Meet the Delegates

Meet Natasha: Master Student, Debater, World-Changer

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” - Alice Walker

“A lot of times people are convinced changing their own behavior or actions cannot cause change. In believing that their individual action will not contribute to change they feel dis-empowered and neglect the fact that collective action can cause change and empower people. I am convinced this also applies to the way in which the impact of climate change is handled. Climate change is no longer the problem of future generations. It already impacts the well-being of our generation and is partially caused by our individual actions and thus, requires a change of our behavior. In times when climate change poses one of the biggest contemporary global challenges, as its’ impact undermines livelihoods, contributes to poverty, hinders economic growths and threatens human rights such as the right to water, food and health, collective action becomes even more important. Nonetheless, collective action requires the involvement and taking responsibility of all parts of society, including governmental agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the individual." #NC

Natasha Cherifi

Graduate Student
International Studies / Peace and Conflict Studies
Technical University Darmstadt /
Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt

Bio:

Enrolled in the research-based master’s program “International Studies/Peace and Conflict studies”, offered jointly by the Goethe University Frankfurt and the TU Darmstadt, in cooperation with the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), the focus of Ms Cherifi’s studies is on climate change and peace/conflict. She intends to complete her research work with a M.A thesis in the fall of 2015. Furthermore, Ms Cherifi is currently working as a student assistant at AbbVie, a global innovative biopharmaceutical company, at the department of Governmental Affairs and Strategic Health Initiatives. During her B.A in political science at the University of Marburg, she studied at Juniata College, PA, USA. In 2011 Ms Cherifi participated at the NMUN Conference in New York, and later trained following delegations as well as headed the debating club of the UN society Marburg. Before attending college, she carried out a European voluntary service at a HIV and sexual health charity in Oxford, UK. In addition to that she volunteered as the British Red Cross Oxfordshire Refugee Service Coordinator. There she worked closely with refugees and asylum seekers. This experience has led Ms Cherifi to be personally invested in questions of climate change and its impact on the displacement of people and future migration flows.

Natasha’s contribution to the summit will be focused on:“Environmental migration and conflict”

Natasha will be posting, tweeting and commenting under the "token" NC / #NC