Daniel - Colombia

Daniel is a Colombian and a former refugee who is in New Zealand. He and his mother fled their country after a rebel group threatened to harm them.They crossed the border into Ecuador where life was even harder as they were discriminated against. With only five years in New Zealand, Daniel has shown to be an “inspirational young man". He learned English in only six months and is now in his final year completing a conjoint degree majoring in Political science, International Relations and Development studies. He has worked with a number of NGOs including ChangeMakers Refugee Forum where he developed and facilitated anti-bullying workshops for refugee communities. In 2015, he and other passionate refugee youth established the New Zealand National Refugee Youth Council where he is currently the National president. He advocates, supports and engages refugee background youth across the country, so they can successfully integrate into New Zealand culture. After attending the summit, Daniel wants to empower other refugee background youth around the world to take action and be the change they want to see.