Rotaract Club of Grand Cayman President Victor Crumbly who attended the Atlantic Youth Forum in England last year

Two new potential young leaders from the Cayman Islands will attend the Atlantic Youth Forum in England thanks to Rotary sponsorship.

Taking place at Wilton Park from Monday, 3 August until Friday, 7 August, the forum is open to young people between the ages of 18 and 24.

The programme will cover a range of political, security, cultural, economic and social issues of central interest to the US, Canada and European countries.

Two local Rotary Clubs- Rotary Sunrise and Rotary Grand Cayman – will jointly sponsor two of Cayman’s youth to attend and are now seeking applicants.

Last year, Victor Crumbly, President of Rotaract of Grand Cayman, attended the Atlantic Youth Forum.

Mr Crumbly said, “I was excited about the opportunity to say the least. I carried out only a minimum amount of research on the conference; I felt that this would help in terms of being open to new experiences and ideas. I attended a few conferences before but nothing like Wilton Park. The organisation and level of professionalism on display at Wilton Park is like none other, it’s immaculate.”

He continued, “The conference is filled with dynamic speakers from across the globe, complete tours of London, and excellent networking opportunities. An important note of the conference is that participants are only allowed to attend once in order to maximise its reach.”

Mr Crumbly encouraged other young people to apply.

He said, “It’s an excellent opportunity for young people to gather with other young individuals from all over the world, to discuss and develop strategies to issues that affect not only them but the entire world. Without a doubt, Wilton Park is the experience to help get you out of the box and onto the global scale. “

Rotary sponsorship will cover travel, accommodation and conference costs and those interested are invited to submit their applications to Michael Levitt at mlevitt@solomonharris.com or Stephanie Foster at stephanie.foster@fosters-iga.com

Participants in the seventh Atlantic Youth Forum, established in 2003, will gain insights into each other’s concerns and perceptions on key challenges facing their countries and the international community, and make lasting contacts, said a press release from Rotary Sunrise.

The forum will cover the key political, security and economic issues confronting the world. Global concerns such as the environment and terrorism are also addressed, as well as issues such as social reforms and the impact of the information revolution.

Conferences are kept deliberately small, with 50 to 70 people present for round-the-table discussions in which everyone is encouraged to join in.

Participants come from a wide range of nationalities and professions. Most are in a position to make a direct impact on policy; on average over half are from government. The others are mostly from NGOs, business, universities, Parliaments and the media. About 75 percent come from outside the UK.
Reports covering the main themes and agreed action points are produced on each event and are widely circulated.

The forum’s location - Wilton Park in the U.K. at Wiston House, is a modernised sixteenth century English country house in beautiful surroundings in the middle of the English countryside. It was built in 1573 during the reign of Elizabeth 1.