After graduating from Fordham University in the Bronx in May 2025 with a degree in Humanitarian Studies and International Political Economy and a minor in Arabic, Charlotte Vogel worked in youth education before joining Good Shepherd Volunteers in August 2025, where she interned with GSIJP and was recently appointed its new Gender Equality and Youth Officer.

I’m thrilled to continue with Justicia y Paz Internacional del Buen Pastor (GSIJP) as the Gender Equality and Youth Coordinator and contribute to the meaningful mission of the Congregation. At GSIJP, our work is guided by the work of the grassroots, and the message is delivered most effectively when it comes from the voice of someone living through it. For this reason, GSIJP’s successful international advocacy is contingent on inclusion, participation, and leadership as a core part of the mission around the world–in particular, for girls and youth.

To support this process, we’re excited to release the Girls’ Guide to the United Nations 2026. This child-friendly document provides a brief overview of GSIJP in New York and global decision-making processes with a particular focus on youth engagement. Those who would like to learn more about key UN priorities and documents will also find a number of materials created by the UN and tailored for youth on the Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible and human rights.

The guide also provides a calendar and description of common engagement opportunities. Girls and their mentors are encouraged to read the document to learn more about how they can advocate on the international level and identify what themes relate to their interests–or spark new ones!

This guide can also serve as a reminder that each girl has a voice and a representation at the United Nations. In this discussion of human rights and international relations, GSIJP seeks to introduce girls who may not be familiar with this connection to the Congregation’s Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC. The team works to inspire confidence and build the capacity of girls to interact successfully in these spaces.

At GSIJP, we coordinate a variety of capacity-building training sessions, girl-centered events and campaigns, and welcome programs that help girls reach out for more information. In international advocacy efforts, it can sometimes be difficult to gauge the impact of our work on UN decisions, but Kimberly Happich Moloche, Director of Advocacy and Main UN Representative, gave me a piece of advice that has always stuck with me. She told me, “If we can equip at least one girl with the skills to speak confidently and have a seat at the table, then we’ve done our job.»

In my new role, I will contribute to girls’ education, grassroots representation, and advocacy within the Congregation. I will also engage with UN mechanisms on social development and human rights, particularly for girls and women, to bring the experiences and priorities of the worldwide Good Shepherd community into global decision-making processes.

As I reflect on my year as a voluntaria del Buen Pastor and now on my new role, I’m grateful to have found a community that welcomed me with open arms, and I’m enthusiastic about supporting the bridge between girls’ lives and the global decisions that influence them in the years to come!

Download the Girls’ Guide to the United Nations 2026 in English aquí, in Spanish aquí and in French aquí.

If you are interested in organizing an introductory session on advocacy between GSIJP and youth in your program, please reach out to Charlotte at charlotte.v@gsijp.org.