World Children’s Day celebrations with the United Nations - 20 November 2025

From Regional Roots to Global Impact: Kids Interview UN Changemaker David Ohana

The CSU Advancement Office worked with the Children's Voices Centre (CVC) to create an online event to celebrate World Children’s Day on 20 November. The event profiled CSU alumnus David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, United Nations Foundation as a guest speaker https://unfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-people/david-ohana/

• 30 minutes ‘in conversation’ interview with David led by CVC children
• 30 minutes to talk about CVC/current research and projects, and fundraising call to actions. 

The full recording (1hour) is here:

http://clickemail.csu.edu.au/c/7/eyJhaSI6NTQzMjg4ODQsImUiOiJtZy1lbmM6Ry9BQWVKb3ZUYnVqWGNPL25CVWFSeWt2bjNSNm1hc0ciLCJyaSI6ImNvbnRhY3QtOWQ1ZmIwYTVjMTRiZTkxMWE5NzkwMDBkM2FkMWMzYWYtODgwMjdiNzYxY2VhNDk1Yzk1ZDA0NDBhZTdlOTQ1NTgiLCJycSI6IjAyLWIyNTM1Ny04YmE0OTFkZWI5ZmQ0NjNmYjg2M2M5MGJhNzhjMmMwYiIsIm0iOmZhbHNlLCJ1aSI6IjAiLCJ1biI6IiIsInUiOiJodHRwczovL21lZGlhLXN0dWRpby5jc3UuZWR1LmF1L3cveDVsQWt4SmFQV0s_a2V5PTI0NzI3ZjgxMGE0ODkxYzNmYTM0ODAxMWRlN2U2MmRiJl9jbGRlZT1nc3BabVJSUUdqSGppUTBPRDhfRDAyWUdkQW5iMDUyTGFGYmtNQlhVZzItSlhHekQwZlNNZHVYNU5GNWQta21nJnJlY2lwaWVudGlkPWNvbnRhY3QtOWQ1ZmIwYTVjMTRiZTkxMWE5NzkwMDBkM2FkMWMzYWYtODgwMjdiNzYxY2VhNDk1Yzk1ZDA0NDBhZTdlOTQ1NTgmZXNpZD04ODQzMGM0Zi0zZWQ2LWYwMTEtODU0NC03Y2VkOGQzNDQ4YWEifQ/f-y3A0yWKARtRVFEsqsQJQ

Information: 

• https://events.humanitix.com/from-regional-roots-to-global-impact-kids-interview-un-changemaker-david-ohana  
• https://alumni.csu.edu.au/news-and-events/events/industry/from-regional-roots-to-global-impact-kids-interview-un-changemaker-david-ohana 

 WOW! The children's questions were so enlightening - and David's stories were so inspiring. Congratulations to A/Prof Kathy Cologon and A/Prof Tamara Cumming who organised the event. I was in Washington DC - so watched online...

Join us this World Children’s Day for an inspiring free online event celebrating the power of children’s voices. Hosted by the Children’s Voices Centre, this free event features Charles Sturt alumnus David Ohana, now Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at the United Nations
Foundation (based in Washington DC), with a panel of curious young interviewers. In a playful reversal of roles the children will lead the discussion, asking David about his journey from
regional Australia to the global stage, his work in international advocacy, and what it means to create real change for young people around the world. Alongside this conversation, the Children’s Voices Centre will share stories from their inspiring, child-led research projects and their vision for a future where every child is heard, valued, and supported to thrive. Join us in celebrating the voices that shape tomorrow, because when children are heard, the world changes for the better.
Date: Thursday 20 November 2025
Time: 10.00am - 11.00am AEDT
Where: Online via Zoom.
Cost: Free (donations to the Children’s Voices
Centre Little Library Project welcomed).
If you are unable to attend the livestream, we encourage you to register regardless. A recording of the event will be sent to all registered participants.  From regional roots to global impact: Kids Interview UN Changemaker David Ohana

Charles Sturt Foundation profile of the Children's Voices Centre

This year, the Charles Sturt Foundation are profiling the Children's Voices Centre as a focus for philanthropic donations to advance research and deliver meaningful change across our communities. Page 27-28 of the 2024 Donor Impact Report provides details: https://issuu.com/csu4/docs/2024_donor_impact_report_-_charles_sturt_foundatio

Recently, the Children's Voices Centre received a $30K donation to support the development of The Treehouse as the site for the Children's Voices Centre. Justin Williams from CSU Advancement was instrumental in coordinating this. We are extremely grateful for this generous donation that has enabled us to make the building (1451 on the Bathurst campus) safe and fun for children, families, staff and visitors to the Children's Voices Centre. 

 

Children's Voices Centre receives first philanthropic donation

We are so grateful that today we have received our first philanthropic donation ($30K) to support the work of the Children's Voices Centre! Thank you so much to the generous donor, and to Justin Williams from CSU Advancement who has championed our impactful research.

https://www.csu.edu.au/office/advancement

https://www.csu.edu.au/office/advancement/our-projects/childrens-voices-centre 

Buildling a culture of philanthropy

 I have been invited as one of six people from across CSU to participate in a mentoring program titled "Building a culture of philanthropy." The initiative is from Sarah Ansell, Justin Williams and the CSU Advancement Office (https://www.csu.edu.au/office/advancement/home) who has invited David Pettigrew from Nourish nfp to provide the program (https://nourishnfp.com/). I am excited to learn.

Philanthropic support

Today I had the opportunity to meet with Justin Williams, Development Officer from the Advancement Office at Charles Sturt University regarding potential projects for philanthropic support. What an exciting meeting that generated a lot of ideas. I look forward to working with Justin to plan ways to support children's communication locally, nationally and internationally.