There is officially one night’s sleep between me and the official start of the 2012 One Young World Summit.
I cannot believe the day has finally arrived!
I do not really remember the first time I heard of the One Young World (OYW) Summit. I believe it was last fall at a conference in Pittsburgh called “Student Empowership.”
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The idea of bringing young leaders from all around the world together to discuss global issues seemed ideological. Never did I think I would find myself among them.
OYW was established in London in 2009 by two individuals—David Jones and Kate Robertson. The two had a brilliant idea to bring together young leaders from around the world to “make connections to create positive change.”
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Each year, a summit is held for delegates to gather together, listen to speakers and presentations, discuss and debate universal problems, generate future directions, and create actions plans.
In 2010, the summit was held in London. In 2011, the summit was held in Zurich. In 2012 the summit will be held in Pittsburgh—my hometown!
At the end of this past summer, I applied for a fellowship through the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh to attend the summit as part of the Pittsburgh Delegation.
With the support of community leaders and my undergraduate institution, Carlow University, I compiled an application that demonstrated my qualifications for attending the conference.
The World Affairs Council was looking for “team players who demonstrate leadership potential, and who have the ability to grasp complex concepts and provide valuable insights, as well as a commitment to cultural diversity. They should show an interest in global affairs and in helping define Pittsburgh’s place in the world.”
On Oct. 1, I received an extremely exciting email from the President and CEO of the World Affair Council of Pittsburgh informing me that I was selected as a member of the One Young World Pittsburgh Partnership.
As a member of the Pittsburgh Partnership and a OYW delegate I would be representing Pittsburgh and the United States at the 2012 OYW Summit!
Words cannot express my anticipation. In less than 24 hours I will be among hundreds of international young leaders!
Many great ideas were moved to action after the last OYW and I have been fortunate enough to already connect with several other delegates through OYW and social media.
Currently, I am most looking forward to joining the Wake Up Call and Global Dignity movements—but there will be more about that to come!
Do not forget to check back soon!
