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Simon Fraser University economics student Imrahn Mitha is heading to China and Malaysia on Aug. 2 to meet with government and industry leaders – a plum assignment for a 21-year-old with diplomatic ambitions.

Mitha, who rubbed shoulders with international diplomats at the recent G8 and G20 National Youth Caucus in Ottawa, was selected from a group of 100 high-achieving students to be part of Global Vision’s Junior Team Canada. The national non-profit organization promotes leadership through potential ambassadors between the ages of 16 and 25.

The North Vancouver resident spent his time at the recent summits discussing issues related to food security, health care and child welfare.

“My interest in politics and international trade is derived from a need to better understand humanity as a whole,” says Mitha, who grew up “a stone’s throw” from Barack Obama’s family home in the town of Kisumu, Kenya.

Mitha moved with his family to North Vancouver as a teen and worked at his parent’s dry-cleaning business. At 16 he became TD Canada Trust’s youngest employee.

“I grew up in a household where I was continually immersed in a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and world views,” he recalls. “I attended church in the morning with my school friends and the mosque in the evenings with my family. I listened to British pop music at school and Kenyan beats on the street.“

“My life has been a unique journey, enriched by a diversity of people, cultures, religions and faiths. I’ve come to realize that the only way we can bring about change is by committing to learning, respecting and understanding each other.”

While in Asia, Mitha will give presentations on B.C.’s economy and hopes to play a role in brokering deals between Canadian corporations and Chinese conglomerates. When he returns, he will set his sights on a career involving international relations.

-30- (Photo available for download at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfupamr/4838344232/)

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