Addressing Climate Change Through Youth Entrepreneurship: A Conversation with Enterprising Futures Scholars and the Ambassador for Youth, Education and Work.
During this session, Ambassador for Youth Jurriaan Middelhoff will have a conversation on climate change and desertification with two promising Enterprising Futures Scholars from Burundi and Lebanon, two social impact makers focusing on green entrepreneurship and plastic waste management.
Speakers
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Chido MpembaYouth Envoy of the African UnionChido Mpemba
Youth Envoy of the African Union
Chido Cleopatra Mpemba is a distinguished advocate for youth empowerment and development. She is currently serving as the African Union Chairperson's Special Envoy on Youth. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, appointed her to this esteemed position in November 2021. Ms Mpemba serves as a critical link between African youth, both on the continent and in the diaspora, and the highest levels of policymaking within the African Union. Her mandate is to ensure that the aspirations and needs of Africa's youth are effectively communicated and included at the highest levels of decision-making. As the Youth Envoy, she advocates for progressive policies and actions that augment youth participation, engagement, and leadership. Her office translates the African Youth Charter and the AU Agenda 2063 into tangible outcomes that positively impact the lives of young Africans. Through her leadership, her office engages with youth across Africa and the diaspora, fostering an environment conducive to intergenerational dialogue and concrete actions for sustainable development. As an alumna of the U.S. National Defense University and a graduate of President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her role.
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Jurriaan MiddelhoffAmbassador-at-Large Youth, Education and Work for the Kingdom of the NetherlandsJurriaan Middelhoff
Ambassador-at-Large Youth, Education and Work for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Jurriaan Middelhoff (1984) is Ambassador-at-Large for Youth, Education, and Work for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Jurriaan started his career in 2008 in The Hague at the Clingendael Institute of International Relations and the Netherlands Ministry of Finance, working on the national and EU budget. He joined the Dutch Foreign Service in 2011, where he worked on financial and economic policy in the EU. He then switched to the Sustainable Economic Development Department, where he worked on Private Sector Development, Public-Private Partnerships, and the negotiations for the SDGs. On behalf of the Ministry, Jurriaan was account manager for several international partnerships of the government of the Netherlands with enterprises such as Heineken, Unilever, and Philips. In 2015, Jurriaan was posted to Malaysia as Head of the Economic and Trade department at the Netherlands Embassy, and as Director of the Malaysian-Dutch Business Council. Here, amongst other things, he was active in promoting a more sustainable Palm Oil sector. In 2017, he became Deputy-Ambassador and Counsellor for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Panamá. In this position, he was founder and board member of the Holland House Panamá. From 2020 to 2022, Jurriaan was the Regional Envoy for Stability in the Western Balkans, on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Based out of Skopje and covering the six Western Balkan countries, Jurriaan headed a network of experts that focused on external influences, conflict prevention and ethnic tensions, organized crime, migration, and cyber security. In 2022, Jurriaan was nominated Ambassador-at-Large for Youth, Education, and Work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development. In this position, his main focus is Africa and the Middle East.
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Ryme AssadPresident at Sustain The WorldRyme Assad
President at Sustain The World
Ryme Assaad is a dedicated advocate for sustainable development and climate action, recognized for her impactful contributions to global initiatives. As the President of Sustain The World, she led the RISE2030 project to remarkable success, resulting in the organization receiving the UN Global Climate Action award at COP26 in collaboration with UNFCCC, and being honored at the Gender Just Solutions at COP27. Ryme's commitment extends beyond Sustain The World; she also serves on the board of Sustainable Empowerment for Youth International in the US, showcasing her multifaceted dedication to environmental and social causes.
Under Ryme's leadership, Sustain The World has notably created over 3,000 job opportunities, providing tangible pathways for young people to access education and employment in marginalized communities. Additionally, the organization's efforts have had an indirect impact on more than 500,000 residents in various cities through its facilities in waste, water, renewable energy, and landscaping projects.
With a diverse background spanning social entrepreneurship, engineering, activism, and economics, Ryme brings a unique perspective to her work. She holds an MSc (with highest honors) in Sustainable Development Studies, specializing in Energy Systems and Green Technology from UCD in partnership with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN).
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Parfait MugishaFounder and CEO, Perfect Village CommunitiesParfait Mugisha
Founder and CEO, Perfect Village Communities
MUGISHA Parfait is a young social activist, founder and CEO of PVC Burundi from rural region of Burundi, he is managing the different programs and projects that he created, including community land restoration, modern livestock, healthcare for rural and local communities. Since 2017, he has worked extensively on activities related to the promotion of social entrepreneurship in the areas of restoring degraded lands, regenerative agriculture and promoting access to healthcare services for the communities living in rural areas, and this has enabled him to help community in land restoration to increase food production, while giving access to the community the new opportunities of job. MUGISHA Parfait has already received national and international awards for the work he has carried out in his community on a daily basis, thanks to the impact he has had on local communities.