Future Leaders for Avoidable Deaths
By Ms Lauren MacLeod
The Future Leaders for Avoidable Deaths enterprise works to nurture Future Leaders in the field of Avoidable Deaths and to enhance their leadership and employability skills through expert mentoring and engaging internships aligned with ADN’s activities.
There are two types of leaders for avoidable deaths: (i) Junior Champions (10-17 years of age), and (ii) Future Leaders (18 years of age and above).
The aims of this scheme are: i) to promote social consciousness amongst leaders for avoidable deaths by involving them in various disaster risk reduction, health and development projects, knowledge exchanges and engagement activities; ii) to equip them with confidence, knowledge, experience and belief that they can be agents for change, and that they can make the planet a better place to live; and iii) to give opportunities to the youths and leaders (current and future) in relation to activity (i) especially from socio-economically challenged circumstances.
Update on activities:
Junior Champions: Dr Hideyuki Shiroshita has been engaging with Junior Champions at Hama Elementary School in Japan since April 2023. An update of activities on the project, School Pupils in Osaka are Champions for Avoidable Deaths from Tsunamis, is provided in (see the article on Case Station for Avoidable Tsunami Deaths).
The ADN Junior Champion Magazine (ISSN 2759-0380) was launched in August 2023, led by Junior Champion Editors Mr Arkoneil Ghosh (Founding Editor), Miss Prarthona Datta and Miss Anushka Koner (Deputy Editors). Four issues have now been released featuring the voices of children in India, Bangladesh, Malawi, and Taiwan. An update of activities is provided in (see the article on Junior Champions for Avoidable Deaths).Â
Future Leaders: In October, we welcomed four new interns: Dr Flaviane Belval (Cameroon/France), Ms Jasmine Fish (UK), Mr Joy Chakrabarty (Bangladesh), and Mr Omri Shoshani (USA/UK), who will volunteer for a period of one year. They join our existing interns, Ms Sadia Afrin Sayfa Negaban and Mr Mohammad Fahimul Islam (Bangladesh).
During their internship period, they are supporting the Operations Team across the ADN Network for Loss and Damage (see the article on ADN Network on Loss and Damage), knowledge-exchange events (see the article on ADN Special Sessions Update), an online continuing professional development course, country chapters (see the article on ADN Country Chapter Updates), the Junior Champion Magazine (see the article on Junior Champions for Avoidable Deaths), as well as marketing and administration activities.
Furthermore, we have four Future Leaders who are working on the topics of avoidable snakebite and plastic deaths, and food security for climate-affected farmers: Ms Chloe Vasquez (USA), Ms Giulia Cristiana (UK), Mr Eduardo Cardoso (Portugal), and Mr Yunes Abou El Wafa (Germany). They have been active in organising and speaking at knowledge-exchange events on their respective topics (see the article on ADN Special Sessions Update). Notably, Giulia, Eduardo, and Yunes are actively involved in the ADN network on Loss and Damage as dedicated members of the Steering Committee (see the article on ADN Network on Loss and Damage).