April 13th, 2016: Rahaf Al Saif, a graduate of Environmental Health Management at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), has been selected to represent the Middle East region at The Youth Forum for People and Wildlife, organized by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), in collaboration with the Disney Conservation Fund.
The Forum, which will take place in Johannesburg in September this year, aims to provide a platform for young leaders from around the world to share their experiences and connect with the international animal welfare community to discuss wildlife conservation and global commercial trade issues.
Rahaf has been selected among 34 delegates from 25 counties, from a pool of nearly 1,000 candidates worldwide, for demonstrating extraordinary leadership in conservation and welfare. She will be the sole representative from the region at the event, as well as taking on a role as ambassador and mentor for the Forum’s online community.
Having completed her undergraduate internship with IFAW in Dubai, Rahaf has spent a lot of time working on and researching conservation issues in the UAE, and is now keen to share her experience and find out more about the concerns affecting communities in different parts of the world.
Rahaf said, “I am honoured to be selected to represent this region in a global movement to promote positive changes towards conservation. I have been involved locally in campaigns such as the ivory crush, and I am looking forward joining the conversation about the challenges that other young people are facing in their communities, and how we can work together to find global solutions.”
Having graduated from CUD in 2015, Rahaf cites the lessons and faculty she encountered at the University as a major inspiration in taking on this high-profile leadership role.
Among those faculty members was Mr. Ryan Sisson, Lecturer in the School of Environment and Health Sciences, who said, “At CUD, we encourage students to go beyond the curriculum and use their skills to make a difference in wider society, so we are very proud to see one of our graduates involved in this global Forum. Rahaf’s success with her internship through IFAW, alongside her research in the field, has placed her in a strong position to contribute to this important debate.”
Rahaf will be joining her fellow delegates to convene directly before the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The group of 18-25 year olds will discuss some of the world’s most challenging wildlife issues, share their diverse experiences, and take part in a range of professional development workshops.
It is anticipated that the Forum will be the launch pad for a new global youth community, focussing on the creation of ideas, partnerships and networks that empower tomorrow’s leaders.
Rahaf concluded, “The Forum will not only offer opportunities to learn from likeminded people from around the world, but also to connect with important decision-makers in the field, which will help us to play an active role in shaping our future conservation efforts.”
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