Imagine this: you have just arrived in Kenya as a fully funded delegate to the Global Peace Summit, organized by the Global Peace Chain. You are filled with excitement and anticipation as you look forward to meeting other inspiring young leaders, participating in interactive sessions, and negotiating peace with diplomats, ambassadors, UN officials, and community organizations from around the world. This is what you can expect from this incredible experience.
The application process was simple. I filled out a form, wrote two short essays, and paid a $30 application fee. After being shortlisted, I had a quick Zoom interview and was selected as a fully funded representative along with 14 other young leaders. The organization also recognized 25 partially funded delegates who only had to pay for airfare, while the Global Peace Chain arranged for admission to the summit, meals and lodging, and about 100 self-funded participants, some of whom received sponsorship initiatives from employers or youth charities.
The Weston Hotel is a five-star venue where we spent much of the first two days of the conference. I shared a room with a girl from Kazakhstan who works for the Ministry of Health and graduated from Glasgow University. On the first day, we had an opening ceremony with speeches by the founder of the GPC, a gender and youth expert from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and a cultural performance by members of the Maasai tribe. We also received peace passports and conference packets containing badges, notebooks, commitment agreements and brochures about the organization.
The second day of the conference started early with a safari in Nairobi National Park, where we saw lions, giraffes, buffalo and zebras in their natural habitat at sunrise. After the safari, we did a number of presentations on non-profit organizations fighting period poverty in South Africa, peace organizations supporting vulnerable communities in Sudan, and USAID-accredited mental health startups. All delegates were welcome to attend, and many of them spoke about their countries and their efforts to secure peace. We also had many breakout sessions, including musical performances, dancing, social events, and brainstorming on scalable peace promotion activities.
The third and final day of the summit was held at the KICC, the tallest building in Nairobi, adjacent to the Senate offices and the Ministry of Defense. Over 300 Nairobi nationals attended as external guests, with official welcome and opening remarks from the Ambassador of Pakistan to Kenya, the President’s daughter, the Vice President of Kenya, and Miss Kenya Tourism. We had several panel discussions on sustainable tourism and youth empowerment initiatives and an award ceremony. I and some of the delegates were selected as Youth Tourism Ambassadors and were recognized by the Kenya Tourism Board with certificates and plaques.
In our free time, we explored more of the city and mingled with Nairobi nationals, going to the Nairobi National Museum, Botanical Gardens, Karen Blixen Museum, and nice bars with live music performances. It was an unforgettable experience.
All in all, attending the Global Peace Summit in Kenya was a life-changing experience that allowed me to visit a new country, meet inspiring young leaders, and play a role in promoting tolerance, global citizenship, and peace. It was an experience I will always cherish and I encourage other young leaders to apply and participate in the next summit, which will be held in Dubai in March 2023.
