Hannah Tait, an emerging young leader in international cooperation, peace and justice.

A recognized youth leader, Hannah has been chosen to participate in many national and global forums on wide-ranging topics where she advocates for stronger international relations through trade and diplomacy, human rights, women’s rights, diversity, and inclusion. 

Hannah was part of a delegation of the National Youth Ambassador Caucus hosted by Global Vision and focused on diversity and inclusion. At the 2019 Digital Citizenship Ambassador Summit she focused on online misinformation and its role in hindering strong democracies around the world.  

Hannah was a member of Junior Team Canada on a trade mission to Peru in February 2020 facilitated by the Canadian-Peruvian Embassy and non-profit organization, Global Vision. She focused on best practices to improve international trade and international cooperation and advocated for Indigenous participation and the duty to consult when undertaking mining operations. 

Hannah was invited to represent Canada in 2020’s Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Voices of the Future (APEC VOF) event hosted in Malaysia, where she engaged with youth from the 21 member economies with a focus on equitable economic recovery and the challenges of distributing technology to women in developing countries to facilitate financial and educational success.

Hannah has recently been accepted to be a representative for the Regina-Lewvan district in Equal Voice’s Daughters of the Vote program where she plans to advocate for national and international empowerment of women, and digital citizenship that will promote a healthy democracy in Canada and abroad.

Hannah is currently pursuing a BBA in International Business and a BA in Political Science at the University of Regina.

What does Global Citizenship mean to you?

Global Citizenship is about working towards something bigger than ourselves by valuing differences and similarities. Global Citizenship means being open to and valuing different perspectives. It recognizes mutual challenges and opportunities that face everyone in the world. It celebrates uniqueness on an individual and cultural level. It is collaborating on issues using shared and unique experiences to make overall positive impacts. Global citizenship enables us to learn best practices which can benefit everyone. The more we collaborate, the stronger we are. 

Where do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration is from my personal experiences, curiosity, and the successes of our past. My initial source of inspiration to start working with a global mindset was my emigration to Australia, then back to Canada. It made me recognize the value of national similarities and differences. Many of the challenges faced in Canada are faced elsewhere and the solutions used in other places could be used in Canada. The power of our uniqueness can help us face problems together in creative ways. I am a naturally curious person that always wants to learn more and meet people. I strive to use my curiosity to benefit society and improve the status quo. Finally, the amount of positive change around the world is inspiring in itself. If we were able to improve conditions this much in many places, imagine what we can do today and in the future. 

What do you see as one of the most encouraging or innovative trends that is creating positive change in our world right now?

Youth today are getting exposure and experience to be global citizens earlier. Through technology and support of people in leadership, youth are being engaged to provide feedback and offer solutions. It is encouraging because youth have grown up in a very globalized world and have valuable insights. Technology has exposed young people to a very large variety of perspectives at a young age. It is also encouraging to know that leaders value our perspective because youth have a huge stake in making sure our future is brighter for everyone.