Final G20 Report

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I have last posted in here! Life has been a crazy ride in the past few months as I have recently completed my masters degree and am now officially on the hunt for my next adventure.

In following up with my stint at the G20, I just wanted to let anyone know who is interested that I can provide a copy of our finished report to anyone that is interested. Please comment below and I will provide you all access through Dropbox.

Hasta pronto!

Kyle

My first published article in Mexican newspaper - Excelsior

Visit the link below to see an article I wrote about youth and the G20 process. This article ran in one of Mexico's most prominent newspapers, Excelsior.

Check it out!

http://www.excelsior.com.mx/index.php?m=nota&seccion=portada&cat=28&id_nota=832457

Official Y20 document!

For an idea behind what was discussed at the G20 youth summit and which conclusions were reached, visit the link below!

http://www.g20.org/images/stories/docs/y20/y20puebla.pdf

Key take-aways regarding international trade at the G20

The international trade deliberation was one that was met with a lot of opposition from all countries involved. The perceived inefficiencies of the World Trade Organization in its ability to conclude the existing Doha Round negotiations was a very pervasive topic throughout the two days. Given the complexities of International trade, it was very difficult to develop any sort of policy or recommendations that could eventually provide positive outcomes for all parties involved.

For example, developing nations such as Argentina and Mexico were adamant that developed economies were at fault for the ineffectiveness of the Doha round as they refuse to stop providing agricultural subsidies to farmers (in turn making foreign agricultural goods uncompetitive). In contrast, however, developed nations such as the United States, Germany and Italy were quite vocal in their belief that China and India’s ability to evaluate their own currency due to their “developing economy” status was unfair as they are able to control the value of their currency and make their goods cheaper to the global market.

All in all, I believe youth were able to come together and develop viable solutions to certain key issues within the international trade context. Despite significant differences of opinions on various topics, the following sums up youth sentiment on the topic perfectly -

“Prior to embarking on the development of international trade solutions that are all encompassing of every nation, we the youth believe that decision makers today need to understand that future generations will be even further inter-twined and connected than we are today. As a result, it is important that we begin thinking in the overall well-being of the human race and less about the interests of our individual nations. Self-reliance is not necessarily a benefit, it is understood that being further integrated will afford extreme benefits and welfare to the global population. We encourage the global community to provide support and cooperation to developing and less developed countries in order to help them reach developed status.”

Is International Trade Only For The Wealthy?

Today is a very exciting day as I will begin training with the Canadian government in order to go and represent Canada on Wednesday at the Y20-G20. As there are 7 themes to be tackled at the summit, each Canadian has taken responsibility of on area and my baby will be that of International Trade. I am extremely excited about this opportunity because it fits very well with my past work experience and also with what I studied in undergrad. Also, given Canada's dynamic economy, there will be a great deal to learn and impart on other youth delegations. 


Prior to the summit, youth have been asked to collaborate in online forums and discuss certain issues relating to problems in international trade and challenges each respective nation is facing. Through initial analysis, the main concern is a lack of access to proper trade financing mechanisms. Moreover, questions surrounding how can nations participate in the international trade process if banks remain conservative in their lending practices? Are banks too risk averse? What other options are available? Why is engaging in International Trade so expensive? Can only the wealthy truly benefit from trade?


Having worked in the area, I think it will be interesting to hear what other youth think about the area of trade and whether or not they are as open to it as Canadians are. As the event progresses, I will continue to bring up issues and then post-summit, will share key take-aways.


So what do you think? How can trade become more accessible?

Pitching at the IE Venture Network Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, I will continue my search for funds by pitching at the IE Venture Network at IE Business School.

The Venture Network has a main objective of providing a platform for companies in the start-up phase to showcase their product or service in front of an esteemed panel of judges and venture capitalists. The goal is to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit of the IE community through offering useful feedback and create a meaningful connection between budding entrepreneurs and the Madrid business community.

I expect this to be an invaluable opportunity to showcase the benefit that businesses can gain from investing in me and my G20 experience.

Should you be around IE tomorrow, please stop by Maria de Molina 7 between 7-9 pm.

Heineken beer will be available for all attendees and the event is free of charge.

See you there!

What's in it for you?

When one is asking for donations, the optimal question is what am I going to get out of it? Obviously in today's economy, funds are scarce and one needs to see the benefit behind funding a certain initiative.

As I am going to the G20, I assure you that this would be a very beneficial cause to support.

1. Think of this as unconventional market research. Whether you are an individual or a business providing support; the resources, opinions and people I will have access to throughout the summit will be providing invaluable information regarding the state of the global economy. More specifically, the Summit focuses on the following issues: International Trade, Food Security, Economic Stabilization & Financial Inclusion, Sustainable development(green growth), Youth Employment and Global Governance. As a result, the intelligence being collected will be globally relevant, comprehensive and groundbreaking.

Additionally, Prime Minister Harper and Global Vision have mandated that Junior Team Canada write an in-depth report on the aforementioned issues and provide a copy to every sponsor who so wishes to receive one. Also, depending on your region of focus, I can personally ensure this is tailored so that it fits within the cultural and economic context in which you operate.

2. Building a Socially Responsible Reputation. I will personally work with you to ensure that your company receives the exposure it deserves throughout the G20, upon arrival in Canada and internationally through my network. In supporting me, you are demonstrating a dedication to youth leadership development which is something that will reflect very well on the overall image of your company.

3. Tax Deductible. Donating to this cause is fully tax deductible and you will be provided with an official tax receipt shortly upon return from the G20 Youth Summit.

4. Differentiate yourself: In the competitive landscape we live in, companies and professionals alike need to be creative in how they go about attracting attention regarding their operations. I urge you to think outside of the box and support a cause that will provide numerous intangible benefits for your organization in terms of exposure but as well as access to information that no database or consulting firm can supply you with.