Denis Opudo
Millicent Barty is a 27-year-old woman from the Solomon Islands, and she is expected to be awarded the Queen’s Young Leaders Award for her effort in educating as well as empowering the young and the underprivileged people by traditionally storytelling back in her country. This ceremony will happen at the Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday 26 June. This award is meant to acknowledge the excellent work done by young people to impact lives of people in their societies and beyond across different Commonwealth nations. Additionally, the award is meant to bring positive change to the people and their communities.
For Millicent, she will visit 10 Downing Street and participate in masterclasses at the BBC World Service as well as the UK Headquarters of Facebook. As the award winner, she is expected to meet with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth after which she will receive the award from Her Majesty the Queen. Additionally, she will attend other workshops at the University of Cambridge as well as visit projects that are influential to lives of susceptible people across the UK.
Her selection was followed by a stiff competitive process, which encompassed thousands of participants across the Commonwealth nations. She is part of a network of about 240 other influential young leaders across the 53 commonwealth nations whose motive is pushed for a change that can make the world a better place. For instance, in 2018, most of the Queen’s Young Leaders seek to find a panacea to some difficult global issues like food security, gender-based violence, climate change, access to education, as well as mental health.
The winners of the Queen’s Young Leaders Award are put through a one-year long leadership course, which is conducted by the University of Cambridge, and they get mentoring. Additionally, these young leaders go to the UK for meeting and training and program of high-profile networking opportunities which is meant to assist them to grow as leaders and work with more influence. The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in collaboration with The Royal Commonwealth Society, Comic Relief, and the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education established this program in 2014, in acknowledgment of The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.
