Yes, THE United Nations. Yes, in Manhattan. And yes, she smashed it.
Meet Shakira Saunders – law student, volunteer, sustainability champion and now United Nations speaker. She was invited to their headquarters to take part in the Global Higher Education Symposium, which highlights the role universities play in inspiring students to become future leaders.
The United Nations (UN) was created in 1945, and plays a vital role in developing the international laws that countries and organisations are expected to follow. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action to tackle the biggest global issues like poverty, equality, peace and responsible production. De Montfort University (DMU) has been named by the UN as the global hub chair for SDG 11: the development of sustainable cities and communities, in recognition of its commitment and support.
As a student, Shakira has volunteered for a number of DMU’s sustainability projects. They’re not just CV boosters – they’re real projects making real impact. And it was her experience in these which led the UN to invite her to give a speech at the iconic UN headquarters in Manhattan.
Shakira Saunders at the United Nations Headquarters in New York
“Going inside the building was such a fever dream because everyone knows about the United Nations,” said Shaikra. “I felt very lucky to be there and, actually, didn’t feel that nervous before giving the talk. I was trying to breathe and trust myself that I had worked hard for this. Everyone was so lovely afterwards; they gave me a huge round of applause and individuals came up to me saying how incredible it was and how it made them feel.”
Shakira spoke about the projects she had been part of at DMU. How ‘Football for the Goals’ had university researchers and students working with two community football clubs to help them achieve their ambitions of becoming Net Zero. And how ‘Project Atefais’ had been a student-led project, in collaboration with UN representatives and Marienfelde Refugee Centre in Berlin, to share the real-life stories of refugees, displaced people and migrant communities.
To prepare for her speech, Shakira explained, ‘I wrote it on the morning of the event because I wanted it to be authentic. I just drew on my personal thoughts and feelings throughout my time working on these different projects, seeing the impacts they make.”
The whole experience has only fuelled her ambition: “I am going to continue to carry on the work I started in New York at the UN. Being there in person lit a fire in me to do more and I can't wait to see where that leads me next.”
The projects Shakira took part in are all rooted in principles of human rights, international law and social justice. Her time at the UN gave her first-hand experience of how these legal principles are used on a global stage, turning her academic learning into real-world action.