The Global Shapers Community has grown to 400 Hubs with its latest addition in Anchorage, Alaska

• The Global Shapers Community is a network of city-based Hubs of young people who work together to make a difference in their communities.
• The Anchorage Hub is the 400th Hub to be launched since the community began in July 2011.
• 50 Global Shapers will be in Davos for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2015.
• For more information, please visit www.globalshapers.org.

Geneva, Switzerland, 12-1-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — The Global Shapers Community has grown to 400 Hubs with its latest addition in the city of Anchorage, Alaska. The launch marks a milestone in its mission to support young leaders to make a difference in their communities. The Anchorage Hub is now the northernmost Hub in the community, narrowly edging out the Oslo Hub and the Helsinki Hub.

Hubs are developed and led by young people who are between the ages of 20 and 29 when they are nominated to join. Each Hub is required to undertake a project that positively impacts the local community in which the Hub is located. The aim is to fully involve young people in local and global decision-making that affects their generation.

There are currently more than 4,600 Global Shapers in over 165 countries and territories around the world. Yemi Babington-Ashaye, Head of the Global Shapers Community, said: “Global Shapers improve lives locally and globally by stepping up and making a contribution, very often in incredibly challenging environments. The launch of the Anchorage Hub demonstrates our commitment to support young leaders who are keen to contribute positively to their communities, respecting diversity of backgrounds, beliefs and convictions.”

The Anchorage Hub is recruiting young leaders who will work together to that end. Examples of Hub projects include the Chennai Hub’s Kabadiwalla Connect project, aimed at reducing waste in local landfills using mobile technology to connect junk collectors and merchants. This project recently won the World Economic Forum’s ClimateSHAPE challenge. The Athens Hub has a ReGeneration initiative that is tackling local unemployment. The Rome and Nairobi Hubs worked together on a Powering Education project that is replacing kerosene lamps with solar lamps, reaching 300 students in 12 schools located in rural and off-grid communities in Kenya. The project won the Coca-Cola Shaping A Better Future challenge in 2014.

Founding Curator of the Anchorage Hub, Jonathan Bittner, is a fifth-generation Alaskan with deep roots in the city of Anchorage. He has been honoured with multiple awards in his home state, and he was recently named one of the Alaska Journal of Commerce’s Top 40 under 40. His commitment to his community and his deep engagement with local youth make him the ideal person to establish the Anchorage Hub.

Other recent additions to the Global Shapers Community include Hubs in Gaya, India; Fortaleza, Brazil; Stellenbosch, South Africa; Nicosia, Cyprus; Aden, Yemen; and Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea. In addition to the support of the World Economic Forum, the work of the Global Shapers Community is made possible thanks to the support from Global Community Partners: Reliance Industries, The Abraaj Group and The Coca-Cola Company.

Notes to Editors:

• For more information about the Global Shapers Community
• Follow the Global Shapers on Twitter at @globalshapers
• List of the 50 Global Shapers at Annnual Meeting 2015 in Davos
• Become a fan of the Global Shapers on Facebook
• Meet the Curators as of July 2014 on our widget

The World Economic Forum is an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation in the spirit of global citizenship. It engages with business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is independent, impartial and not tied to any interests. It cooperates closely with all leading international organizations (www.weforum.org).

Di Dai, Senior Media Associate, Public Affairs, World Economic Forum, Tel.: +41 (0) 22 869 1405; E-mail: di.dai@weforum.org