U.S. Department of State has honored ten global emerging young leaders. Among them is a third-year student at Russian-Tajik Slavonic University, Firouz Yoqhibekov.
The U.S. Department of State host the annual Emerging Young Leaders Award ceremony in the Burns Auditorium of the Marshall Center at the U.S. Department of State on May 2.
The Emerging Young Leaders Award program recognizes ten young people (ages 18-25) from around the world for their courage in resolving conflict, promoting security, and creating economic opportunity in challenging environments.
Firouz Yoghibekov is president of the debate club Face-to-Face and English debate league coordinator at the Law Clinic in Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe. Firouz has used debate as a platform to discuss the following themes: the spread of violent extremism; domestic violence; and economic expansion among the poorest populations in the country.
As a volunteer with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the past two and a half years, Firouz has led debate workshops in three of Tajikistan’s four regions. These workshops help spread awareness about violent extremism and terrorism—utilizing the dialogue skills gained during the trainings to discuss these issues. This platform has helped develop over 50 young debate trainers in argumentation, public speaking, and critical analytical thinking. In 2017, Firouz was one of the coordinators of a Debate Camp Project, where he trained 80 students in debate skills. Today, over 800 students have completed these debate seminars.
The Emerging Young Leaders Award is granted to ten outstanding young leaders (ages 18-24) from across the globe. The awardees will visit the United States for an intensive two-week program designed to recognize and support their efforts to enact positive societal transformation.
Honorees will first visit Washington, D.C. where they will be recognized in a public ceremony for their efforts. They will attend meetings with U.S. government officials and non-governmental organizations. The awardees will then travel to Austin, Texas to participate in professional meetings and engage with their American counterparts. The young leaders will reconvene in Washington, D.C. to share project plans and examine ways they can collaborate and build on their experiences.
The Emerging Young Leaders exchange program will continue in their home communities with mentoring and support through a virtual exchange. Upon their return home, the awardees will be eligible to apply for individual grants to support their work.
