City collegian shines at UN leadership conference

CHALK up another feather in the cap for the city’s youth — 17-year-old Charu Govil, a student of Ruia College, has been selected to be part of the ongoing Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) at the United Nations. She’s currently in Washington DC to as part of the programme and is the only representative from Mumbai at the conference.
Charu has completed her HSC exam, scoring 98 per cent in physics, chemistry and maths, and standing eleventh in the merit list.She was also head girl of her school, Cathedral. She was selected by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, which is sponsoring the conference.
Says Charu, “We’ve been put up at the George Washington University. The organisers have divided us into groups with each group being allotted a country to brush up on, leading to participation in a debate on the country. I’ve been allotted Israel.�
Charu, who’s not had time even to chat with her parents because of her busy schedule, says from Washington, “Basically, we are addressing global issues related to leadership. We just finished a debate on taxes on coffee, between Brazil and the European Union (EU). It’s very interesting to meet different kinds of people who are of the same age as me, from all across the world. My roommate’s from Norway.�
Charu a Powai resident, is now set to study computer science and economics at the University of Texas in Austin. Elaborating on her experiences in the US, she says, “Interaction with other participants has totally changed my perspective. I’ve learnt to be more accepting of other cultures. It has definitely improved my world view.�
Besides being academically inclined, Charu also plays the guitar and keyboards. Her other interests include painting, ceramics and swimming. As part of the programme, the group of students was taken to the Saudi Arabian Embassy. “We also got to tour Washington. It was so exciting! All of us are getting to know each other better. We’re more like friends now,� says a charged-up Charu.
The conference ends on August 8 in New York with the group indulging in a mock United Nations General Assembly meeting, discussing the environment, human rights, terrorism, foreign aid, economic reforms and foreign policies, and debating and coalitions.