the presentation with the statement “women are more likely to get help than men. But there is a higher rate of suicide in men.” and members were asked to share their views on this particular statement. To add on, members were questioned on whether they think most people focus on mental health and if they think it’s important to talk about it or go through it. The session was insightful and interactive whereby members were able to share their opinions of the subject matter and have an open discussion. Thank you Ms Khan for the intriguing presentation.
Furthermore, Ms Khan unfolded the reason she chose the topic of mental health is due to her passion for studying psychology and her desire for the topic to be an open discussion, whereby people can voice out without feeling judged as mental health is really important. She finished the presentation with the statement “women are more likely to get help than men. But there is a higher rate of suicide in men.” and members were asked to share their views on this particular statement. To add on, members were questioned on whether they think most people focus on mental health and if they think it’s important to talk about it or go through it. The session was insightful and interactive whereby members were able to share their opinions of the subject matter and have an open discussion. Thank you Ms Khan for the intriguing presentation.
Peer to Peer on Artificial Intelligence - Nellie Azemia
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Our peer to peer session on the topic Artificial intelligence (AI) was held on October 27, 2021 with Miss Nellie Azemia as the presenter.
The session started with a brief introduction on what exactly Artificial Intelligence is and how controversial of a subject matter it is. She discussed the 4 types of Artificial Intelligence: reactive machines, limited memory, theory of mind and self aware. Examples such as Siri, Alexa, self-driving cars were mentioned. She spoke interestingly on some of the myths of AI and readily backed it up with facts.
Additionally, she discussed the many utilities of AI such as for medical diagnosis, financial services, translation, running a business amongst many other uses.
Miss Azemia further elaborated on the pros of AI. To name a few: increases productivity, smart decision making, manages repetitive tasks. She also discussed the cons such as technological dependency, job replacement, non-transparent decision making etc.
Towards the end, she shared her opinion on AI and revealed that “it’s more of a good thing than a bad one”.
The presentation finished with a multiple choice question where members were asked “Which of the below AI projects don’t exist yet?” and they had to choose between the 4 options:
A. An AI robot with citizenship
B. A robot with a muscular skeletal system
C. AI can read its owners emotions
D. AI that develops emotions over time
She disclosed that the correct answer was D.
Overall, it was a very insightful presentation. With the quote “Technology is giving life the potential to flourish like never before... or to self-destruct.” in mind throughout the whole presentation, members were quick to form different judgements and share them. One member said that “anything towards the betterment of mankind is a good thing”. On the contrary, it was mentioned that “AI limits humans from evolving.” Another member said that “AI is convenient but there should be a limit”. Again, thanking Miss Azemia for this excellent presentation.
The session started with a brief introduction on what exactly Artificial Intelligence is and how controversial of a subject matter it is. She discussed the 4 types of Artificial Intelligence: reactive machines, limited memory, theory of mind and self aware. Examples such as Siri, Alexa, self-driving cars were mentioned. She spoke interestingly on some of the myths of AI and readily backed it up with facts.
Additionally, she discussed the many utilities of AI such as for medical diagnosis, financial services, translation, running a business amongst many other uses.
Miss Azemia further elaborated on the pros of AI. To name a few: increases productivity, smart decision making, manages repetitive tasks. She also discussed the cons such as technological dependency, job replacement, non-transparent decision making etc.
Towards the end, she shared her opinion on AI and revealed that “it’s more of a good thing than a bad one”.
The presentation finished with a multiple choice question where members were asked “Which of the below AI projects don’t exist yet?” and they had to choose between the 4 options:
A. An AI robot with citizenship
B. A robot with a muscular skeletal system
C. AI can read its owners emotions
D. AI that develops emotions over time
She disclosed that the correct answer was D.
Overall, it was a very insightful presentation. With the quote “Technology is giving life the potential to flourish like never before... or to self-destruct.” in mind throughout the whole presentation, members were quick to form different judgements and share them. One member said that “anything towards the betterment of mankind is a good thing”. On the contrary, it was mentioned that “AI limits humans from evolving.” Another member said that “AI is convenient but there should be a limit”. Again, thanking Miss Azemia for this excellent presentation.
