From Dundee to Davos (via Hermes)

In just over a year Nick Henderson, a second year American Studies and International Relations student in the College of Arts and Social Sciences, has gone from a self-confessed "typical teenager" to an award-winning activist who has rubbed shoulders with some of the world's most powerful people.

Nineteen-year-old Nick was one of only six young people from around the world to be selected to speak at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos in Switzerland earlier in the year.

The meeting attracts thousands of delegates from all over the world including Government Ministers, Heads of State, Royalty and business and religious leaders.

This year's attendees included UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, US Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice, former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon and Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organisation.

"It was amazing to be a part of," said Nick. "The whole experience was pretty surreal. At one point one of the other people in the group I was with spotted Bill Gates heading down the stairs. We went over to speak to him and just at that point the Ayatollah appeared from one direction and the President of Afganistan Harmid Karzai from another. Tony Blair was there too. "

Nick, however, was more impressed when Dr Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of CIVICUS and one of the leading voices on global poverty, recognised him.

"I think it was actually my T-Shirt he recognised. It was a Stand Up to Poverty T-Shirt and I had worn it when I met him before. I had it on again in Davos and he remembered it."

A founding member of Yep (YOUth to End Poverty) Dundee, a group aimed at working with some of the city's most marginalised youngsters, Nick first became involved in activism through the University's Hermes newsletter.

"There was an advert in Hermes for the Roars not Whispers project which is supported by the Scottish Youth Parliament and Oxfam," he recalled. "They wanted to recruit peer leaders all over Scotland so I applied and became a peer leader for Dundee along with Jackie Chuen, a third year medical student here.

"We had about three weeks training and then we set up Yep Dundee as part of the project. We are working with young people who feel marginalised and isolated and often have little or no self esteem. We want to turn them into activists, by giving them the confidence and the skills to challenge the things they feel are holding them back whether it is discrimination or poverty."

Nick's work with these projects has won him a joint Young Scot Award with Jacky Chuen and a runner-up prize in the prestigious Arnold Kemp Young Scot of the Year awards

Nick and Jacky won the Democracy and Citizenship category of the Young Scot Awards 2008 just last month.

His work has also, he admits, boosted his own confidence and given him the motivation to apply to take part in events such as Davos where he addressed world leaders on the still controversial topics of HIV and discrimination.

"I wouldn't have been able to do that a year ago," he said. "When I went for the interview for Roars not Whispers I was terrified but now I do stuff like that all the time. The change in me is immense. I was just a typical student. I had no experience of activism. I always felt I wanted to do something but I didn't know how to go about it.

"I just needed to find the right opportunity. It has changed my life and I want to help other young people do that too. It is improving my research skills, my writing skills and it has given me the confidence to question things more."

Nick is now continuing with his studies and planning to attend the World Youth Congress in Canada in August.

He's also busy helping roll out the next phase of the Roars Not Whispers project and continuing his award-winning work with Yep Dundee.

"I have to finish my degree as well but I'd really like to carry on working with Yep Dundee and then maybe extend it to cover the rest of Scotland.

"I want other people to experience what I have and realise that they can change things."