Can Two Young Australians Shift the World?
Melburnians, Laurent S Labourmene (31) and Danilo Afonso-Henriques (33) have been named “Architects of the Future” by an international jury of the Austrian based Waldzell Meeting September 8-10th 2006 (www.waldzell.org). As “Architects of the Future,” they will be presenting global change projects to an audience of 150 heads of state, business icons, Nobel Prize winners and other visionaries including author of “The Alchemist” Paulo Coelho, co-discoverer of the HIV virus, Robert Gallo, artists Christo and Jean Claude and adviser to US Presidents, Warren Bennis.
Melbourne, Australia (PRWEB) September 4, 2006 -- Melburnians, Laurent S Labourmene (31) and Danilo Afonso-Henriques (33) have been named “Architects of the Future” by an international jury of the Austrian based Waldzell Meeting September 8-10th 2006 (www.waldzell.org). As “Architects of the Future,” they will be presenting global change projects to an audience of 150 heads of state, business icons, Nobel Prize winners and other visionaries including author of “The Alchemist” Paulo Coelho, co-discoverer of the HIV virus, Robert Gallo, artists Christo and Jean Claude and adviser to US Presidents, Warren Bennis.
Laurent Labourmene will present the work of the SHIFT Foundation, a Melbourne-based international foundation he helped establish with co-founder and CEO, Victoria Wilding. SHIFT is an initiative he has been working collaboratively on with Victoria since his return from New York City in 2001 where he had initiated projects for young leaders within the United Nations system. “The long-term goal of the SHIFT Foundation is to help strengthen the global leadership development system and culture -- so that legions of future leaders will be better equipped than ever to confront challenges facing the planet,” says Laurent. “Initially, we are launching a leadership development program based on leading-edge methodologies, practices and research that will immediately serve young leaders aged 18-35. Our vision is for it this program to become a model that is replicated worldwide."
Danilo Alfonso-Henriques, who is currently being mentored by the SHIFT Foundation, will present an initiative he has been developing since he was last in East Timor as part of the United Nations Transitional Administration. He then worked for the late Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Sergio Vieira de Mello. “Vision East Timor will envision and contribute to the re-building of East Timor following a 25-year struggle for independence in which over 200,000 people were killed,” says Danilo. “The more recent conflicts of both 1999 and 2006 have left hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Over 30 years of conflict have traumatised the population and shredded the social fabric of East Timor. The country will only be able to envision a 'new future’ and a ‘new story’ when leaders from different organisations, sectors and factions can cultivate their capacity to work together and ask themselves 'What will East Timor look like in the year 2050?". Vision East Timor will bring together a cross-section of leaders from the East Timorese society. The project will model successful multi-stakeholder dialogue and action processes applied in the Mont Fleur scenarios of South Africa and Vision Guatemala.”
Co-convened by Ms Gundula Schatz (Deputy Mayor of Vienna), Dr Andreas Salcher and distinguished thinkers and visionaries, the Waldzell Meeting is an invitation-only annual event attended by 150 heads of state, global business leaders and other international decision makers who together explore some of the deeper issues facing the future of the planet. The Waldzell Meeting will be taking place at Melk Abbey, Lower Austria September 8-10th 2006. This year’s theme is “The Challenge of Change -- Can the Individual Change the World?”
In order to provide as many future decision makers of the world as possible with the opportunity of participating in the Waldzell Meeting, a new key element was created in 2005: The “Architects of the Future.” Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho, is the patron of the “Architects of the Future” program. Fifteen young individuals, who have already made remarkable contributions to a better world with specific transformation projects, will have the opportunity to present these projects and their own views on the topic of change. Designed to strengthen the dialogue between current and emerging decision makers the “Architects of the Future” learn from the best in the world, enabling to further develop and implement their projects.
For interviews with Laurent or Danilo (they are departing for Austria Tuesday), please contact:
Victoria Wilding, CEO
SHIFT Foundation
Level 4, The Block Arcade
282 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Phone: +61 3 9671 4065
Fax: +61 3 9654 1481
Mobile: +61 407 877 445
www.shiftfoundation.org
About the SHIFT Foundation
The SHIFT Foundation is an independent international foundation committed to supporting the growth and development of young global leaders: the world’s highest performing young talent aged 18-35. Incorporated as a Foundation in 2002, and based in Melbourne, Australia, the SHIFT Foundation is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests.
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