Sharad Vivek Sagar And Paridhi Rastogi To Represent India At The Global Telenor Youth Forum

• Twenty-six delegates to take part in TYF program, in partnership with the Nobel Peace Center
• Top candidates selected from footprint of more than one billion people in largest-ever global recruitment program by Telenor Group
• Delegates to spend one year developing solutions that target global, social challenges

Twenty-six talented millennials from Telenor’s 13 markets were selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants to represent their countries in the fourth annual Telenor Youth Forum (TYF) and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize activities. TYF is a program run by Telenor Group and the Nobel Peace Center, with the aim to empower youth to solve social issues through technology.

Sharad Vivek Sagar from Patna and Paridhi Rastogi from New Delhi will represent India at the TYF. 24-year-old Sharad Vivek Sagar is founder CEO of Dexterity Global and is a graduate in International Relations from Tufts University, Medford. Sharad was selected for his initiative to drive “Quality Education” and connects students to world class opportunities with the help of digital media.

Paridhi Rastogi, a 21- year old environment engineer from Delhi Technological University, was selected for her passion to create awareness on “Clean Water and Sanitation”. Paridhi presented her ideas on citizen science project to monitor water quality and infrastructure using mobile phones. She also discussed the idea of gamification and augmented reality to identify and conserving water bodies in cities and target urban dwellers to earn “social karma” or water points.

On this occasion, Sharad Mehrotra, CEO, Telenor India Communications said, “Telenor Youth Forum brings young leaders on a single global platform to engage in dialogue and share ideas to tackle global problems. It is a commitment to empower the generation of digital natives to find paths to cross border cooperation and world peace, focus on solutions that combine technology, engagement and advocacy. It is heartening to see young minds like Sagar and Paridhi being passionate about social causes and believe that the power of technology can create action and real change. I wish them best of luck for TYF and their future endeavors.”

The one-year TYF program begins in Oslo, Dec. 8 – 11, during Nobel Peace Prize week. The selected delegates will take part in events related to honoring the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, in addition to working in teams to design solutions to major social challenges. The year-long TYF program will consist of virtual teamwork (after the Oslo event) punctuated by a Bangkok-based meet-up in May 2017, and culminating in the unveiling of the teams’ digital exhibitions with the Nobel Peace Center in October 2017.

Nobel Peace Center serves as key partner for TYF
“We are excited to bring delegates from across Europe and Asia together, challenging them to become experts and solution drivers on global, social issues,” said Liv Tørres, Executive Director for the Nobel Peace Center. “At the Nobel Peace Center, we believe that by addressing social inequalities, we take one step closer to peace. Through this program we want youth to realize their potential to start change.”

“We believe in youth with ideas, passion and social conscience. We’re optimistic about the power of technology, and we think that communication across boundaries can foster peace. At Telenor we are excited to see young minds gather to co-create with us, our experts and with our partners at the Nobel Peace Center,” said Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group.

Who are the delegates?
With more than one billion people within Telenor Group’s 13-market footprint, the 26 youth who have been selected as TYF delegates represent the top talents from an enormous pool. This has amounted to the largest global recruitment process ever conducted by Telenor. More than 4,800 applications were received for the Telenor Youth Forum, and through essays, video interviews, event appearances and other screenings, the following top individuals were selected.

How the program works
Telenor has invited service design agency Livework to support the youth in designing solutions, and each team will be supported by an expert mentor who will guide the team throughout the year as they develop their solution.

From Oslo to Bangkok, TYF takes youth around the world
TYF will host a second event for the delegates in Bangkok in May 2017. This will be the first major milestone for the teams as they work to implement their solutions. The program will conclude for this batch of young people in October 2017, when Telenor and a jury of experts will evaluate the work and select a winning team that will return to Oslo in December 2017 to inspire the next round of TYF participants.
Meet the delegates http://www.telenor.com/youthforum/delegates2016