Global Shapers, an Initiative of the World Economic Forum, Culminates Study of Nine Critical U.S. Issues Impacted by COVID-19; Findings Now Publicly Available

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Global Shapers Community, a Davos Lab initiative formed in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, today publicly released a series of nine key recommendations that impact the future in these key areas: conscious consumerism, digital access, digital literacy, politics, mental health, net-zero carbon emissions, next-generation ESG, public health, and public safety. The United States Global Shapers COVID-19 Report, first shared with the World Economic Forum in late September, is now available to the general public.

Comprising more than 13,000 members under the age of 34 across 448 cities in 150 countries, Global Shapers have been tasked with driving dialogue, action and change with regard to the local, regional and global challenges of today's world.

"As responsible young leaders for America's future the [Global Shapers] are dedicated to catalyzing action through 448 Global Shaper Hubs, collaborating locally, regionally and nationally," said David Capelli, Palo Alto Global Shaper Hub Leader. "The five guiding values for composing the report included responsiveness, orientation towards action, inclusion, ethical action, and governance, with an emphasis on the core pillars the Davos Dialogue addressed."

In spring 2021, young leaders from the community's US-based hubs began connecting digitally to organize this year's series of Davos Lab Dialogue discussions, bringing together community partners, local and national leaders, and other key stakeholders. The goal: to outline a new vision for youth participation and collective action for the current decade and beyond.

US Global Shapers contributing to this report include Ekin Su Akdemir, Dr. Raghu Appasani, Julie Cannon, David Capelli, Sangeeta Gadepalli, Bailey Herbstreit, Osay Imarhiagbe, Batul Joffrey, Daniel Kang, Aadithya Prakash, Ashleyn Przedwiecki, Pascal Rathle, Chirag Sagar, Lin Shi, Alexis Taylor, and Ryan D Taylor. Together, the group shared key findings from a six-month long conversation series, which they shared with the World Economic Forum in late September.

The team's official recommendations in each of the nine topic areas include:

Conscious Consumerism Recommendations (spearheaded by Minneapolis & Los Angeles Hubs):

• Utilize taxation and fiscal policy to encourage sustainable practices within companies.
• Require brands to take responsibility for products' end of life.
• Invest in better high-quality design, starting at the production level. Shift efforts to more sustainable practices to avoid overproduction.
• Make sustainable, ethically-made products more accessible to consumers (including rural areas).
• Petition state and local governments to act now on the growing problem of waste.

Digital Access Recommendations (spearheaded by Atlanta Hub)

• Encourage local and state governments to pass legislation to expand broadband access.
• Challenge telecom service providers to expand broadband access to underserved regions.
• Include members of communities affected by limited digital access on advisory committees.
• Expand outreach efforts to non-profits working with individuals with limited internet connectivity to investigate specific community needs.
• Partner with youth engagement programs to provide connectivity assistance and access to digital tools and hardware.

Digital Literacy Recommendations (spearheaded by Houston Hub)

• Increase programs that bolster connectivity in school to make sure students have access to Wi-Fi and resources.
• Rethink how we educate students. A very rigid structure does not fit this century.
• Target parents' digital literacy skills. Local officials could partner with influencers to increase access to digital literacy.
• Better press coverage is needed to share these resources, such as digital resources provided via libraries.

Future of Politics Recommendations (spearheaded by Palo Alto Hub)

• Appoint a Presidential Advisor on Youth and Millennial Affairs.
• Create a more robust pipeline program with the Department of State.
• Increase Fulbright funding.
• Grow and expand the number of public administration programs.
• Congress to increase the number of paid international relations policy fellowships on Capitol Hill.

Mental Health Recommendations (spearheaded by Los Angeles Hub)

• Acknowledge and invest in workplace mental health & well-being initiatives.
• Train peer champions and corporate executives in mental health 101.
• Create a global mental health rating scale to grade corporations on their investment in employees' mental health.
• Integrate mental health education into our public school systems, supported by the government.
• Develop community spaces for gatherings to facilitate mental health discussions.

Net Zero Recommendations (spearheaded by Boston Hub)

• Develop coordinated efforts to legislate climate change policy aligned with science-based targets.
• Define clear pathways for the integration of climate justice, energy justice and environmental justice into policy and business.
• Deploy capital rapidly across all asset classes to drive the development of cutting edge solutions and to scale existing solutions.
• Drive creation and adoption of practices aligned with the core principles of the circular economy.

Next Generation ESG Recommendations (spearheaded by Jacksonville Hub)

• Design capacity-building policies where multigenerational conversations impact organizations' long-term decision-making.
• Encourage youth to run for office and make a sustainable impact.
• Open private/independent sector facilities to the public for community conversations.
• Enterprises should be involved in community affairs where their HQs and offices are.
• Enable the next generation to take risks on their current ethical practices.
• Governments should limit one-size-fits-all policies.

Public Health Recommendations (spearheaded by Palo Alto and Austin Hubs)

• Provide incentives to influence behavior and lifestyle choices.
• Ensure the public has access to healthcare, education, food, and housing at all times.
• Frontline workers need better training to adapt to rapidly changing care delivery models, covering all levels of clinical care. -- Provide access to mental health services to frontline workers to support them through these challenging times.
• Encourage organizations to create emergency or pandemic preparedness plans.

Public Safety Recommendations (spearheaded by Chicago Hubs)

• Officers should receive training on how to interact with individuals experiencing mental health crises.
• Establish programs to assist officers who have responded to high-stress calls.
• Recruit talented personnel who reflect the community's diversity.
• Engage in a community-driven, collaborative process to formulate a new vision for public safety, emphasizing the primacy of community participation.
• Encourage and incentivize higher education for law enforcement officers.

"Our next actions are to develop more opportunities for collaboration based on discussions today," the US Global Shapers Community said in a collective statement. "We are focused on sharing our vision and mission to address these pressing issues with local and regional leaders, as well as with the Biden Administration on a national level."

ABOUT THE GLOBAL SHAPERS COMMUNITY

Born out of the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers Community is a network of inspiring young people under the age of 30 working together to address local, regional, and global challenges. With more than 13,000 members, the Global Shapers Community spans 448 city-based hubs in 150 countries.

In each city, teams of Shapers self-organize to create projects that address the needs of their community. Projects are wide-ranging – from responding to disasters and combating poverty, to fighting climate change and building inclusive communities. Shapers are diverse in expertise, education, income and race, but are united by their desire to bring about change.

To learn more, visit the Global Shapers website.

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Chirag Sagar, Mission Matters, +1 (818) 434-4881, [email protected]

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