Malala, Manipur youth activist chosen for global icon award

Imphal: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, youth activist from Manipur Kangujam Karnajit Singh and young German activist Felix Finkbeiner have been selected for the prestigious Global Youth Icon Award 2015.
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam will hand over the award to the three at Marg Swarnabhoomi, Chennai, on July 25 in the presence UN officials, ministers and other Nobel laureates.
“I am so happy to hear the news. I’ll be sharing the stage with Malala, the winner of the Nobel peace prize, and 13-year-old Felix, who has planted million of trees since he was just 9,” a jubilant Karnajit told TOI on Thursday.
“This will encourage me to keep up my work for youngsters,” said Karnajit (24), who recently led a 30-member team from the northeast to help quake-struck Nepal.
A resident of Bashikhong, he was the chef-de-mission of the team.
Of the 30 members who went to Nepal, 15, including a doctor, are members of the Youth Disaster Response Team, a unit of the Manipur unit of Club25 International of which Karnajit is the founder.
“I’m proud to have joined the global campaign for rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the Nepal earthquake. During our 10-day campaign, we helped people in three of the worst-hit districts there,” he said.
Karnajit, who has donated blood 25 times, organized the Global Youth Meet 2014 and the World Youth Summit 2015 for the first time in the country in Imphal.
“I love to talk to young people and help them escape violence and drugs, receive education and find work. I’m working to provide them with the education, freedom and opportunities they deserve,” the activist said.
Karnajit has already received a number of prestigious awards.