Global Changemakers

What was your first reaction when you found out you’d been chosen for Davos?
OMG, I actually kicked some butt!

What are your hopes for Davos?
I hope that I will be able to convince World Leaders on the importance of Global Healthcare to ensure sustainable economies.

What are your fears for Davos?
I fear that Leaders will undermine the input of Youth in decision making, thus leading to unequal bargaining.

In which area would you want to see more youth engagement?
In the arena of International Politics and decision-making. I believe that Youth need to be given a chance to see for themselves the dynamics of International politics. Therefore when they become leaders, they will stand to avoid the mistakes of their predecessors.

How can you make this happen?
By engaging youth in global forums with world leaders at events such as Copenhagen Climate Conference, the World Economic Forum and other UN sessions so that they are able to grasp policies that current leaders support.

What will the world look like in 2050?
The world will be one virtual landmass in regard to communication and IT. Maldives will be the new underwater Atlantis and the poles would have gradually shrunk. An animal has already returned from a visit Mars. We would have advanced to monkey flu or dog flu. Nanotechnology will be curing cancer and we would have found an efficient DNA vaccine to tackle AIDS. The world would have graduated from nuclear power to the industrial production of antimatter to supply the demands of an energy crisis.

This world will have its positives and negatives as a result of mankind, but what is important is that we work on this premonition to ensure a smooth sustainable landing.

If you become the new UN Secretary General what would be the first thing you’d do?
I would employ to the UN people only between the age of 21 and 50. Therefore it will always strike balance with a new voice which I believe is mandatory to keep in line the flow and generation of innovative ideas. I would also give special prominence to Youth who have excelled in Model United nations (MUN) in their various countries, because they have firsthand experience with all the technicalities and requirements to create effective sustainable resolutions which can be debated upon and passed.

What quality do you like most about yourself?
My ability to convert every failure into a challenge.
   
If you could invite 3 historical figures for dinner, who would they be and why?

• Princess Diana: Because to me she is admirable royalty, she redefined the parameters of a Princess’s scope in changing the World, from changing interaction patterns with AIDS victims in Africa to the demining of landmines in Angola. She created the sensation that hope was possible.
• Michael Jackson: Being the most popular pop star of all time, Michael Jackson’s musical philosophy covered topics ranging from the environment to racial equality through the universal language of beauty (“It does not matter if you are black or white”, “earth song” and “Man in the mirror”-which says “If you want to the world a better place just look at yourself and make that change”).
• Abraham Lincoln:  The philosophy expressed in his letter to his son’s headmaster is one that is applicable for all time. One sentence that is outstanding is ‘teach him that it is far honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong’. To me, this defines a true leader.

These three humble figures that have changed the world. They certainly relate to us Changemakers. They definitely changed the way the world looked at those respective ideas until they came along. 

If you bump into Bono or Queen Rania in the elevator, what do you say?
“Have you met a young mover or shaker? Well today is your lucky day. Hi I’m Sarah – Global Changemaker.”