‘I want to serve society in my own way’

KOCHI: Nineteen-year-old Gautham Varada Narayan can’t stop beaming with joy. He has been selected as a delegate in the Future Leader Congress 2019, an annual international youth congress which is going to be held at United Nations Asia Pacific Office, Bangkok, Thailand. For Gautham, a BA social science student at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) who dreams of serving the society, the selection has left him in high spirits. “Around 1,000 people apply for this but only a few get to participate. It is a conclave sponsored by United Nations for young changemakers. It is not a conclave where students just listen, but they get to involve themselves and express their thoughts on international issues,” says Gautham.

The Future Leader Congress is set to be held at the United Nations Conference Centre for four days. Gautham hopes to project Kerala and its developmental strides if he gets an opportunity to speak at the conference. “Kerala as a state has pioneered a lot of developments in myriad sectors. But it is not much recognised in international platforms. One of my aims is to speak about the state, especially on how a highly populated state which is very small has become a model state,” says Gautham.

The three-day conference will see deliberations among the youngsters from across Asia. “We will get to discuss regional developmental issues and challenges, about how international policies affect Asia. And as a youth how we get to bring a change within this region,” he says.

Gautham says the platform will provide a huge exposure. “It will help build a network with people who are passionate about making a difference in society,” says Gautham who wants to be a UN diplomat.
Gautham also hopes to talk about sustainability and the needs for environment conservation. “Our future is a sustainable future. I want to talk about sustainability and the need for environmental conservation. It should be looked at from a political side. It a topic rarely discussed in the political realm. So I want to talk about this,” says Gautham. “I have been volunteering in many social causes since my sixth grade. What I want to be is a good human. With this conference I will be one step closer to my goal of serving the society,” he adds.