Above All - Health

Doing what is good for our body is fundamental to our survival. It is the same in the global context. Global peace requires us to achieve equity in health for all people worldwide.  How are we doing with this sustainable development goal?  What are the responsibilities of individuals vs. their government? 

This Saturday, January 20th, teens from across the world are meeting in our online forum to start their inquiry on Access to Healthcare in the global context. Nine teams of students with mixed nationalities will uncover the challenges and opportunities of healthcare systems in their own countries, their forum mates' countries, and ultimately, the countries they jointly represent as equal global citizens. Through this process, the students will see that they are not alone in their struggles and that mutual support is the only way to succeed.

Each team must conquer their differences in perspectives, values and commitment levels to create a team proposal to improve access to healthcare for all. Mentoring the participants are five brilliant college students who are global changemakers themselves:

Forum Director: Kasia Buszka (Poland)

Kasia is studying double bachelor's at an international university. Since she remembers she has been involved in solving problems within her communities and making a positive social impact. Her professional life is based on three pillars: charity and social impact projects, business/ startups, and policy making. With experiences in organizations such as Europan Youth Parliament, EYP or Erasmus+ but also creating projects and startups of her own she is aiming to share and gain more and more knowledge. She is constantly evolving in all three fields as she believes that continuous development is what makes her happy and fulfilled.

Forum Scorer: Miyu Sakurai (Japan)

Miyu is a student at New York University studying Applied Psychology.  In high school, she participated in Model United Nations conferences in New York, Berlin, and Boston. She has also participated in World Scholar’s Cup tournaments in Hanoi and at Yale University.  Currently, she is passionate about mental health in children and adolescents and spends her time teaching young children English and Japanese.  Miyu has served as a Team Coach for several Buddies Without Borders Online Forums. 

Forum Coach: Mahi Singh (India)

Mahi Singh is a politics honours student at University of Glasgow. She has joined 2 BWB forums, including being awarded ‘Best Pioneer’ and ‘Top 5 Best Representatives’ in September 2021 (Human Migration). She was also the president of the Buddies Without Borders Club in Casablanca, Morocco. Her primary interests include human rights, economics, the European Union, global security, and gender equality and representation.

Forum Coach: Chiedzamatipa Banga (Zimbabwe)

Chiedza hails from Zimbabwe, but has spent most of her life traveling around the world. She is currently studying Political Science and International Relations at Sciences Po in France. She joined the Be the Change forum a year ago, winning best video presentation in August 2022 (Be The Change). Throughout high school she was involved in MUN, Global Advocacy and English tutoring, and was also an international student ambassador for her school. She continues her involvement with student life in university through her leadership positions in the African Students Association and the Fashion Club, whilst also representing Sciences Po as an ambassador for City of Reims.

Forum Coach: Yohana Fontenla (Spain)

Yohana is a dual bachelor's student in Economics & Politics at the London School of Economics and Business Leadership at Forward College. Having lived in Spain, Portugal, France, and Germany, she embraces a holistic international perspective. She is passionate about education, social justice, leadership, strategy, and sustainability. She is an EU Climate Pact Ambassador, she has collaborated with the European Commission and UNICEF in several events related to climate change. She has also worked and led several projects and start-ups. Yohana is committed to working towards positive global changes and helping others. 

You are invited to follow this global journey by visiting our blog in the weeks to come. Wars, perspectives and disinformation may try to tear us apart, but it is within our power to learn how to navigate our differences peacefully.