It's 9 in the morning and Ludi and I are sat in Heathrow Departures, I thought it was finally time I posted. The OYW 2015 Summit starts tomorrow with the Boat Procession, and we are both incredibly nervous but excited. Alex and Nipuini have prepared us for what to expect at the Summit, though currently this is somewhat lost on me.
Flying will certainly take some of the edge of the anticipation though I thought it would be best to outline the main prospects that the Summit will offer.
Firstly, this is a global forum of inspirational young people, we are going to be met with numerous opinions to our own. For example the focus of what I'm interested in surrounds Islamaphobia and Feminism both controversial issues. I certainly hold a Western perspective on both, though the effect of culture will be a hugely important variable. The opportunity to hear these values in one forum is once in a lifetime and incredibly important to anyone hoping to observe international relations.
The global forum is not just made up of people, but of businesses. The OYW Summit is a networking hub, made up of companies such as Deloitte, Santander and EY to name a few. As such we have to approach with a certain mindset of changing the world, through making the most of the companies attending. Ludi and I will undoubtedly be some of the youngest delegates, and so far the University of Bath appears to be the only University that sends delegates. For those looking to attend next year take note thatnetworking is key in the Summit.
Lastly, a more personal prospect is the lack of sleep that's going to come with this summit. In the pre-summit event Ludi and I were told we'd need a few decent nights sleep to prepare us for the summit. After an 11 hour flight we will then face jet-lag as well as early starts and late finishes. Although, how else do you fit everything into 4 days. Sleep deprivation is something I will gladly give up for the opportunities that this summit presents, it's going to be a busy few days.
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