GCF seeks to offer platform to build youth capacities

The Global Challenges Forum (GCF) was inaugurated in Geneva on the United Nations’ designated International Day for Tolerance on November 16th 2010, noted Chairman and Founding Executive Director of the GCF Walter L. Christman in an interview with The Jordan Times, adding that the aim of the organisationfor past 11 years has been a platform for a dialogue, workshops and meetings of various kinds.

The GCF was co-founded 11 years ago by former Jordanian senator Talal Abu-Ghazaleh and former US diplomat Walter L. Cristman, and the GCF addresses different global challenges.

“In Delhi, on October 3rd 2018 on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi we had a dialogue event and it produced the Delhi Proclamation and a concept of 1 million youth leaders for sustainable development beyond 2030,” said Christman, adding that it empowered and gave the GCF a youth focus.

Furthermore, what the GCF started in 2015 is the idea of bottom up partnerships, a community level partnerships meeting top down partnerships, Christman explained, noting that it runs through the youth question.

“We are talking about not 1 million likes on Facebook, but 1 million leaders who should be groomed to become a future leadership beyond 2030,” Christman underlined.

Some of young people the GCF helps come from Africa but the organisation targets mostly Middle East and India, said Executive Director of the GCF Beatrice Bressan, adding that the GCF organised many forums in this part of the world but some events have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of ideas is to provide youth with capacity building and work through the IT sector where they will connect to customers,” Bressan explained.

“When I started my first company in 2017 it was solving a problem with reconstruction of Gaza, where I had no access to building material,” noted the GCF Youth Ambassador MajdMashhawari who is also involved with the solar energy projects.

If it is properly invested in the youth, Arab world will not face the brain drain, Mashhawari continued, adding that the network to connect young entrepreneurs will be necessary for their personal and professional development.

Regarding the green energy, Mashhawarii thinks “it’s a future”, and “the Arab world is very good for solar energy projects”.

Despite offers to continue her education and career outside of the region, Mashhawari decided to help her community: “What made me go back[to Gaza]was support and promises I got from business people. I want to create a network in the Arab world, an asset where young generation will stay in the region instead of going abroad and starting from the scratch.”

“Investing in young people and female entrepreneurs is the best thing and it gave me lots of motivation to continue my journey because I want my children to live in dignity,” Mashhawari underscored.