Six people from Co Kilkenny were among over 200 young people from around the globe who gathered in Dublin recently for a special international youth leadership conference.
The conference, which was developed by Foróige, offered an exciting and pioneering approach to youth leadership by helping young global citizens develop the skills, vision and confidence to become effective leaders.
An international delegation of young people aged between 15 and 18 from the US, Korea, Nigeria, England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland attended the conference, which was launched in Trinity College Dublin. The delegates demonstrated a spirited desire to become active leaders in their communities and were nominated by youth workers in their own countries to attend the conference. Participants at the week long conference attended workshops each day to improve their communication, problem solving, personal and team work skills and learn the art of critical analysis thinking.
Speaking at the launch of the conference John Cahill, Assistant CEO of Foróige said, “Foróige, in partnership with the ICCUSA Foundation, is excited to offer this innovative programme to young people from all over the world. The hands on curriculum recognises that experiences that tend to happen outside the class-room are often those that really fuel the passion of individuals and motivate them to become more than they thought they could be.
Emma Conway, of Ballyhale Foróige Club, was one of the 200 delegates attending the conference. She said, “I was delighted to be chosen to take part in the first international youth leadership programme in Ireland. I don’t believe in waiting around for others to take action when I see something needs to be done so I was really excited to meet some like-minded young people and share ideas. I’m looking forward to setting my leadership goals so that now I’m home I can really make a positive impact on my community and who knows after that… Watch this space!”
