23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Tonga is no stranger to tsunamis, cyclones and the devastation they cause. Lavinia Taumoepeau-Latu, a Tongan American, feels a strong calling to ensure her homeland is better prepared for such events through disaster management training and education.

23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Hanna Yohanis is a South Sudanese law student who wants to help build a generation of South Sudanese who can reach their full potential. In 2023, Hanna came across a post about the UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme. Drawn to its focus on food security and youth employment in South Sudan, Hanna applied to the programme. The programme has helped her develop an NGO to support young people in furthering their education and contribute to the development of South Sudan.

28 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Nawid is an Afghan entrepreneur who founded and runs three businesses in Afghanistan in the agribusiness, green electronics and fashion, driven by a desire to do something for his people. Adapting to challenging circumstances and innovating within his means, Nawid demonstrates resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity. In his newest venture, he is applying the knowledge and skills he learned from a 2023 UNITAR entrepreneurship training to support Afghan women.

22 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Ngan Ha Mai is an official in Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose work portfolio focuses on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful development of nuclear technology. She is one of the 18 participants of the 2024 UNITAR Hiroshima Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.

22 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – For most people, organic waste is a problem to be managed. But to plant pathologist Dr. Josephine Jere, it is a resource. Josephine believes managing organic waste in urban areas can provide a sustainable means to revive degraded agricultural land, particularly in areas where traditional farming methods have led to soil infertility.

19 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Tanzanian entrepreneur and assistant lecturer Angela Baltazary is passionate about conservation. Through the UNITAR programme on green livelihoods, she developed and embarked on a project to convert the methane in organic waste to protein, which would then be used in her venture that breeds, raises and harvests fish for food. Using organic waste in this way reduces greenhouse gases while contributing to public health and food security in Tanzania.

16 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - The threat of a nuclear world war is far from over, with several countries still holding nuclear weapons in their arsenals. As this generation is accountable to future generations, the role of passionate diplomats negotiating for a nuclear-weapons-free world has become more important than ever. One such diplomat is Soksamnang “Sam” Nov from Cambodia. He is currently a First Secretary to the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations in New York. He engages in work related to the First Committee including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons ( etc.. He participated in the 2024 UNITAR Hiroshima Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training to further his skills as a diplomat.

Prashanthi Krishnamoorthy is the deputy director of the South Asia Division at the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, where she manages bilateral relations with India, Maldives and Pakistan. Prashanthi took part in the FY2023 UNITAR Hiroshima Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation to enhance her ability to support and advance global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.

Vannie Djounguep is reshaping gender equality, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability in Cameroon and beyond. Vannie is the founder and executive director of an organization that advocates for gender equality and environmental protection, especially in the informal sector. She participated in the UNITAR Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment 2023 Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Programme, organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and generously funded by the Government of Canada.

Kuena James Dak Kuena is a South Sudanese entrepreneur, social worker and ICT specialist who seeks to empower local farmers and advance the agricultural sector by using the power of technology. He is currently ICT and communication assistant for an NGO that promotes youth livelihoods, peace building and education among vulnerable communities and refugees in Uganda and South Sudan. Kuena joined the UNITAR programme Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security so he could learn how to operationalize his agritech project.