OTTAWA (November 10, 2009) – The British Council has selected Nishin Nathwani from Fergus, Ontario, Amanda Achtman from Calgary, Alberta and Michael Zhan from Toronto, Ontario from over 1000 applications to participate in the Global Youth Summit from November 15th to 22nd in the UK.

The participants will spend five days with sixty Global Changemakers from 44 countries, sharing best practices in the areas of human rights, climate change, poverty reduction, education, HIV/AIDS, and social entrepreneurship. Six Global Changemakers will be selected during this week to attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January 2010.

The young people representing Canada at the Global Youth Summit will attend workshops, meet campaigning experts and visit British organisations. A select group will also meet with Gordon Brown. The young people who will be selected for the World Economic Forum in Davos will attend a number of high level panels, engage with the world’s most influential business and political leaders and lend a grass-roots perspective to the Forum’s proceedings.

The Global Youth Summit is part of the British Council’s pioneering Global Changemakers initiative. Global Changemakers is a global network where a select group of young people (16-25) share ideas and best practices, and where they work individually and together on projects that directly impact the lives of those in their local communities. In addition, each year, a select group of Global Changemakers is chosen to participate in high-level political and economic events, to act as advocates and to raise decision-makers’ awareness of key issues on the global agenda.

Founded for 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, the Global Humanitarian Forum and the G20. Individual supporters include HM Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, President Bill Clinton, and the actress Emma Thompson. The Rt Honourable Gordon Brown serves as Patron of Global Changemakers.

For more information or questions, please contact:

Jocelyne Sauvé, Administrative Assistant
T 1 613 364 6233 Email jocelyne.sauve@britishcouncil.org

Tripti Saha, Programmes and Technical Advisor
M 1 613 818 4923 Email tripti.saha@britishcouncil.org

Katherine Hermans, Head of Communications, Global Changemakers
M +41 78 693 87 75 E-mail katherine.hermans@britishcouncil.ch

The British Council is the UK’s international body for cultural relations. We build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide.

We are registered in the UK as a charity. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org or www.global-changemakers.net

Backgrounder

Nishin Nathwani, Centre Wellington District High School, Fergus, Ontario, Canada

Nishin N. is a grade 12 student at Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS) in Fergus, Ontario. As the president of the Amnesty Group at his high school, he recently led an eco-human rights fair which showcased local businesses promoting environmental sustainability and ethical practices. He is also the prime minister of his school’s Student Council and the president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at CWDHS. His achievements include launching a “Celebration Week” - an entire week of events dedicated to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered issues. As a result, he was named Centre Wellington Youth Citizen of the Year in 2008 and was nominated by his community for the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year award. In his spare time, he is a volunteer meditation and laugher yoga instructor, teaching the power of inner silence and happiness to promote global peace. He also volunteers his time counselling and playing with developmentally delayed children on a biweekly basis throughout the school year. In the future, he hopes to author a theory of education through which he can share his strategy on how to create a more equitable and inclusive environment in schools and how to usher a greater respect for human rights into the next generation of youth.

Amanda Achtman, St. Mary’s University College, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Amanda Achtman is a first year student at St. Mary’s University College in Calgary, Alberta. She recalls that when she was nine years old, she began encouraging everyone in her community to vote for a particular candidate in the upcoming election. When asked why, she stated, “She has the most signs! I’ve counted!” She was quickly informed that the number of signs a candidate has around the community should not be the standard by which one votes. After this news, she asked for an appointment to meet the candidate and learn about the issues. Amanda developed a list of questions and the meeting was successful. Now an outspoken and articulate speaker, she represents youth perspectives on issues including political apathy, education, and inter-faith and intercultural dialogue. She encourages young people to pursue opportunities, create adventure in their lives and ignite positive change through active citizenship. In her community, Amanda has served on the Mayor’s Youth Council, the Interfaith Youth Council and most recently, became a member of the Alberta Minister of Education Student Advisory Council.

Michael Zhan, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Michael Zhan is a college sophomore at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. His life has vacillated greatly between the East and the West. But now, he aspires to be the channel of unity. Currently, he is building “bridges” from a Sino-American base for outreach work at Yale University to a pan-Pacific, entirely student-run, non-profit organization. This past summer, he brought together 40 Americans and Chinese to carry out earthquake relief in Sichuan, China, in what turned out to be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. He also manages “Global China Connection - Yale Chapter,” by running events promoting US-China awareness and forging a new Yale-Peking University student alliance to encourage cross-cultural dialogue and networking, an example I hope to bring to other campuses. He is Treasurer of the Chinese American Student Association, the largest ethnic organization at Yale University. In all his activism, he strives to be the social entrepreneur. He is fascinated with the idea of management, organization and creation in the pursuit of “more-than-profit,” and of social change.

“I do not believe the world lacks compassion. I just want to help it learn how to turn that compassion into action with speed, efficiency and success. That’s my goal.”