Peer to Peer on Pro-Life and Pro-Choice - Chloe Pillay
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Our peer to peer session on the topic Pro-life and Pro-choice was held on September 29, 2021 with Miss Chloe Pillay as the presenter. The session started with a brief introduction stating that people who oppose abortion often call themselves pro-life, however, the only life they are concerned with is the life of the fertilised egg, embryo or fetus. Whereas, people who identify as pro-choice believe that everyone has the basic human right to decide when and whether to have children. When someone is pro-choice and telling others that they believe it is ok for them to have the ability to choose abortion as an option for an unplanned pregnancy - even if you would not choose abortion for yourself. Miss Pillay further elaborated about the pro-life and pro-choice movement, and how it had been an ongoing battle to legalise safe abortion worldwide. it was a very insightful presentation, and members got the chance to share their views on the subject, one point that was repeated numerous times was, making abortion illegal, does not prevent abortion, however, it does prevent access to safe abortion and its after care. Thanking Miss Pillay for this excellent presentation
Peer to Peer on System Thinking - Craig Joseph
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Our peer to peer session on the topic of system thinking was held on August 25, 2021, with Mr Craig Joseph as the presenter. The session piqued the UN Youth team's attention and enabled them to acquire new knowledge. Mr Craig began by describing what system thinking is and then moved on to describe how analysis leads to reductionism and stating that the foundation of system thinking is synthesis. Furthermore, Mr Craig went over the six tools of system thinking that he considers to be the most important. That is interconnectedness, synthesis, emergence, feedback loops, causality and system mapping. To end the presentation, he recommended several books for members to read if they wish to further their knowledge on the topic, one book, in particular, was “Thinking in Systems” by Donella H. Meadows. It was a very insightful session, whereby Mr Craig addressed the queries from members confidently and provided excellent answers.
Peer to Peer on Transgender People in Sports - Fangyi Liao
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On June 28, 2021 we had another Peer 2 Peer session with Miss. Fangyi Liao on Transgender People in Sports. The session was very thought provoking sparked great interest from the UN Youth team. The topic was chosen by Miss. Fangyi due to the current Tokyo Olympics game. Members were given examples of participants in the Olympics itself who are transgender.
Miss. Fangyi also explained the advantages transgender athletes may have and how they can compete with the rest of the candidates. She confidently explain the conditions transgender athlete have to meet to compete in the Olympics, why sports are traditionally separated by gender, some popular opinions on the topic and proposed solutions.
The points were easy to understand and the members engaged actively on the topic. She also made it clear, that if you have the talent and the determination, it shouldn’t matter that you are transgender. Miss.Fangyi ended the session with a food for thought and it allowed the viewers to think about and discuss the balance between the fairness in competition and the rights of transgender athletes. Overall, the session proved to be a success as Miss. Fangyi delivered a productive and comprehensive presentation and allowing the questions asked to be answered positively.
Miss. Fangyi also explained the advantages transgender athletes may have and how they can compete with the rest of the candidates. She confidently explain the conditions transgender athlete have to meet to compete in the Olympics, why sports are traditionally separated by gender, some popular opinions on the topic and proposed solutions.
The points were easy to understand and the members engaged actively on the topic. She also made it clear, that if you have the talent and the determination, it shouldn’t matter that you are transgender. Miss.Fangyi ended the session with a food for thought and it allowed the viewers to think about and discuss the balance between the fairness in competition and the rights of transgender athletes. Overall, the session proved to be a success as Miss. Fangyi delivered a productive and comprehensive presentation and allowing the questions asked to be answered positively.
