VOA慢速英语2016--美国评出全球十大青年领袖

AS IT IS 2016-04-22 US Recognizes 10 Global Youth Leaders 美国评出全球十大青年领袖

The United States government honored ten young people from around the world on Wednesday.

The State Department praised the winners of the first-ever Global Emerging Young Leaders Award for making positive social change.

Next month, the winners will visit the U.S. to attend a leadership program and meet with people who can support their work.

Here are the winners:

Basel Almadhoun, from the Palestinian territories, launched a debate club for young people in Gaza. He says the group gives teenagers a way to express their opinions and change their way of thinking.

Hillary Briffa, from Malta, helped lead a campaign against violent extremism. She has also led after-school programs on conflict resolution.

Jessel Recinos Fernandez of Honduras was raised in a city that has been called “the murder capital of the world.” Soon after becoming a gang member, he was shot. He later founded Skate Brothers, an organization that helps young people avoid gangs.

Samuel Grzybowski, from France, founded Coexister, a group that invites young people with different religious beliefs to come together. The hashtag of the group’s members, #NousSommesUnis (We are united), was the most re-tweeted French hashtag after the terror attacks on Paris last November.

Asha Hassan, from Kenya, is an ethnic¹ Somali. She uses youth-led groups to improve contacts among ethnic clans² in her home community. She teaches children the value of life and warns them of the dangers of joining extremist groups.

Ahmad Shakib Mohsanyar, from Afghanistan, founded a social media campaign called "Afghanistan Needs You." The campaign is aimed at disputing the idea that young people need to leave Afghanistan for a better life.

Ahlem Nasraoui of Tunisia started a Peace Mediators program to oppose terrorism and extremism. The program teaches young people leadership, arts and mediation³ skills. She also helps women and girls set up their own businesses.

Nino Nanitashvili, from Georgia, uses new technology to help support peace building and development. She leads a group for women in technology. She has spoken in parliament and at Google’s headquarters in California about how technology can improve civic⁴ life.

Thinzar Shunlei Yi, from Myanmar, works for Burma’s National Youth Congress and the National Youth Network. She also helped organize the ASEAN Youth Forum⁵. She also held a United Nations International Youth Day event that raised awareness⁶ about mental health issues.

Zulfirman Rahyantel, from Indonesia, organized discussions about hatred⁷, loss and other feelings among people in Ambon. The city experienced 10 years of violence between opposing religious groups.

Words in This Story

positive - adj. useful or good

club - n. a group of people who meet to take part in an activity

teenager - n. someone between 13 and 19 years old

gang - n. a group of criminals; a group of young people who often do illegal things together

mediation - n. intervention between conflicting sides in support of a settlement or compromise

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

3 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

4 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

7 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。