Melvin set to take on the world at UN conference
A Wolverhampton teenager is gearing up to debate issues as part of an international political conference.
Melvin Riley has been invited by the United Nations to join the Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) conference in New York.
The 19-year-old will take part in debates around issues such as famine, climate change and gender equality and was offered the opportunity to speak at the UN as part of the CWMUN programme after winning a scholarship.
Melvin will join 3,000 other young people from across the globe as part of the programme, which is designed to teach diplomacy and international relations, with the conference starting on May 26.
Each participant will be assigned a role and country to act for, helping them learn about other cultures, laws and economies.
Melvin, who has worked alongside the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner as a Youth Commissioner for two years, said it was an amazing opportunity.
He said: "If you had asked me about doing something like this a year ago, it would never have crossed my mind.
Activism
"Getting involved in these youth forums has made me want to get involved in youth activism and youth politics, so this is an amazing thing and I'm really excited.
"It’s also a chance for me to gain experience in politics."
Melvin has been an activist on preventing knife crime locally and, during 2020, was frequently chosen as a spokesperson on Black Lives Matter debates, hosted by the Commissioner.
A keen sportsman and drummer, Melvin will complete his UN duties during a gap year and said he was already looking at other opportunities in the future.
He said: "I'm currently applying for a role on the youth Commonwealth Council, which is a big role as it's representing 1.2 billion young people across the Commonwealth.
"That's the next goal and it's a challenging process, but I hope to be able to achieve that, as well as inspire other people.
"When young people from Wolverhampton can see someone from their background achieving things like this, I hope it can inspire them to get involved in work like this."
