The organizers of the G(irls)20 Summit are pleased to announce the names of the delegates for the 2011 edition of this international summit focussing on girls and women and the role they can play to address and resolve world-wide economic problems. The chosen delegates will represent their country at the G(irls)20 Summit to be held in Paris, France from October 18th-21st, 2011 at the Académie Diplomatique Internationale two weeks before the leaders ofthe world’s most powerful nations meet in Cannes, France for the G20 meetings.
Modeled after the G20, the G(irls)20 Summit will bring together a representative from each of the 20 member countries so they may focus on how girls and women and their vision of the world can help solve the current major economic world challenges. Once again this year a representative from the African Union will also participate, bringing the number of delegates to 21. In Paris, they will work together to develop a set of concrete solutions to address global challenges. They will take part in various workshops learning to become familiar with media relations, the development of a business plan, financial literacy, and navigating the digital world. The delegates were selected from among hundreds of applicants.
They were chosen according to very precise criteria including their vision of leadership, personal triumph, and also their ability to find innovative solutions to economic challenges. “Girls and women have an incredible capacity to think creatively about the challenges facing the world”, says Belinda Stronach, President and CEO of the Stronach Group, President of the Belinda Stronach Foundation. “The G(irls)20 Summit is a unique platform for the girls to express their innovative ideas and to bring them to the G20 leaders.”
What they are saying
“The G(irls)20 Summit offers these carefully selected girls from all over the world the extraordinary opportunity to discuss amongst themselves, beyond borders, concrete solutions to the challenges facing today’s world”, says Raquel Helen Santos Silva, the Brazilian delegate to this year’s G(irls)20 Summit. Over 50 national and international organisations are working with The Belinda Stronach Foundation on this major project.
About the G(irls)20 Summit
The G(irls)20 Summit is an integral part of the “3.3 Billion Ways” international campaign based on the fundamental assumption that there are 3.3 billion women on the planet and therefore there are 3.3 billion ways to change the world. This international campaign is also present on the Internet: the “What’s your Number?” participation initiative encourages women all across the world to acquire and to display their “number” thus proving their support of women all over the world.
In Canada, the media were invited to the presentation of the G(irls)20 t-shirt, designed by the famous designer Tu Ly, and to display their own number to support the campaign. Six great girl-led initiatives emerged from the 2010 G(irls)20 Summit, including: the Indian Tanvi Foundation, whose mission focuses on confidence building for teenage girls around the world. Kartika from Indonesia has created a mobile library for young people in the slums of Indonesia, allowing them access to culture.
Irem from Turkey has focussed on helping young Turks and improving their communities. This year, one of the six initiatives from last year’s Summit will be chosen as the basis for all the workshops, thereby strengthening its reach and sustainability. You can find details of this initiative on: www.girlsandwomen.com; log-on to get your number and to order a Tu Ly designed t-shirt.