Civil Society Youth Representatives Steering Committee

cairoeubanks.png

Co-Chair: Cairo Eubanks, New Future Foundation International (USA)

Cairo Eubanks is the New Future Foundation International Civil Society Youth Representative to the United Nations and the Co-Chair of the United Nations Department of Global Communications Civil Society Youth Representatives Steering Committee. She is a Keynote Speaker and Presenter for international workshops, panels, and conferences, most notably the Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo’s Doing Business with the World! Africa panel, sponsored by Global Oved Dei Seminary and University. Cairo is the Founder and Curriculum Designer of Bringing the Globe, an international virtual student exchange platform for cultural exchange and leadership development. Her mission is to create global citizens by creating accessible programming and platforms that provide empowerment, access, and opportunity. An award-winning pageant queen, Cairo currently reigns as Miss Black Florida, and she utilizes her various local and international platforms to build bridges between civil society and intergovernmental organizations. She recently received the 2022 Young Pacesetter for Africa Development award on Africa Day at the United Nations.

sulaimanabukabarumar.png

Sulaiman Abubakar Umar is a Nigerian Youth advocate, climate activist, student leader, humanitarian, and a founder of concerned youth initiative for climate action; he is also a member of CIVICUS, World Alliance for Citizen Participation, UNICEFGenU9ja Young People's Action Team, YOUNGO, UN1FY, and GYBN.

Sulaiman has over three years of experience in advocacy, policy research, and analysis of socio-environmental issues and water/climate change. His professional background is centered on promoting inclusive, sustainable development and a rights-based approach to quality education and climate action. He's a strong advocate for good governance of student movements. He is driven by an innate desire to see changes in educational policies in Nigeria, Africa, and globally. His legislative and advocacy interests include youth development, quality education, climate adaptation, improved healthcare systems, constitutional law, poverty eradication, and inclusive societies. 

His advocacy and research experiences focus on climate resilience and adaptation, water quality and pollution, ocean acidification, and freshwater consumption. He is also versed in student movements, local governance, and public policy issues. 

naphtaliakudung.png

Naphtali Akudung, Captain Planet Foundation (Nigeria) 

Naphtali Akudung is a social entrepreneur and a climate activist who works at the intersection of climate change and its impact on businesses and social development. He is a physicist by training and the founder of Climrenew. This social enterprise creates climate change awareness and provides consultancy services on renewable energy, plastic waste, and sustainable agriculture. Naphtali believes that sharing his knowledge on sustainability will help business owners build more sustainable products.  

Naphtali also serves as a Planeteer Ambassador for the Captain Planet Foundation, where he guides other young individuals in building sustainable impact models to develop and implement environmentally-led projects effectively. 

As an Innovator in Residence at Crowdsolve, Naphtali works with the product/innovation team in developing a curriculum to assist fellow climate tech entrepreneurs to establish and expand their businesses in an environmentally responsible manner. 

Naphtali has received grants from various organizations, including the Captain Planet Foundation, the Sathi Fund, and 1000 getas, for his work in the climate space. He is an alumnus of the Watson Institute, FATE Foundation, NSP Fellowship, YALI Fellowship, and Sathi Fellowship. 

nipunaambampola.png

Nipuna Ambanpola is a tech-for-good entrepreneur, speaker, and social impact activist. Nipuna serves as the Research & Public Service Manager at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia where he manages data strategy, research, and impact reporting. Nipuna is also the Founder & Executive Director of IVolunteer International Inc., a 501(c)3 tech nonprofit in the United States with the mission of leveraging technology to mobilize volunteers around the globe.

Nipuna leads numerous globally distributed teams to consult with nonprofits, governments, and agencies to leverage technology to empower young people to become active citizens in their communities. Nipuna has industry experience in data strategy consulting, technology-for-good, and social impact. Nipuna is a Paul Harris Fellow, Will Watt Fellow, a Rotary Youth-All Star, a TEDx Speaker, and a Civil Society Youth Representative serving in the Youth Steering Committee at the United Nations Department for Global Communications. He volunteers his time as a member of the University Young Alumni Board and the Parker College of Business Young Alumni Board at Georgia Southern University, Assistant Governor for Rotaract for Rotary District 6910, and a board member at Books for Keeps, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting literacy.

Nipuna is passionate about accelerating impact with data and technology and works with young leaders for capacity building.

Nipuna has spoken about the importance of data-for-good, youth advocacy, and the power of volunteerism at TEDx Savannah, University Scholars Leadership Symposium in Malaysia, Rotary-UN Day at the United Nations Headquarters, Global Goals Summit, and has moderated high-level panels with partners around the world. Nipuna earned his undergraduate degree in Economics at Georgia Southern University and Masters in Public Administration and a Master's in Business Analytics at the University of Georgia.

mojgankhanjani.png

Mojgan joined the Baha'i International Community United Nations Office (BIC) in New York in June 2021. As a youth delegate to the United Nations, she has explored the unique ways youth can engage and contribute to the UN System. In addition to the discourse on youth, Mojgan has also been working in several other areas, including the advancement of women, racial inequality, and the role of religion in society, by finding points of intersectionality and opening avenues for collaboration. Mojgan has been involved in creating spaces for youth to expand their advocacy work and collaborate with Member States, UN entities, and civil society organizations by co-organizing regular multi-stakeholder meetings at the offices of the BIC. She is committed to creating more inclusive systems characterized by an attitude of cooperation and an appreciation for every individual's vital role in improving society. 

