The 2008 Youth Citizen of the Year here is now winning international honours.
Nishin Nathwani, who recently won a competition to attend the Global Youth Summit in Great Britain, was selected by his peers there to attend a two week World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
He is the first Canadian to win that honour, according to Margret Brady Nankivell, of British Council, the organization that sponsors the Global Youth Summit. Nathwani leaves next Wednesday.
He was one of 60 positions for youths aged 16 to 25 to qualify for the Global Youth Summit and was chosen by his peers to go to Switzerland.
Once there, he said he will be “Speaking to different world leaders, CEOs – big shots.”
France’s Nicolas Sarkozy will give a keynote speech.
Nathwani said the British Council helps provide resources to “empower activism.”
He said his big issue is better international development. He noted that currently development is solely about economics, and he would like to see “something more comprehensive – take into account the environment.
He said he will be making that presentation at the World Economic Forum, plus take part in different, private panels.
He will be joined by other delegates from Iraq Portugal, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Botswana. The British Council received 1,200 applications for the opportunity to take part.
Nathwani will be part of Global Changemakers at the Swiss forum. That group was formed for the 2007 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
The programme will focus on the following six areas of inquiry and their global, regional and industry dimensions:
The programme will focus on six areas of inquiry and their global, regional, and industry dimensions:
– How to strengthen economic and social welfare;
– how to mitigate global risks and address systemic failures;
– how to ensure sustainability
– how to enhance security
– how to create a values framework; and
– how to build effective institutions.
Nathwani said his group “will be the youngest at the forum,” being ages 16 to 18.
The forum runs Jan. 27 to 31.
Brady Nankivell added that the conferences Nathwani was chosen for are among “the most prestigious out there.”
