YOUNG people make up 50 percent of the world’s population but are under-represented in global affairs, organizers of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community (WEF GSC) conference said.
To close the gap between millennial perspectives and global governance, 350 young people are gathering in Geneva this weekend up to August 22 to share their views with senior representatives of international organizations, including the WEF, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Established in 2011, the WEF GSC conference has brought together more than 6,100 young people in over 171 countries and territories worldwide. This gathering 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, organizers of the conference said on August 17.
The Global Shapers conference 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), Flint Water Crisis Support (Detroit Hub, USA), Hewlett Cancer Support Center (Erbil Hub, Iraq), Young Hearts (Hubli Hub, India) and #WeAre10 (Seattle Hub, USA).
“The most powerful message that Global Shapers deliver comes through the actions that they take every day,” Yemi Babington-Ashaye, Head of the WEF Global Shapers Community, was quoted in a statement as saying. “They are touching lives in communities across the world by building toilets for schools, building libraries, mentoring others, responding to disasters and more.”
On Monday, the Global Shapers Community will present the results of its second 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.