Peer to Peer on Concealment - Amy Jean
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On June 30, 2021 we had a peer 2 peer session with Miss Amy Jean. Titled, Concealment. Firstly, she defined money laundering as money earned from illegal activities. It involves hiding the unlawful origin of income. Amy went on to discuss money laundering which includes placement, layering and integration. Additionally, the impacts were considered - negative impacts on the economy, indiqua distribution of income and lower workforce; to name a few. AML/CFT Act 2020 combats these effects. It was a very interactive and informative session which stimulated numerous questions from members who also got the chance shared their comprehension of the topic.
Peer to Peer on Presentation Skills and Report Writing - Raghavi Naidu
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On May 25 we had another session of peer 2 peer presenter, with our speaker Miss Raghavi Naidu. Titled, presentation skills & report writing, she emphasised on the approach to the presentations i.e. Understand the audience, knowing your time limit, keeping it as visual as much as possible and projecting confidence, just to name a few. In regards to report writing, Miss Naidu, highlighted certain steps that are key to writing a clear and concise report i.e identifying it's purpose, understand audience, planning and structuring. During the writing process, she added that tables and charts are useful in supporting the arguments, saving iterations of the document, reviewing of contents periodically, and lastly but not to be taken for granted, is taking breaks before reviewing the report. It was a very interactive session, where members also shared their experiences, about presenting in formal and informal settings.
Peer to Peer on Effective Studying - Jellissa Julie
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Peer to Peer Learning with our members is an event close to our heart. Being an organisation that actively promotes SDG 4 Quality Education we take time to learn from each other as well. On May 05, 2021 we hosted another session on Effective Studying delivered by Ms Jellissa Julie. She explained how it is crucial to know what type of learner you are i.e.:
- Practical learner
- Visual learner
- Audio learner.
Peer to Peer on Corporate Governance - Annarose Clarisse
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Our second presenter was Miss Annarose Clarisse, Founder and Country Representative of UN Youth Seychelles (UNYS). Her presentation was focused on corporate governance - what it is and why it is important. As part of the discussions, corporate governance was defined, documents detailing the framework such as constitution and articles of association were discussed as well as the responsibilities and roles of a Board of Directors.
The session was engaging as she gauged the initial knowledge of the attendees and then built up the discussion based on that foundation. Although it can be viewed as a technical topic, it was delivered in a manner that was easy to understand. This then led to some inquisitive questions from the participants which showed that the session piqued their minds. She concluded the fruitful session by offering members the opportunity to have further discussions on governance should they have further queries.
The session was engaging as she gauged the initial knowledge of the attendees and then built up the discussion based on that foundation. Although it can be viewed as a technical topic, it was delivered in a manner that was easy to understand. This then led to some inquisitive questions from the participants which showed that the session piqued their minds. She concluded the fruitful session by offering members the opportunity to have further discussions on governance should they have further queries.
How Diet Culture affects mental health? - Nellie Azemia
Peer Learning is one of the most prestigious form of learning as it imparts experiences, raw ideas, perspectives and stories to other members. Every month one or two members shares their knowledge, views experience on ANY topic they want or passionate about and we remain attentive to what they share and engage on the topics to understand various views of the organisation. Today we had our first presenter for the year 2021, Miss Nellie Azemia who delivered a comprehensive account on How Diet Culture Affects Mental Health.
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The importance of mental health- Neha Nagnesia
In 2018, Ms. Neha Nagnesia delivered a powerful presentation on the lack of representation of the importance of mental health in society. Mental health is defined by WHO is the state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, are capable of coping with the normal life stresses, and is able to make a contribution to his/her community.
Mental health is often depicted as a taboo subject, however, it should be amongst the priorities in a person’s life. Mental health should be just as important as physical health and it is time that society puts an end to scrutinizing people for seeking help or for even talking bout the feelings that cannot always be seen.
Ms. Nagnesia touched on the benefits of looking after one’s mental health such as clearer thinking, increased self-esteem, reduced risk of depression and anxiety amongst others. Furthermore, she went on the explore the ways in which one can take care of their mental health which includes visualization which can help ease the mind as well as exploring new activities to stimulate the brain and increase its efficiency.