RIYADH, 11 June 2003 — The terrorist attacks in Riyadh will be one of the topics of discussion at the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in Washington, D.C. and New York City from June 29 to July 10.
“I’ll be speaking on this subject, since I was one of those who felt the heat of the moment,” Anirudh Seth, 18, a fresh graduate of the American International School in Riyadh, told Arab News.
Seth is one of 350 outstanding scholars from around the world who have been selected to participate in the conference.
The theme of the GYLC is “The leaders of tomorrow preparing for the global challenges and responsibilities of the future.” Seth will meet key leaders and newsmakers who have made their mark in politics, finance, culture and diplomacy.
Only bright students with a proven track record in curricular and extracurricular activities are selected for the program.
Seth holds an International Baccalaureate diploma as well as a US high school diploma. He also won the Kofi Annan International Scholar Award in March this year. On the extracurricular front, he is an avid swimmer, picking up two silver and two bronze medals in the AAU Junior Olympic games in 1999. He also spoke at the Model United Nations (MUN) club in New York in 1999.
Seth said the suicide bombings in Riyadh already came up for discussion at the American International School, which is situated close to the site of the May 12 attacks. “Our school, which was partially damaged during the attacks, has since been closed temporarily till September. I know how it feels to be in the midst of a tense environment.”
The Global Young Leaders’ Conference, he said, enables students to cross cultural barriers and collaborate in a team effort to tackle many of the conflicts facing the world today. “We firmly believe that for a student who may have a history of conflict with a student of a different culture, the barriers can be lowered by recognizing differences and building on similarities.”
The conference will wind up with the Global Summit, in which students apply what they have learned throughout the conference.
