International Youth Conference Aimed at Cultivating Future World Leaders kicks off

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Foróige-Notinuse August 12, 2013

• Leadership conference will be attended by 300 teenagers from around the world.
• Teens from almost every county in Ireland will take part at week-long conference in NUI Maynooth, Co Kildare.
• Young delegates have arrived from the USA, Palestine, South Korea, Northern Ireland, India, Nigeria and Kenya.
• Inspirational speakers include Olympic boxing silver medallist Kenneth Egan and the Irish head of internet giant PayPal Louise Phelan, among others. (You are invited to send a representative, details at bottom of press release.)
• Conference comes after new study shows that teenagers who actively engage in leadership training manifest key skills including self-control, confidence and assertiveness.
• Study also shows need for increased female representation in leadership roles. Conference delegate breakdown shows positive trend, with 65% of those attending being young women.
• Hollywood star Matt McCoy is serving as Ambassador for the Conference.
The 5th annual Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life International Youth Conference was launched earlier today (July 29th) by young delegates from Ireland, Northern Ireland, the USA, Palestine, India, South Korea, Nigeria and Kenya along with Hollywood star Matt McCoy, Ambassador to the conference.

Some of the 300 young delegates from around the world gathered at Dublin's Seán O'Casey Bridge, which spans the River Liffey, carrying their country's flags as well as large world globes.

Matt McCoy has most recently featured in some of the USA’s biggest shows The Mentalist and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, though he is probably best known for starring in two 'Police Academy' films, 'L.A. Confidential' and 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle'. Speaking at the launch, Matt said:
“It’s fantastic to be back to back in Ireland to launch this international leadership conference – it inspires me each and every year. The conference gives teenagers from around the world the opportunity to gain skills to become true leaders of their own lives, of their communities, of businesses, of causes and of countries.

“These young people have the drive and passion to make the world around them a better place. It really is inspirational and I’m delighted to be in the front row witnessing the first steps in the journey of our next generation of world leaders.”

The ASLFL international leadership programme is operated by Foróige in partnership with the Irish Chamber of Commerce, United States of America (ICCUSA).

Foróige Chief Executive Seán Campbell said: “Foróige is delighted to offer this innovative leadership programme for the fifth year running to young people from all over the world.
“Now more than ever, we need to help young people cultivate the skills and qualities they need to become great leaders.

“Young people who take part in the conference look at themselves differently, they see that they have the power to stand up and be counted as citizens of the world. Not only that, they see that they have the capability and the talents to make the world around them a better one, not just for themselves but for generations to come. It’s a hugely positive experience and one that Foróige is extremely proud of.”
As part of the week-long conference, the delegation of global citizens will meet inspirational guest speakers from Ireland and abroad including Olympic boxing silver medallist Kenneth Egan who will speak about his Olympic dreams and bouncing back from his hardest moments and Paypal’s Vice President of Global Operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Louise Phelan, who will speak about the need for female leadership in the workplace.
The 300 international delegates, aged 15 to 18, will graduate from the Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership Programme on Friday morning (2nd August) having completed a 12 month, three-module programme designed to inspire them to become great leaders.

The conference comes after the recent publication of an independent study into the Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Programme which found that teenagers who actively engage in leadership training manifest key skills including social skills, self-control, confidence, assertiveness and a sense of achievement.

The study, conducted by Dr. Sue Redmond at NUI Galway and overseen by Professor Mark Brennan from Penn State University, USA, was conducted over an 18 month period amongst 400 young people who participated in the Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Progamme.
The study also found that an increase in female representation in leadership roles throughout society, including business, politics and public service, is needed.

ENDS