Meet The winners of 2023's

15@15: Youth Building Democracy !

Five young leaders won the inaugural 15@15: Youth Building Democracy competition!

Koshin Bathmax – Canada

Chloe Brown – United States of America

Precious Ezirim – Nigeria

Michaela Lawrence – Jamaica

Sofia Sikharulidze – Georgia

Winners traveled to attend Halifax International Security Forum where they actively participated in all sessions and held bilateral meetings with senior leaders from government, military, business and civil society.

15@15: Youth Building Democracy was featured on CBC News: The National.

 

A program full of memorable moments!

15@15 winners hold a bilateral meeting with United States Senators: Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Jim Risch of Idaho, Chris Coons of Delaware, and
Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

The winners meet with senior military officers from NATO and NATO partner countries who participated in HFX's Peace With Women Fellowship.

Winners hold a bilateral meeting with Taiwanese political leader Vincent Chao (left) and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law (right).

The winners visited the Halifax Discovery Centre.

A crewmember from CBC News: The National films the winners looking out over the Halifax Waterfront.

15@15 winner, Sofia Sikharulidze, asks a question during a Halifax International Security Forum plenary session. Each winner attended the Forum as a full participant and actively participated in all sessions and events.

The winners meet with Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax, to learn more about the Halifax community.

The winners and their parents take a photo with Masih Alinejad (fourth from the left), an Iranian democracy and human rights activist.

The winners visited Peace By Chocolate, an artisan chocolate business on the Halifax Waterfront owned by Syrian refugees.

The winners learned about the victims of the Titanic who are buried in Halifax.