Thursday, 04 March 2010 09:25 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) - A young Karen woman has been included in the list of this year’s recipients of the Young Global Leader award.
Zoya Phan, daughter of Padoh Mahn Sha, the assassinated former General Secretary of the Karen National Union, is the sole Burmese recipient of the honorific as recognized by the World Economic Forum.
In announcing the winners, the World Economic Forum issued a statement reading in part, “The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, multi-stakeholder community of exceptional young leaders who share a commitment to shaping the global future.”
Responding to the news, Zoya Phan said, “It is a great encouragement to see such a respected body give recognition of the struggle for freedom and justice in Burma. I am delighted and honored to have been chosen, and hope that it will enable me to do more to raise the profile of the situation in Burma.”
The annual award recognizes from 200 to 300 individuals under the age of 40 for “their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.”
This year’s winners are to gather in the first week of May in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The World Economic Forum envisions the congregation as a social networking opportunity for young individuals in positions to lead.
Americans dominate the 2010 list of recipients, with 32 winners, easily outdistancing second-place China’s 13 recognized individuals. A majority of those honored bring with them strong corporate resumes.
Annual World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Switzerland have drawn strong protests from anti-globalization groups claiming the international body is purely a gathering of the well-off for the well-off.
Zoya Phan was born in the former Karen National Union stronghold of Manerplaw in 1980 and currently serves as International Coordinator at Burma Campaign UK.
Friday, March 5, 2010
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