350 Global Shapers Meet to Make Youth Voice Heard Globally
Geneva, Switzerland 17 August . -(ANA) – Young people make up 50% of the world’s population but are under-represented in global affairs. To close the gap between millennial perspectives and global governance, 350 Global Shaper representatives are gathering in Geneva from 19-22 August to share their views with senior representatives of international organizations, including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
 
Established in 2011, the Global Shapers Community has brought together more than 6,100 young people in over 171 countries and territories worldwide. This gathering of 350 Global Shapers provides a platform to millennials to discuss common values, how entrepreneurship can serve global public interest, and to work on joint projects for local impact.
 
The Global Shapers work on grassroots projects that address global issues on a local level. The group will share their experiences with each other over four days of workshops, panel discussions and brainstorming. Projects to be presented include:

    Women at the workplace (Bangalore Hub, India) – An initiative for young women that offers a one-stop destination to discuss issues that young women face in the workplace, including a repository of knowledge as well as sources of inspiration.
    Flint Water Crisis Support (Detroit Hub, USA) – A project to assist the Flint Water Crisis response, including coordinated water storage space for local NGOs, large-scale donations of water and basic needs, a website that compiles information for Flint residents and volunteers/donors, as well as canvassing low-income neighbourhoods to assess community needs.
    Hewlett Cancer Support Center (Erbil Hub, Iraq) – Local Shapers are working at a centre at the Erbil Cancer hospital to give patients psychosocial support. More than 10,000 books have been donated to the centre as well as financial support and gifts. Therapy sessions are held weekly.
    Young Hearts (Hubli Hub, India) – The project aims to screen schoolchildren (aged between 5 and 15) in Hubli for congenital heart disease and rheumatic heart disease using a visual stethoscope. Current screenings across the world focus on echocardiography, which requires skilled people and is very expensive, making it ineffective for mass screening.
    #WeAre10 (Seattle Hub, USA) – Ten refugee athletes are competing at the Rio Olympics. Led by the Seattle Hub, Global Shapers stand with the 10, and all refugees, and ask the world to join the global chant on social media to cheer them on.

“The most powerful message that Global Shapers deliver comes through the actions that they take every day. They are touching lives in communities across the world by building toilets for schools, building libraries, mentoring others, responding to disasters and more,” said Yemi Babington-Ashaye, Head of the Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum.
 
On Monday 22 August, the Global Shapers Community will present the results of its second Global Shapers Survey. The survey on technology, governance, social issues, values and working life has been answered by more than 25,000 millennials. In contrast with other surveys among that demographic, the Global Shapers Survey reaches a truly global set of respondents through its network in 171 countries and territories.
 
As innovators, digital natives and those most impacted by today’s policy decisions, Global Shapers deserve a seat at the table. They embody the “community of the future”, bringing together young people in a diverse, decentralized and digitally hyperconnected way. The Global Shapers Community is an initiative of the World Economic Forum and is independent, neutral, non-political and not for profit. - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 17 August 2016 - - -