Filipino global leader Lord Leomer Pomperada, the executive director of the World Youth Alliance (WYA), will impart his insights on youth empowerment, leadership and diplomacy in The Youth Can Do It!, a hybrid event on Friday, September 16, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The 31-year-old recently concluded his seven-year stint as president of New York-based WYA, a global youth movement with over a million members in more than 200 nations and territories. The non-profit organization aims to promote the dignity of people and build solidarity among the youth from developed and developing countries.

In his talk, Pomperada will recount his journey from being a De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) student-leader and achiever, to becoming the president and executive director of WAY. He will raise awareness and discuss the importance of youth empowerment, leadership and diplomacy in the modern and rapidly changing world of today.

He will likewise share advice for students who wish to pursue a career in international organizations and youth diplomacy. He is set to impart significant lessons from his recently published book You’re Never Too Young To Lead, a collection of his personal anecdotes on the makings of a global youth leader.

Prior to his presidency, Pomperada served as the regional director of WYA Asia Pacific, wherein he geared towards strengthening a network of young global changemakers who inspire the future generation of leaders.

He was the Philippine Youth Ambassador to Japan and Southeast Asia sponsored by the Cabinet Office of Japan. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Youth Leaders Association has recognized him with the Gawad ASEANO Award. He was likewise honored by the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) with the 2021 Presidential Awards for the Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO), wherein he received the Pamana ng Pilipino Award.

The Iloilo-born achiever graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs from DLS-CSB, where he was a Deaf advocate and volunteer sign language interpreter. He capped off his senior year as the President of Benilde Corps of Diplomats and News Editor of the Benildean Press Corps.

During graduation, the college bestowed him with the Community Service Award. He was recognized as the Most Outstanding Student Leader and Most Outstanding Campus Journalist at the Gawad Signal Tala Awards. The Bank of the Philippine Islands named him as one of the Ten Outstanding Expat Pinoy Children.

Pomperada completed an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School and recently earned his Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy, a joint program of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Switzerland) and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain).

Organized by the Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance (SDG), the hybrid forum is open to the public via Zoom. It will be conducted on Friday, September 16, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Interested participants may register through https://tinyurl.com/SDGTheYouthCanDoIt until Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 6 p.m.

For more information, visit Benilde SDG on https://www.facebook.com/benilde.sdg.