1. CONQUERING NEW
HORIZONS
A GLOBAL YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE
EXPERIENCE
By Maarten Edwards

2. THE FLIGHT
I live for aviation. This image was taken during my flight from the Grantley Adams International Airport to the
Miami International Airport. This flight would mark my first trip to the United States of America.
Edwards, 2011
“For once you have tasted flight you will
walk the earth with your eyes turned
skywards, for there you have been and
there you long to return”
-Leonardo da Vinci

3. MEET THE FACULTY
ADVISORS
Guides, mentors and friends, the GYLC Faculty advisors were the tip of the iceberg for each country group.
Featured here is Keith-Ryan Belen , Faculty Advisor for the China Leadership Group.
Edwards, 2011

4. THE KEYNOTE
ADDRESS
Women’s Rights were the order of the night as keynote speaker, Ms Roxana Diaz Gomez, addressed the
importance of women’s rights and what was being done to facilitate the development of these rights, particularly
in developing countries.
Edwards, 2011

5. A VISIT TO
GEORGETOWN
Our first outing was a trip to Georgetown where we first marvelled the sights and sounds of Washington DC. With
more restaurants than preferences per group, it took quite a while before a lunch spot was found.
Edwards, 2011

6. THE WORLD BANK
This year’s conference was the largest group ever accommodated in the auditorium of the World Bank.
Edwards, 2011

7. UNION STATION
A rather unique lunch stop, Union Station kept us thoroughly entertained with a plethora of sights, smells, tastes
and sounds.
Edwards, 2011

8. FEEDING THE WORLD
This town hall simulation got us on our feet to actively debate for the sake of some very worthy causes. There were
two meetings organized for the evening. I took part in “Feeding the World”. This simulation focused primarily on
the implications of mass public GMO implementations.
Edwards, 2011

9. LUNCH IN DUPONT
CIRCLE
Another fun lunch stop was Dupont Circle where we quickly divided in yet another exploratory venture for food.
This captivating location’s wheel and spoke street layout was rather atypical of American city design, and made for
a fascinating, visually appealing touring experience.
Edwards, 2011

10. THE “BIG FIVE”
MEMORIALS
Quite possibly a collection of the most captivating monuments I have ever seen, the “Big Five” provided hours of
entertainment with a rich historical background.
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11. Edwards, 2011

12. Edwards, 2011

13. THE DARKER SIDES OF
HISTORY
The most humbling experience of the entire program was most definitely our trip to the Holocaust Museum in
Washington D.C.
Edwards, 2011

14. AN AVIATOR’S
PLAYGROUND
After our walk through the solemn halls of the Holocaust Museum, a group of us hurried to the Smithsonian
Institute’s Air and Space Museum where I marvelled at the massive collection of exhibits depicting aviation’s past,
present and future.
Edwards, 2011

15. WELCOME TO NEW
YORK
Our stay in Washington was finally over and it was off to New York for the final leg in our twelve day journey.
Edwards, 2011

16. THE GATEWAY TO
AMERICA
Though our time was very limited, Ellis Island was a sight to behold. Some of us may very well have seen the name
of a relative in the registry book which lay on display.
Edwards, 2011

17. THE MAIN EVENT
Today marked the culmination of nearly two weeks of preparation. Today Leadership Groups went head to head as
the delegates of countries from around the world in the United Nations Global Summit Simulation at the United
Nations Headquarters in New York.
Edwards, 2011

18. THE SPONSORS
The most important part of this conference took place not within the
twelve days I spent abroad. Instead, it occurred months before in the
small, proud country I would come to represent. Without the combined
efforts of all of my sponsors, my life altering experience would not have
been possible.
I thank you all.
Edwards, 2011