Mojgan's advocacy and volunteer work outside the BIC includes her involvement with the Junior Youth Empowerment Program. As a group facilitator, her role has been to help strengthen the intellectual and moral capacity of 12 to 15-year-olds in her neighborhood so they may recognize their potential as active agents of change in their communities.  

Her only goal is to leave the world more beautiful and beneficial than when she inherited it.

shurabemercado.png

Shurabe Mercado is a third-year Mexican biotechnology engineering student at Tecnológico de Monterrey, a passionate, certified, and trained social and climate activist on various issues related to STEM education and innovation, the SDGs and others, specifically ecofeminism, education, mental health, cultural diversity, leadership, and youth.

Despite her young age, for the past six years, she has been actively participating in student groups, being a speaker and a fundamental part of steering committees of different projects and organizations, helping in the planning and organization of social and environmental events for youth, the local and global community. She is the founder and CEO of the digital educational, social project "SEHALUZ", a life skills program for students in vulnerable situations. Past director of the area of citizen responsibility of the Student Federation at her university, coordinating social and environmental actions for the participation and awareness of students at the local level, and current president of the Student Society of the School of Engineering and Sciences.

She is the current director of the STEAM program for the camp organized by the UNESCO Center for Peace. She has been co-chair and now Executive Director of international organizations such as the International Youth Conference and the High-Level Youth Summit. She believes that we must work together towards a greener, better, safer world, achieving it by including every sector of society and empowering youth to be drivers of positive change on local, national, and global levels through empathy, awareness, and impactful actions. 

emilyvanvleck.png

Emily VanVleck serves as a representative for the National Federation of Business and Profession Women's Clubs (NFBPWC), where she sits on the Executive Committee as the youth chair. She also serves as VP of Programs for her local NYC chapter. An advocate for women's rights and social justice, Emily has worked on several projects to advance the position of disenfranchised people. She co-founded NFBPWC's Afghan Women Project to help Afghan families arriving in the US after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, providing career guidance and tools for social integration. Emily also founded NFBPWC's period poverty initiative, which tackles period poverty in the US through education and advocacy campaigns. She serves on the NGO Committee on Migration on the subcommittee for Xenophobia, Racism, and Social Inclusion.  

Emily holds a B.A. from City College of New York, majoring in International Studies with a double minor in Public Policy and Human Rights. Professionally, she works as a flight attendant and serves as a Base Council Representative for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. She lives in New York City and loves to travel. 

RuthBrinkley

Ruth, also known as Hip Hop artist Infinite Wiz, was the Youth Representative for New Future Foundation, INC, an NGO founded by Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely, Community Mayor of Harlem. She is an active community activist and has been a part of the Hip Hop industry since an early age, as her father was signed to Sugar Hill Records in the 70s. Her message is both positive and inspirational, geared toward the youth of today.

eleftheriosdafermos.png

Lefteris is a US Associate at the capital markets practice group of Milbank LLP, currently based in London. He pursued an undergraduate degree in law at the University of Athens and a master's in law at Harvard Law School. He also holds a minor in finance from the American College of Greece. 

Before joining Milbank LLP, he worked at Egon Zehnder, an Athens-based management consulting firm, for two years. Also, he spent one year in Ridgefield, CT, as an in-house attorney at "The Chefs' Warehouse". He has been a committee member since October 2021 as a volunteer to the Greek NGO "The Smile of Child," which he has served for the last ten years. 

alimustafa.png

Ali is a youth development professional with over 13 years of experience as a human rights advocate and a youth mobilizing force. He has worked with numerous multilateral organizations in various capacities and has developed programs on youth and gender. Ali founded (the full name) GNVOY in 2009, a youth-led and youth-focused movement.  

From 2011 to 2012, he worked for UNFPA, engaging with university students to present youth mobilization programs to various targeted communities. He enrolled 2,500 youth in the program with their constant feedback. He led 'I Own Karachi' in Pakistan, a movement encouraging youth volunteerism. 

With the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, Ali's role has been to develop partnerships for youth inclusion in UN programs while simultaneously working as Co-chair for the Youth Sub-committee of the 68th UN Civil Society Conference. He is the Youth Representative to the UN Department of Global Communications and Director of Generation Next, a movement aiming to create momentum on the Youth Climate Compact adopted at the 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference. 

Ali holds a master’s degree in international relations and is a PhD candidate in Political Science. 

aishwaryanarasimhadevara.png

Aishwarya Narasimhadevara is the youth representative of the World Yoga Community, an NGO dedicated to raising awareness of yoga through inter-faith discussions. She is an individual wishing to make a difference in society like others. She is also involved in youth advocacy-related projects. She is interested in the importance of Education in International Development. She has been involved with various non-government organizations in education, the environment, and culture. She has a master’s in international development from the University of Kent-Brussels School of International Studies in Brussels, Belgium. She is also reading for a Ph.D. in International Development at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. Traveling is a passion of hers, and she enjoys seeing new places. She also enjoys learning, taking photos, and practicing karate.

roslenyubinas.png

Rosleny joined the United Nations Office of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States in August 2017. One of her roles is to explore ways youth can contribute to the betterment of society by working with non-governmental organizations and other youth advocates on issues such as racial inequality, the advancement of women, and the role of religion in society. Her previous work experience includes adolescent counseling and development for academic and non-profit organizations. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Africana Studies from Franklin & Marshall College. 

Rosleny was part of the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women Conference Planning Committee by serving on the Artisan Fair sub-committee and Reception sub-committee. Rosleny was the Youth Co-chair of the Conference Planning Social Media Sub-committee to the 67th UN DPI/NGO Conference in New York, NY.  ​​​​​​