CONQUERING NEW HORIZONS

A GLOBAL YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE

By Maarten Edwards

THE FLIGHTI live for aviation. This image was taken during my flight from the Grantley Adams International Airport to the Miami International Airport. This flight would mark my first trip to the United States of America.

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“For once you have tasted flight you will

walk the earth with your eyes turned

skywards, for there you have been and

there you long to return”

-Leonardo da Vinci

MEET THE FACULTY ADVISORS

Guides, mentors and friends, the GYLC Faculty advisors were the tip of the iceberg for each country group. Featured here is Keith-Ryan Belen , Faculty Advisor for the China Leadership Group.

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THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Women’s Rights were the order of the night as keynote speaker, Ms Roxana Diaz Gomez, addressed the importance of women’s rights and what was being done to facilitate the development of these rights, particularly in developing countries.

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A VISIT TO GEORGETOWN

Our first outing was a trip to Georgetown where we first marvelled the sights and sounds of Washington DC. With more restaurants than preferences per group, it took quite a while before a lunch spot was found.

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THE WORLD BANKThis year’s conference was the largest group ever accommodated in the auditorium of the World Bank.

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UNION STATIONA rather unique lunch stop, Union Station kept us thoroughly entertained with a plethora of sights, smells, tastes and sounds.

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FEEDING THE WORLDThis town hall simulation got us on our feet to actively debate for the sake of some very worthy causes. There were two meetings organized for the evening. I took part in “Feeding the World”. This simulation focused primarily on the implications of mass public GMO implementations.

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LUNCH IN DUPONT CIRCLE

Another fun lunch stop was Dupont Circle where we quickly divided in yet another exploratory venture for food. This captivating location’s wheel and spoke street layout was rather atypical of American city design, and made for a fascinating, visually appealing touring experience.

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THE “BIG FIVE” MEMORIALS

Quite possibly a collection of the most captivating monuments I have ever seen, the “Big Five” provided hours of entertainment with a rich historical background.

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THE DARKER SIDES OF HISTORY

The most humbling experience of the entire program was most definitely our trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.

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AN AVIATOR’S PLAYGROUND

After our walk through the solemn halls of the Holocaust Museum, a group of us hurried to the Smithsonian Institute’s Air and Space Museum where I marvelled at the massive collection of exhibits depicting aviation’s past, present and future.

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WELCOME TO NEW YORK

Our stay in Washington was finally over and it was off to New York for the final leg in our twelve day journey.

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THE GATEWAY TO AMERICA

Though our time was very limited, Ellis Island was a sight to behold. Some of us may very well have seen the name of a relative in the registry book which lay on display.

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THE MAIN EVENTToday marked the culmination of nearly two weeks of preparation. Today Leadership Groups went head to head as the delegates of countries from around the world in the United Nations Global Summit Simulation at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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THE SPONSORSThe most important part of this conference took place not within the twelve days I

spent abroad. Instead, it occurred months before in the small, proud country I would come to represent. Without the combined efforts of all of my sponsors, my

life altering experience would not have been possible.

I thank you all.

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