Xuan – Leader in Peacebuilding

Xuan, TechGirl 2018, USA

One of our stellar US Youth Ambassadors, Xuan recently organized and facilitated the Open Peacebuilding and Leadership (OPL) conference that gathered a wide range of diverse students from over 10 schools. This program was provided free of charge and was open to all high schoolers interested in attending. This program provided training to equip youth to spearhead their own initiatives to better their communities. The mission of the conference is to “to empower local youth to become community leaders and peacebuilders through equipping them with the necessary skills to set up their own initiatives, and our hope is that the initiatives will incorporate peacebuilding regardless of their fields.” 

Over 50 highschoolers attended and they gained the leadership skills needed to succeed in teamwork, analytical thinking as well as communication. The conference also hosted guest speakers who specialize in areas such as STEM, peacebuilding, women’s rights, immigration and more. Topics introduced and discussed involved peacebuilding and leadership at both a local and international level, leadership at both a local and international level, the value of teamwork, creating a productive and inclusive workspace and more. 

Xuan also provided resources for the participants to expand upon their learning including a take-home kit with insight on developing their own programs. She plans to make the OPL Conference an annual event with the support of current and future partnerships.