27 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Luisa Taunga is Assistant Secretary at the National Disaster Risk Management Office in Tonga, where she heads the Research and Training Division, focusing on disaster preparedness, training and response strategies to ensure that communities are well-equipped to handle emergencies. She was a participant in one of the earliest cohorts of the UNITAR disaster risk reduction training programme, in 2017. Having since established herself as a leader in building community-level preparedness and resilience to disasters, Luisa returned as a facilitator for the 2023 UNITAR disaster risk reduction programme.

27 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - In October 2010, as ash and smoke darkened the skies over Java, Fega Ayu Pangestika found herself in an unfamiliar place. Mount Merapi, located on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta in Indonesia, had violently erupted. The eruptions continued into November, displacing more than 360,000 people and killing nearly 400.

27 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Fahima founded a clothing company in Afghanistan through which she aims to uplift women. The UNITAR “Great Ideas Space 2023 Programme for Afghanistan: Food Security and Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship and Innovation” helped her overhaul her business model and marketing strategy.

26 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Denis Opio grew up in a village in Uganda, home to a mainly lower-middle-class population. Computers were a rare sight, and knowing someone who knew how to use one was even more scarce. When he went to university to study accounting, Dennis grappled with learning how to use a computer. And that was when he realized that there was a need for IT training in his community.

26 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Basma Mohammed Jasim is committed to sustainability and innovating health care for vulnerable populations in Iraq . She is spearheading a telehealth platform to provide medical services, especially to those unable to leave their homes. Basma joined a UNITAR training programme on entrepreneurship and innovation for health security in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in 2023, where she gained the tools to help set up her platform and create sustainable, social impact.

25 November 2024, Manzini, Eswatini –In close collaboration with CIFAL Durban, the eThekwini Municipal Academy (EMA) and its Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE), UNITAR officially inaugurated its workshop training series on “Management Practices for Safer Roads”. The inaugural workshop took place in Manzini, Eswatini, and will be followed by sessions in South Africa across Gqebertha (25 November), Rustenburg (27 November), and Mpumalanga (28 November).

22 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Over 16 years, Iryna Markina built a successful career in sales in Ukraine. Because of the security situation in her hometown, it prompted Iryna to make a difficult decision to move to Turkey and then Poland, leaving some family members behind. Social integration posed another challenge as she navigated unfamiliar cultural norms, a constant worry for her family’s safety, language barriers and an uncertain future.

22 November 2024, Geneva/New York – On 12 November 2024, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the United Co-Creation Lab formalized their partnership through a comprehensive memorandum of understanding, in a significant move towards inclusive global governance. The two entities already collaborated on a side event to the Summit of the Future Action Days, held on 20 September 2024 in New York, where the United Co-Creation Lab was launched and youth leaders and global policymakers discussed the potential of co-creation in shaping an inclusive and sustainable future.

22 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 22 November 2024, 29 changemakers from 11 Pacific small island countries completed the second phase of the UNITAR “Leave No One Behind: Rapid Response to Climate Crises through Early Warning Systems” programme, which brought them to Japan to learn about early warning system tools and approaches to reduce disaster risks. The programme is financially supported by the Government and People of Japan.

20 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Jewel Luti Leao Tuitama stands as a beacon of hope and strength in the remote atolls of Tokelau, a territory nestled in the South Pacific Ocean. As the Manager of the National Disaster Management Unit within the Ministry of Climate, Oceans & Resilience, her work transcends mere responsibilities; it embodies a profound commitment to her community's safety and resilience against the encroaching threats of climate change and natural disasters. Her ties to the villages of Faleasiu and Solosolo in Samoa, along with her roots in Fakaofo in Tokelau, provide her with a unique perspective on the environmental challenges faced by her people.