In the midst of numerous local and regional challenges, OYW Ambassadors continue to be at the forefront of the global response. Over the past few weeks, Ambassadors have received prestigious leadership appointments, joined forces to provide emergency aid, and have been the focal point for innovative campaigns.
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George Imafidon and Izzy Obeng
Hamilton Commission Board
United Kindom
The Hamilton Commission, set up by Lewis Hamilton at the beginning of the year, is aimed at improving the representation of Black people in UK motorsport. The Commission will be co-chaired by Lewis Hamilton and Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
One Young World put forward nominations of two young leaders to support the Commission - George and Izzy - and they have been selected alongside 12 other Commissioners to join the Board, in order to provide their first-hand knowledge and experiences in the world of education.
Carlotta Giacche
Launched Meaningful Money Series
Italy
UK Coordinating Ambassador Carlotta Giacché is on a mission to democratise sustainable finance and combine financial returns with positive impact. As part of her mission, she is launching the Meaningful Money Series, a set of regular sessions with experts who devote their profession to sustainable finance and ethical investments. Through the Instagram Live chats, the Meaningful Money Experts share their stories, tips and tricks on how we can make our money matter while it grows.
Sharnay Hearn Davis
Young Professional Award Recipient
United States
Sharnay became a recipient of the Greater Pittsburgh Athena Young Professional Award, which recognises exceptional women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, contribute to their community, and help other women and/or girls to succeed through mentorship.
As the #SistersLiftingasWeClimb Network founder, Sharnay is dedicated to working alongside Black Women and Black Girls' to help change their narratives and their realities in the City of Pittsburgh and beyond.
Mariann Avila
Lenovo New Realities campaign
Mexico
Mariann was selected to feature in Lenovo's latest New Realities campaign, a project that seeks to bridge the empathy deficit gap, by inviting all of us to walk in the shoes of young women, who represent the voice of a generation seeking a positive change in the world. At the forefront, it is a series of immersive films to bring us inside their worlds, so that they can tell their story through their eyes and disseminate their truth. One Young World served as a local partner for Mexico by identifying Mariann as a subject of the campaign.
Courtney Sunna, Mary-Jean Nleya, Yousra Abdelmoneim
IMF Fellowship
Netherlands, Botswana, Sudan
Courtney, Mary-Jean and Yousra were selected to participate in the 2020 International Monetary Fund Fellowship from a pool of 700 global candidates. The IMF Fellowship provides the opportunity to join the IMF in their response to the COVID-19 crisis and to be heard on a variety of issues, by giving access to virtual trainings by senior IMF officials and experts, media professionals from the Financial Times, POLITICO, and CNBC Digital, as well as attending the IMF Annual Meetings firsthand and preparing articles in response.
Zubair Junjunia
New podcast series
Pakistan
Earlier in the year, Zubair launched Znotes Live. This is a new podcast series for the voices of leaders in academia, entrepreneurship and sustainability to reach and equip students worldwide with the skills, tools and education to be the world's next change-makers.
The most recent two episodes featured OYW Ambassadors Joel Alexander and Spandana Palaypu who spoke about their journeys from education to leading impact-driven organisations.
Radhika Batra, Arpith Jayaram
Refinitiv Covid-19 Collaboration
India
Radhika connected with fellow OYW Ambassador Arpith Jayaram (Associate Project Manager, Refinitiv) and his colleague at an organisation called Youth For Seva. Together, the trio has provided 2,500 COVID-19 protection kits and N95 masks for healthcare personnel working on the frontlines of the pandemic in the two worst-hit states in India - Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Aminetou Bilal
Leadership appointment
Mauritania
Aminetou Bilal has been appointed as a Technical Advisor in charge of Communication within the Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and the Family in Mauritania. As well as being an environmental activist, Aminetou is a member of the African Union Youth Council.
Irwin Iradukunda
Chevening Scholar
Burundi
Irwin Iradukuna was selected for a Chevening Scholarship to pursue an MSc in Public Health at Bangor University in Wales.
Irwin is the former Coordinating Ambassador for Central Africa and was a Delegate Speaker at the One Young World 2018 Summit in The Hague.
Angelique Pouponneau
Seeking Ocean Solutions
Seychelles
The Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, led by Angelique Pouponneau, has teamed up with UpLink to identify top solutions that can restore, protect and invest in the ocean and its blue economy. The aim of the project is to crowdsource innovative solutions to accelerate progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
James Paek
YOUNGA Youth Delegate
United States
James was selected to be a youth delegate at BridgingTheGap's inaugural YOUNGA Forum, a global youth town hall using VR and XR technology. Through an inclusive, forward-looking youth-driven dialogue YOUNGA connected young people with influential decision-makers and industry leaders to co-create solutions for a more inclusive, sustainable world.
Lucky Aziken
Award recipient
Nigeria
Lucky Aziken was the recipient of two awards. The first, from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, named Lucky an Eye Health Hero; the second, from LEAP Africa, awarded him with the Outstanding Fellow Awards.
Lucky is the CEO of Vision Care Givers which has a mission to provide sustainable access to quality eye care to vulnerable communities around the world.
Speaking Engagements
23 September
Zubair Junjunia represented One Young World on a panel focused on putting intersectionality into practice. The session brought together leading experts and practitioners to explore the role that businesses can play, in partnership with others, to drive an equitable future and what more needs to be done - providing practical guidance and space for peer discussion.
30 September
Tanjila Drishti joined an UNGA side panel which gathered together local civial society organisations responding to two compounding crises – in Lebanon and Bangladesh – and discuss what a more feminist and localized approach to addressing complex humanitarian situations must look like.
5 October
Asiya Mohammed, the Founder & CEO of Conflict Women, moderated a session ahead of the World Bank Group - IMF Annual Meetings, hosted by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. The group discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and the challenge of building a resilient and inclusive global recovery.
10 October
To mark World Mental Health Day on the 10th October, Clifford Chance hosted their 'Together we are series' on the topic of resilience. The session was joined by Meg Zeenat Wamithi, mental health advocate and founder of My Mind Matters Too.
Media Coverage
Ismael Essome
Cameroon
Hauwa Ojeifo
Nigeria
Annette Garae
Vanuatu
Katharina Hilker
Germany
Renan Carneiro
Brazil
