OTTAWA (March 31, 2009) - Sofia H. (17 years old) from Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa briefly met British Prime Minster Gordon Brown and Mexican President Felipe Calderon at 10 Downing Street yesterday. Meetings are also scheduled with Britain’s Foreign Minister David Miliband and U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling. Sophia is representing Canada at the British Council’s London Summit this week. She will be part of a group of twenty students - one from each of the G20 economies. The youth representatives are preparing recommendations for the leaders on how best to mitigate the global financial crisis.

The G20 British Council youth forum was proposed by the British Prime Minister’s office.

The Global Changemakers are a select group of young people (between the ages of 16 and 25) who have demonstrated a significant track record of achievement in their local communities through social entrepreneurship, community activities and voluntary work. The young people are part of a global network where they share knowledge, ideas and best practices, and where they work individually and together on community projects. Each year a select group of Global Changemakers is chosen to participate in high level political and economic events such as the G20 - to act as advocates and to raise decision-makers’ awareness of key issues on the global agenda.

“I would like to see the G20 summit as a site of international cooperation, collaboration, and commitment, a site where the agenda is not focused on politics but on people,” says Sofia.

Founded at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2007, Global Changemakers have partnered with and participated in World Economic Forum events (in Davos, Sharm el Sheikh, and Cape Town), as well as the Clinton Global Initiative, and Global Humanitarian Forum. Individual supporters include HMQ Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and the actress Emma Thompson. The Rt. Honourable Gordon Brown serves as Patron of Global Changemakers.

Sofia will share her experiences at the G20 with a wider audience including schools and students worldwide. The G20 website www.Londonsummit.gov.uk/en/ and www.global-changemakers.net will feature a regularly updated blog and video posts.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

In the UK, contact: Katherine Hermans, Communications Manager for British Council Switzerland, cell: 41 78 693 8775 (email: katherine.hermans@britishcouncil.org)

In Canada, contact: Stephan Telka, Climate Change Programme Officer, tel: 613-364-6198 or cell: 613-302-0093 (email: Stephan.telka@britishcouncil.org)