Calgary’s young people have a voice at World Economic Forum
City has consistent representation among Global Shapers,
It is often said that many major decisions that steer the fate of our world are made by a handful of global elite behind closed-door discussions at Davos. The World Economic Forum’s ( WEF) annual meeting was a gathering of the world’s most influential people, including political leaders, business tycoons and celebrities.
The question of Calgary’s representation at such forums is beginning to have clearer answers for me. I was selected by the World Economic Forum to participate in the 2018 Davos meeting, which just concluded, as part of a program to bring youth perspectives to the critical issues being debated. Global Shapers — 50 youth leaders between the ages of 20 and
33 — took part in the meetings, addressed audiences and shared ideas with select world leaders.
I’ll admit the idea of attending this was a tad daunting, but it was inspiring to learn that in past years, Global Shapers made significant impacts at Davos by forging partnerships between community initiatives and multinational corporations. It is also great to know that Calgary has had consistent representation at Davos for the past several years, including from our Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
So given that Calgary has consistently had a voice at Davos, what do our city and its youth have to offer such an exclusive forum?
Calgary is defined by its diversity, with a third of its population being visible minorities. Our city has attracted bright talent from all over the world to help build our economy. When you put the world’s top STEM talent in one place, you can expect nothing less than the innovation that has come out of Calgary. The city has taken the lead in assessing the impact of future technologies in a move towards becoming a smart city. On more than one occasion in the past Mayor Nenshi brought best practice policies from Calgary to Davos, including speaking to audiences about disaster prevention, and teaching global automobile CEOs about how cities should plan around the introduction of autonomous vehicles.
The diversity in Calgary also brings a set of Canadian values that we’re not only proud of, but are exemplary in the eyes of the WEF. I see diversity as one of Calgary’s primary strengths. It’s a city that has seen equality, sustainability and inclusive growth in its economic trajectory.
We’re also a young city. As the curator of Global Shapers Calgary, I have seen the concerns of youth shape the collective vision of our city. This injection of a fresh perspective is desperately needed in any long-established institution.
The Global Shapers hub in Calgary is a particularly great example of youth leaders bringing together diverse expertise and passion for improving the community. In the last year alone, we launched a pro-bono Management Consulting service to support social agencies in Calgary, created a Policy Forum to educate youth on important issues, and authored a report on the adoption of future technologies in our city.
Issues pertaining to fundamental rights of citizens are already beyond debate for many people my age. Gender equality, inclusiveness, respect for the environment are deeply ingrained in our values. So, although it may be a while before these become more mainstream, it doesn’t hurt current leaders to start warming up to the ways of the future.
The 2018 Davos meeting’s theme was “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.” Many of the topics discussed were ones that resonate with today’s youth leaders and are reflected in the priority areas of the Canadian delegation.
It is heartening to see this is the direction being taken by the WEF and Canada as a nation, and I believe there is no better way to tackle these priorities than to have young people weigh in on the issues that impact their future. As governments, global institutions and corporations begin to embrace these ideas, young change makers should find confidence in the fact that they are not only tomorrow’s leaders but are already leaders of today.