Is he Richmond’s next mayor? Heck, is he Canada’s next prime minister?
Perhaps those are some lofty goals, but Richmond resident Nicholas White is setting equally impressive goals for himself.
“I actually want to be a corporate lawyer,” said the 12 year-old Grade 6 student, who on Sunday will depart for the Montessori Model United Nations in New York.
“Maybe I’ll be a politician. I don’t know,” he added.
So then, who better than Richmond’s Mayor Malcolm Brodie, a lawyer himself, to wish Nicholas good luck before his big trip?
On Wednesday, Brodie graciously carved out a moment of his day to give some advice to Nicholas, who will present a one-minute speech in the Grand Assembly Hall. The two chatted in Richmond City Council chambers, a lesser grand assembly hall, if you will.
Brodie told Nicholas he went to the University of B.C. for his law degree and practiced various laws in Richmond until he became mayor.
Nicholas, a student at Lions Gate Montessori in Vancouver, is one of 800 students participating in the model UN event. He’ll be attending with a handful of classmates.
His speech will be on microfinance in Ethiopia.
He said through research he found that small, low-interest loans granted to poor people can benefit communities by helping local businesses get off the ground.
“I didn’t know what it was at first but after I did a lot of research, I learned it’s not poor people’s fault that they’re poor, it’s the institutions that make them poor,” said Nicholas.
He added he has been inspired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed Yunus’ famous statement: “Poverty is not created by poor people. It is created by the institutions and policies, which surround them.”
Nicholas is one of few who will actually be speaking in the hall, where national leaders address the world.
He will tell his fellow youth delegates that, globally, over one billion people live in poverty and 2.5 billion people are “financially excluded,” many of whom are women and those living in rural areas.
He will call upon Canada to fund and assist microfinance programs.
Nicholas said the experience will allow him to improve his public speaking and learn more about the United Nations.
At his age he’s already done a lot, such as placing first in the TEDx Vancouver Youth Initiative contest, one of many public speaking awards he’s received.
As well, he recently approached Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, at a street corner during last November’s election campaign, to raise awareness about drug use in a park adjacent to his school.
“He’s passionate about our community and enjoys speaking with politicians at every opportunity,” said mom, Catherine White.
Nicholas’ itinerary also includes trips to the Guggenheim, the Natural History Museum, and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Following New York, he and his classmates will go to Washington, DC. To visit the White House, where he’ll go bowling and cross his fingers to meet President Barack Obama.
