Second-year Executive Master of Public Service student Melissa Dixon recently attended the 2019 UNA-USA Global Engagement Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Dixon attended as a member of the United Nations Association’s Houston Chapter.
The Global Engagement Summit allows UN advocates to participate in a day of dynamic and informative discussions on the most pressing issues facing the United Nations. The event unites world leaders with the nation’s top grassroots change-makers.
“The overall theme this year was Shared Partnerships-Shared Responsibilities with the goal of learning more about the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and what actions the UN and partners are taking to meet the 2030 goal,” Dixon said.
Dixon attended several breakout sessions throughout the day, including #LeaveNoGirlBehind: Changing the World to Empower Girls; Shared Action for Human Rights: The UN and Partners on the Ground; Issue Track: Cities and the Sustainable Development Goals; and Global Goals, Local Leadership: The SDGs and You.
“For me the most impactful breakout session was the Shared Action for Human Rights: The UN and Partners on the Ground,” Dixon said. “As an advocate for refugees, I loved hearing from panelist Kelly Razzouk, the Director of Policy and Advocacy at International Rescue Committee. Panelist Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs at the Trevor Project moved the room to tears and standing ovation.”
Dixon lives and works in Houston, Texas, as the owner of Prospect Bluff Properties. She was previously the Executive Director at Children’s Discovery Museum of the Golden Crescent in Victoria, Texas.