NewsHour Extra covers the conference with Global Kids and Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Video from
Durban

Diaries from Durban

Diaries from Durban
Annie V.
Global Kids

Today is a very special day for me. I experienced a freedom I've always dreamed about. I spoke publicly in front of an auditorium filled with people.

From 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. we stood on a line to get our materials for the NGO Forum. I was angry. Very angry. I started to believe I was jinxed. Everything went wrong and then the printer stopped working when it was my turn to get a name tag.

Anyway, we attended the Youth Summit. There were many emotions and ideas expressed. I gave a speech on stage for the first time in my life. I loved the clapping (I think it is addictive). And, I had a good time.

I got really hungry because dinner was late and I ate two chocolate bars. Honesty is the best policy but I'd rather not be honest about that.

Free-association ABC's

After this boring panel there better be gold and lots of chocolate on my plate.

Boulder; has been lifted off my chest since speaking. Carefree; South Africa is so welcoming.

Dying; I'm so hungry. Eating; eating candy bars is not the same thing as
eating real food.

Freedom; is a beautiful thing. Great; this is a day or renewal.

Hungry; who eats dinner after 8 p.m. Imagine food right now (8:22 p.m.).

K-ome on. Let these people go eat. Lying; they lied. They said we would eat at 7:30.

Mean what you say. No garbage please. Our voices, they are not heard.

Pork; one of the meats I didn't eat today. Questions; I wonder whether our ideas, the ideas of youth, will really be considered.

Responses; everyone had something to say. Speech; I gave one today.

That was funny. 4 people clapped in a room of 700. Understand; I'm trying to understand the eating time. Video camera; I've seen so many.

When will we eat? X-cited; this Youth Summit is bringing out a lot of emotions. Yoyo; people are toying with my stomach.

Zoo; from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. we waited at a disorganized NGO forum registration.

Food, at last: The food was great. I realize that they serve a lot of meat here in South Africa. I am a vegetarian so I am not able to enjoy as much food as I'd like.

I wore my hair in an African wrap. I got my hair done by a crazy person! This crazy person (Michele) helped me come up with an acronym, BLUES: Black Liberated Urban Educated Sister.

I met a lot of people today that were really supportive of me and inspired by my speech. I actually conversed with 12 people (a rare occurrence for me)!