1. A slide to put up before you start speaking.

2. Today I’m going to tell you about something really exciting – about something you can do to make a difference in this world and gain exciting new skills too- but before I go on I want you to watch this video.
(click on image in full screen mode to hyperlink you to youtube video)
Watch video.
What images of extreme wealth did we see in this video?
What images of extreme poverty did we see?
How many billionaires own the same amount as the poorest half of the planet? (Answer is 8)
How does the video make you feel?

3. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural
Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.
The world isn’t fair. You probably knew this.
Millions of people live in extreme poverty*. Living in ‘extreme poverty’ means living on less than $1.90 a day (£1.46 in July 2017). But to the millions of people Oxfam works with across the world, it means so much more. It means not having enough money for basics like food, shelter and water. Or not being able to send your kids to school or get them seen by a doctor. Like Morgan here, whose mother works on this refuse site in Jamaica and cannot afford to send Morgan to school. It’s not fair, and it’s got to change.
The good news is that we don’t have to live with poverty. In the past 15 years poverty has been halved. In the next 15 it could be gone. The countdown has begun – together we could end extreme poverty. If we each play our part, however small it may feel. If we run, grow, give, bake and build. We won't stop until we get there. And we won't live with poverty.
As Mandela said: Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings
Don’t read out:
In the picture:
Morgan (pictured here) is 5 and goes with his mother to work where she sorts waste. He cannot go to school because his family cannot afford the fees.
*Source: million people are said to live on less than $1.90 a day or £1.46 (accurate July 2017).
Sam Tarling/Oxfam
2014

4. In the previous slide I showed you a quote from Mandela
In the previous slide I showed you a quote from Mandela. He went on to say:
“Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom”.
In other words - we are the generation to end poverty.
Today I want to tell you about how change happens, and how YOU can be a part of that change by becoming an Oxfam Youth Ambassador.

5. Put your hands up if you’ve heard of Oxfam
Put your hands up if you’ve heard of Oxfam. Can anyone tell me anything about them? Oxfam is many things to many people. For some it saves lives in emergency situations. For some it is a charity shop. For some it provides a way out of poverty. It is all of these things and more:
For some Oxfam is a movement: a platform they can stand on alongside thousands of others to demand an end to poverty and injustice. Becoming an Oxfam Youth Ambassador is the perfect way for you as a young person to join the movement.
It’s vital that we end extreme poverty as quickly as possible. And if we all work together, we can save millions of lives around the world.
Duncan Elliott
/Oxfam 2011

6. But how does this kind of change happen. Through CAMPAIGNING
But how does this kind of change happen? Through CAMPAIGNING. Campaigning means applying pressure  to get the people who make the decisions  that affect the lives of millions  to do the right thing.
Examples of successful campaigns include the Suffragettes Movement* which resulted in all women in the UK (over 21) gaining the vote, the anti-slavery movement** led to the Slavery Abolition Act.
The Make Poverty History campaign† is a more recent example and campaign that Oxfam was involved in. In 2005 millions of people wore white bands, nearly half a million people ed the Prime Minister about poverty and hundreds of thousands more took to the streets of Edinburgh for the Make Poverty History march and rally.
The campaign ensured billions of dollars of debt being cancelled for 18 of the most indebted countries in the world.
Nothing would have changed if those people had decided to stay at home and watch TV – change only happens when we see a problem and ACT to change it. There is a famous saying by the Dalai Lama: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
Sources
*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette
**en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_Abolition_Act_1833 †
(To read more analysis about the success of Make Poverty History take a look here:

7. Being an Oxfam Youth Ambassador means YOU will be part of the campaigns like this that change the world for the better. You will take the lead; you will stand up for what you believe in, and inspire other people to follow them. Like these Woodside High Students who lobbied for action against climate change outside parliament.
As a Youth Ambassador you’ll find yourself presenting assemblies, running lunch-time stalls to raise awareness of an issue, organising events in your school, collecting petition signatures, speaking to your MP, organising eye-catching media events, making videos, raising money, running bake-sales and so much more. What you do is up to you.
The main thing about being an Oxfam Youth Ambassador is that it’s fun: You’ll make friends, gain confidence, work as a team and decide what YOU want to do as a group. You’ll gain important skills such as public speaking, organisation and planning. You’ll learn about the world and by getting involved, you will have so much more to add to your CV and your record of achievement.
Chris O'Donovan
/Oxfam 2015

8. By being an Oxfam Youth Ambassador you will:
Gain an experience which universities and future employers will love.
Gain skills which will help you grow as a person.
Learn about the world.
Make friends, work as a team and have fun.
For each year you are active you will receive the Oxfam Youth Ambassador Award and receive a metal pin badge and a certificate.
Hours spent being an Oxfam Youth Ambassador count towards your D of E award.*
But let’s see what some real Youth Ambassadors say about this opportunity and why they want to be involved (next 3 slides):
Not to read out
*Oxfam offers opportunities to complete both the volunteering and the skills sections of the DofE. However, we feel volunteering is the most straightforward section to organise and record. A participant may spend up to 25% of their volunteering time on training or learning new skills, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn as part of a volunteering role. Volunteering may take place in either a school or college based Youth Ambassadors Group and/or in an Oxfam shop.

9. Chris O'Donovan
/Oxfam 2015
Chris O'Donovan
/Oxfam 2015

10. Chris O'Donovan
/Oxfam 2015

11. Chris O'Donovan
/Oxfam 2015

12. Oxfam Youth Ambassador Taster Session Room xxx from x time to x time
find out more!
You don’t have to decide yet if this opportunity is for you.
If you want to find out more, ask questions and discuss the types of things you might get up to as an Oxfam Youth Ambassador, then come and join me in xxx room from xxx time*.
If you then DO decide to form an Oxfam School Group, then we can plan the times of our first meeting.
Thank you for listening and I’ll leave you with this inspiring video from Oxfam and remember– WE CAN BE THE GENERATION TO END POVERTY.
Notes for presenter regarding the next steps:
*Resources for your tasters session can be downloaded here:
After your taster session: If you have succeeded in getting the young people on board, then complete the full registration form . We’ll then explain the next steps (such as delivering the induction session) and send you ‘Oxfam Youth Ambassador’ wristbands. You will be added to the list of Oxfam School Groups and receive regular updates and resources.
Oxfam Youth Ambassador Taster Session Room xxx from x time to x time
Photo credit: Rankin/Oxfam 2008

13. Optional – show this video as an uplifting end.
Here is the link to the video:
OR click on image in full screen mode to hyperlink you to youtube video.