For the first time the Haliburton community is helping to send young professionals to the World Youth Rally in Seoul
By Vanessa Balintec
Barry Devolin TravelMaven business owner and former MP has teamed up with the Haliburton Rotary Club to help sponsor two young adults from Haliburton to go to South Korea and attend the 44th World Youth Rally.
The organizations will each be paying a third of the cost for the two attendees between the ages of 19 and 29 who will pay the remaining amount themselves. Participants will be attending the World Youth Forum in Seoul that takes place between July 14 to 19.
According to Devolin this marks the first time Canadians will be represented at the rally that is hosted in South Korea by Hostelling International Korea every year.
The World Youth Rally is an international event that brings young adults from all over the world. According to their website four main themes will be explored: building friendships beyond differences what it means to be a global citizen based on the UN’s Global Citizen Education Korean culture and history and world peace citizenship and international cooperation in the world’s “only divided country.”
Devolin felt compelled to become involved in this initiative through his connections in South Korea where he has travelled lived and taught English and politics and public administration.
“I have loved travelling all of my life even though I have spent most of my life in government and politics” says Devolin.
“One of the things I want to do in my business is encourage more young people and families to travel and encourage people to do something beyond just laying on a beach somewhere something that’s more nourishing” says Devolin. He says this initiative is a chance for young adults to meet people from all over the world and broaden their understanding of it.
“Anybody going would gain a lot from it” says Devolin. “However if we got someone who’s a professional or working in our community then they would come back and share that info with the community.” He’s hoping that local employers would see attendees participating as a form of professional and personal development.
TravelMaven and the Haliburton Rotary Club will be working together to choose the right people to attend.
Ted Brandon president of the Haliburton Rotary Club says after working with Devolin for more than a decade on the Capital Experience initiative and seeing great value in their investments they knew he was the guy who made things happen. “We have a mandate to help youth and young professionals flourish in our community” says Brandon.
“We’re looking for people who are going to be good ambassadors for Rotary and Canada but we also want to have people who are going to take what they learn and experience and turn that into something tangible back home” he says.
“If people become more worldly citizens they’re going to have a broader look on the world and how it operates and it’s just a positive influence for young people” says Brandon.
For more information on the trip visit https://worldyouthrally2019.com and https://travelmaven.ca/-1. Email Barry Devolin a letter of interest at barry@travelmaven.ca by May 25 2019 to be considered for one of the spots.
