Ella arriving at one of the events at the conference, eager to get stuck into some lively debate
At one event participants were asked to wear something that represented their culture, hence the Bombers scarf
Ella with other members of the ‘United Nations’
“On 18 July 2009, a brisk Saturday morning, I set out for Melbourne Airport to begin my 30-hour journey to Prague, the Bohemian capital of Europe. Boarding my 747 airbus, I settled in for a good dose of movies and reading to pass the time. On the final leg of my journey, from Amsterdam to Prague, I began reading my preparation material for the week of discussion and debate I was about to engage in. Immersing myself in the literature, I was soon interrupted by a gentle tap on my shoulder. A bright-eyed girl of my age asked if I too was participating in the International Youth leadership Conference (IYLC). On replying yes, I not only had a new-found friend but had officially began my weeklong adventure at the IYLC.
The IYLC runs biannually and invites 120 university students from over 35 different countries to participate in a cross-cultural exchange of ideas that places an emphasis on politics, international relations, journalism and law. Students of any study discipline are invited to attend and throughout the week I met arts, law, commerce, physiotherapy, engineering and environmental studies students.
IYLC was an intense, action-packed week of simulations, conferences, forums, Q&A sessions, visits with diplomats, sight-seeing and of course, socialising and making friends. Anyone who is a huge fan of sleep need not apply!
Monday – Our week began with a UN Security Council Simulation that focused on developing a resolution to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Iran. Each group member was assigned a Security Council member state and we spent hours negotiating and formulating a resolution. I was assigned the United States of America and was able to wield my political power to develop a resolution that not only put bans on technology and the use of nuclear power but also sought to introduce penalties on oil if Iran did not abide by the resolution.
Tuesday – This day was filled with discussion panels ranging from African Youth leadership that was delivered by the Conference’s African participants; an outstanding Q&A session on the situation in the Middle East with the Czech Republic’s former ambassador to Israel; and a panel on gender equity. This was followed by a reception at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, where we met ambassadors from Afghanistan, Sweden, Malaysia and Switzerland and spoke with industry officials.
Wednesday – Our main activity was a simulation of a pre-trial at the International Criminal Court, where our simulation was based on the crimes perpetrated by Germain Katanga, of the Democratic Republic of Congo. As lead prosecutor, any confidence I had was dashed after my lead witness, George from Greece who acted as a rape victim, had to be escorted from the room because of misconduct during the trial.
Thursday – This day consisted of our Plenary Session of the European Parliament, which was outrageous to say the least. Led by the only male Australian participant was a vote of no confidence in the Parliament’s president, multiple recounts were called for and half the participants staged a walkout in protest!
The International Youth leadership Conference was without a doubt one of the most exciting and memorable experiences of my young life. Not only did it provide me with an opportunity to engage with potential future world leaders in an environment that was open and productive, it gave me the chance to travel, experience cultures I had never even heard of, and most importantly, make new friends. The friends I made at IYLC will last a lifetime because in one short week we were able to transcend cultural, political, social and even religious barriers to unite in a mission to find solutions for world peace.”
If anyone is interested in participating in the next IYLC visit: www.czechleadership.com