Three GW students represented the U.S. last week at the annual G8/G20 Youth Summit in Vancouver.
Sloan Dickey, Sean England and Kevin Norchi, all GW sophomores, were selected to be part of the eight-member American delegation. The international conference brought together over 100 young leaders from 19 nations and the European Union to discuss international affairs, promote cross-cultural understanding and build global friendships.
“This was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” says Mr. Dickey, a political science major in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. “I got to know and interact with people from so many different viewpoints, backgrounds and cultures. It was an incredible opportunity.”
Mr. Dickey first learned about the summit from an e-mail he received from a Columbian College adviser. Having gone to a boarding school near Vancouver, he jumped at the opportunity to return to “one of the most international cities I’ve ever been to.”
Each student was assigned a specific position at the summit, such as head of state or minister of finance. Mr. Dickey was selected to be the environment minister for the U.S. During the summit, he met with the environment ministers from the other G20 countries, discussing how to mitigate climate change and promote environmentally friendly policies among businesses, government and citizens
Their ideas were ambitious ones. By 2050, developed countries would need to cut their carbon emissions by 80 percent, while developing countries would need to reduce their emissions by 50 percent.
“It’s important for youth to show our leaders that we can come up with innovative and original ideas of how to solve the world issues that we face right now,” says Mr. Dickey.
The Youth Summit began in 2006 in St. Petersburg, and each year it’s held in the host country of the actual G8 Summit. This year was the first year that the summit extended invitations to additional countries within the G20.
Mr. Norchi, who is majoring in international affairs, served as the U.S. development minister and spent his week discussing Third World governance and aid efficiency.
“I worked with some of the most innovative young minds in the world, and now have contacts I’ll keep for the rest of my life,” he says.
Mr. England, who is also majoring in political science, worked as the U.S. delegation’s “sherpa” and was responsible for working with all the U.S. ministers to make sure the American delegation had a cohesive platform.
Although Mr. England enjoyed discussing international affairs, his favorite part of the trip was interacting with young adults from around the world.
“That is what I will remember most—creating a network of international friendships,” he says.