The European Commission has announced the 16 young people who will attend the Young Leaders Programme at this year’s European Development Days (EDD) event.
The Young Leaders Programme will encourage 16 people aged 21 to 26 from around the world to share their views on the themes of this year’s European Development Days event, which include gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
More than 283 young people from 82 countries applied to participate in the programme, and the chosen participants represent a wide range of countries, including Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, India and Sweden.
What did the European Commission say?
European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, explained that the aim of the Young Leaders Programme is to encourage young people to contribute their own ideas to debates around international development.
He said: “More than half of the world’s population today is under the age of 30. It is not enough to work on building a better future for the younger generation. We need to build it with them, give them the stage they need to put their brilliant ideas into practice. I look forward to meeting these inspiring young people during this year’s EDD.”
Who are the young leaders?
The 16 young leaders were chosen for their active engagement in social projects in their home countries with the aim of implementing the UN’s sustainable development goals. They are:
- Taffan Ako, from Sweden;
- Shwetal Shah, from India;
- Esther Nakajjigo, from Uganda;
- Hope Jeremiah Offor, from Nigeria;
- Dorcas Apoore, from Ghana;
- Diwa Samad, from Afghanistan;
- Ernesto Hernandez, from El Salvador;
- Olaolusa Abagun, from Nigeria;
- Grace Banda, from Malawi;
- Phonsina Archane, from the Republic of Congo;
- Natalie Tingo, from Kenya;
- Lais Rocha Leao, from Brazil;
- Salma Abdallah, from Sudan;
- Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, from Bangladesh;
- Bushra Dabbagh, from Syria; and
- Farhad Wajdi, from Afghanistan.
The chosen candidates also share exceptional skills, expertise and passion to contribute to the debate on sustainable development for all, and a strong commitment to gender equality.
Find out more about the Young Leaders Programme participants ahead of this year’s European Development Days event, which will take place in Brussels, Belgium, from 5-6 June 2018.
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