Global Youth Changemaker Conversation Series

Shaping the future together: Engaging with Inspiring Youth Changemakers  

Institute of World Affairs  

The Institute of World Affairs (IWA) is the community outreach arm of the Center for International Education at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. IWA offers high quality global education programming for K-16 students and teachers to build relationships that foster global awareness and empower young people as changemakers. IWA promotes values of global citizenship education through learner-centered activities, involving students as active participants in projects that address local to global issues with the goal of raising their global consciousness and acquiring competencies that will enable their engagement in today’s changing and developing world. 

The Institute of World Affairs invites educators to participate in an engaging and enlightening Conversation Series that recognizes the remarkable efforts of young individuals who are actively shaping the world. This series will introduce inspiring change makers from diverse sectors who will share their experiences, ideas, and accomplishments. All attendees will have the chance to engage in meaningful discussions, ask questions, and exchange ideas with the speakers. Following the sessions, participating educators will receive video excerpts from the conversations for classroom use to guide discussions on youth civic engagement. 

Join the Institute of World Affairs from July 25th to August 3rd for this special series. You will be inspired by the stories of these changemakers who are at the forefront of innovation and social change. This series is geared towards educators but free and open to the public!   All programs will take place at 9 am U.S. Central Time (10 am Eastern Time).  

Register HERE! 

Meet the Speakers  

Doris Mwikali, Kenya 

Amplifying Youth Voices in Education Transformation 

25 July 2023, 10 am ET  

Doris Mwikali is a global youth advocate passionate about the transformational power of education. She is the current National Youth Climate Action Programs Lead at the Kenya Red Cross Society. As the focal person on climate action, Mwikali works to build an ecosystem that aims to support the society’s 200k volunteers and young people to adapt and thrive in the face of the climate crisis through climate education. Her work at the society builds on her advocacy as a member of UNESCO’s SDG4 Youth network. As a member of this network, Doris advocates for climate education as a foundational element in addressing the climate crisis. Her work at UNCTAD Youth Action Hub has earned her a position as a youth leader at the Center for International Private Enterprise, an affiliate of the US chamber of commerce. At CIPE, Doris works with stakeholders such as the Tukana Chamber of Commerce to advocate for the financial inclusion of over half a million refugees in Kenya. 

Amanda Bennett, Costa Rica/USA 

Empowering Youth as Ambassadors of Earth Citizenship 

27 July 2023, 10am ET  

Amanda is the Youth Programme Coordinator and Project Officer at the Earth Charter International Secretariat and the Center for Education for Sustainable Development at University for Peace. She was born in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and grew up in South Carolina, United States. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Experimental Psychology at the University of South Carolina, and a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Maryland. After graduating, she moved back to Costa Rica and taught English in San José and briefly in Cusco, Peru. Amanda is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Environment, Development and Peace at the University for Peace. 

Stanley Anigbogu, Nigeria 

Igniting the Spark: Entrepreneurship and Youth Innovation  

1 August 2023, 10 am ET  

Stanley is the C.E.O. and Founder of LightEd, a company that recycles electrical and electronic waste to provide energy solutions to rural families. He is deeply committed to using technology to help mitigate climate change and create a world where everyone has equal access to clean, affordable energy. Stanley Anigbogu is an award-winning, internationally recognized innovator and filmmaker. He received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in 2022, Winner World Bank Group Pitch Competition in 2022, J & J Champions of Science 2020, a Diana Award Recipient, a Falling Walls Engaged Winner in 2021, The Opportunity Desk Impact Challenge Winner in 2021, a Google Creative Campus Fellow for 2020, a Fishbowl Grand Prize Winner, and a Top 50 Finalist for the Global Students Prize and Y.G.C. Recoupling Awards 2022. 

Diana Cristancho, Colombia/France 

Championing Human Rights for Migrants and Refugees 

2 August, 2023, 10 am ET  

A young professional from Colombia currently working in human rights, gender equality politics and international migrations and refugees. Diana holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law in Colombia and a Master in Human Rights from the University of Paris in France. She is the founder and Director of FARO for Migrants and Refugees, an educational platform about international migrations, gender equality for socioeconomic inclusion for youth in France. In June 2021, FARO won the UN Women France Grand Public award for the project “Migrant Women in Business” about inclusion through entrepreneurship and financial autonomy to reduce inequalities and unemployment. In the past 5 years, Diana has held multiple leadership roles in international conferences about sustainable development, including UN Women events such as Generation Equality Forum in Paris and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences – CLACSO in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Recently, she was selected as a member of the UNESCO SDG4 Youth Network, for youth and students to take action on SDG 4 with the support of the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. 

Froilan Enverga, Philippines 

A Whole School Approach to Youth Changemaking 

3 August, 2023, 10 am ET   

Ilan Enverga is a K-12 educator & SDG advocate from the International School for Better Beginnings in Lucena City, Philippines. Through his leadership with teacher training, curriculum realignment and student empowerment initiatives, he pioneered an impactful education for sustainable development (ESD) program that infuses real-world global citizenship experiences into project-based learning across preschool, elementary & high school academics. 

Victoria Ibiwoye, Nigeria 

Moderator  

Victoria Ibiwoye is the founder of OneAfricanChild, an organization empowering children and youth in lower-income communities in Nigeria through global citizenship and peace education programs. Victoria has contributed to several high-level education policy dialogues, working with institutions such as UNESCO, the Global Partnership for Education and the World Bank Group. She is passionate about meaningful youth engagement, and as the first youth representative to the SDG4 High-level Steering Committee (HLSC) she coordinated the launch the SDG4Youth network, aimed at engaging young education activists in shaping global education policies and taking action to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Victoria’s expertise also extends to supporting the Joint “Youth Force” Programme on Financing a Green, Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery efforts, in partnership with the Office of the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY) United Nations System Staff College, the World Bank Climate Investment Funds, and other key partners.