From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
One Young World ambassador for The Bahamas returns from trip of a lifetime
By Ashleigh Rolle
Sep 16, 2011 - 1:29:38 PM
The One Young World flag billows proudly throughout Zurich.
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Freeport, Bahamas - 18 year old Ashleigh Rolle just returned from the
Second Annual
One Young World Summit
held in Zurich, Switzerland from September 1st to 4th. The event had such high profile counsellors as HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, HRH Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of
Norway, Sir Bob Geldof and Archbishop Desmond
Tutu
join them.
The
summit focused on 6 key Resolutions developed in response to the most
pressing issues in the world today, as identified as by the One Young
World Global Consultation Process, a poll of over 15,000 respondents
aged 18-27 years old from 34 countries in every continent on the planet.
Below Ashleigh talks of her experience in Zurich as an ambassador for The Bahamas:
"I could be cliché and quote that phrase about the journey of a thousand miles begins with one
step, but my story isn’t as dramatic. As a matter of fact it isn’t
even as epic as I would want it to sound, but none-the-less I arrived in
Zurich safely with one mission heavy on my heart, that was 'making a difference'."
7 am and I am ready for the morning session on Business.
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"Getting your elders in the country that you are from and lived in your
whole life to listen to you is an amazing feat, and some may never get an
elder to actually cooperate with them as far as change is concerned, but on an international level it’s even more intimidating."
"There were so many different people at the summit, from every corner of the earth, and I
found it hard to believe that I was actually with them 'as one' to make a
change, and do what some of our peers may not care about, that is rectifying the
issues of our generation today in order to procure a safe planet for the
generations of tomorrow. In a world where age is becoming less of a factor,
young people have created various avenues in which they can pursue their
passion and still better the world."
"If I felt a little insecure before arriving in Zurich I definitely felt
the pressure the day of the summit, as the moment I waited for almost 2
years was finally there and words could not begin to describe the feeling
of intimidation that swept over me when I was thrust into
Kongresshausse with 1200 of the worlds future and current leaders. I
quickly sucked it up though when I realized that no one cared about the
experience you had, but only the amount of passion you had towards the
group causes at hand."
Me with the Co-Founders of ItsOnehumanity.org Gerardo Dasyel Mendoza Capetillo of Mexico & Elliot Verreault of Canada. Its One Humanity is the social network for humanitarians and I have been working with these two along with the IOH team for the past year to spread the word about IOH as a National Coordinator on the site. I was driven to tears when I met them face to face for the first time.
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"I personally have four different projects that I will be working on at an
international level. More information will be released on the One Young
World website. My hope for next year is to find at least 3 well informed Bahamians to
take with me to Pittsburgh where the next One Young World summit will be
held. My aim right now though, is to work."
"I have met some amazing people in Zurich and I cannot wait to begin my
year. The Summit was just the beginning, and now the real work begins."
Ashleigh urges other young Bahamians to get involved with her and join in on this social networking experience. More information can be found at
http://itsonehumanity.
org/
Grand Bahama Teen to Participate in One Young World Summit in Switzerland
One of the highlights of One Young world was writing on the OYW Blank sheet project wall.
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Pedro Pizano of Columbia and I en route to Kongresshausse on Lake Zurich.
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Our distinguished panel of counselors. From left to right : HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, HRH Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, Sir Bob Geldof and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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Me with Oliver Stacey (Delegate Director)
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The day before the summit we were able to roam the city. So I wouldn't get lost I stuck to Sergio Fermin of New York and Anneth-mwasi Tumbo of Tanzania like glue.
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The delegates adding to the ball of bonds... proving that this is just the beginning.
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Me and a few of the delegates on the first day in the hotel lobby travel ragged and jet lagged.
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Ingrida Kerusauskaite of Lithuania (Global Ambassador of Media for One Young World) we will be working closely this year for the One Young World Publication making me editor of Latina American and The Caribbean.
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Me holding the Bahamian flag at the summit
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Me and Earl Abrahams of Cape Town, South Africa.
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