After he finishes exams, Anand Joshua Sookrah will fly to Mexico to participate in the Y20 summit with youth leaders from other G20 countries.
Sookrah is one of seven Canadian university students chosen from hundreds who applied to attend the Y20 summit in Puebla. During the second week in May, he will be among 140 youth delegates – the Mexican government invited seven from each G20 country – working in teams to make 
recommendations from a youth perspective on issues such as economic stabilization, youth employment, international trade, food security and green growth. They will present the position papers to governments before the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Los Cabos in June.
Anand Sookrah
Sookrah and the other six Canadians on his team have already started discussing – via Skype – the position they will take to the table as Canadian youth on each issue.
For someone who dreams of a diplomatic career, the fourth-year humanities and South Asian studies student is excited about meeting youth leaders from other G20 countries and debating world issues. He will be researching and presenting India’s perspective for the Y20 summit as a prelude to attending St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, India later this year to complete his undergraduate thesis.
Sookrah was selected to attend the Y20 by Global Vision on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade at the invitation of the Mexican president.
Global Vision is a national nonprofit organization that provides Canadian youth, ages 16-25, with the skills, experience and knowledge necessary to become global leaders. Since its inception, Junior Team Canada, the groupʼs flagship organization, has led trade and development missions to more than 20 countries.
Three years ago, Sookrah visited Panama and Costa Rica as part of Global Vision’s Junior Team Canada. On an economic trade mission to promote trade, he and other youth ambassadors gathered market information, analyzed trends and provided Canadian companies with essential market information. At the time, he was enrolled in the iBBA program at York’s Schulich School of Business.
Sookrah has continued as a youth ambassador with Global Vision. He serves on York’s Senate and is the former chair of the student council of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
To go to Mexico next month, Sookrah must raise $3,500 in corporate and community sponsorships. He has already raised $1,000, but needs another $2,500. If you can help, please contact him at anandjoshuasookrah@gmail.com.