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FLA Targets One Million Young Future Leaders by 2015 Across the MEASA Region
Highlights the need for leadership education across the region Dubai November 1st, 2011: Youth in the Middle East and developing regions continue to make up approximately one-fifth of the total population at 20.5 percenti. These statistics imply that it is imperative that leadership principles are brought in at an early age, whether in classrooms or outside them, to curb the growth of unemployment and create young future leadersii. Catering to this growing need, the Future Leadership Academy (FLA), a UAE-based organization was launched today targeting audiences in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA). The FLA is a social venture that kick-starts its pilot initiative in Dubai imparting leadership, thinking and entrepreneurial skills to children and youth. The Academy in its first initiative will launch the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) program for the region. The academys expansion plans are set to take root in the UAE and will eventually move to five countries by 2014. Dr. Curtis L DeBerg, Founder of SAGE said: If we truly want to inspire the next generation of young people to be committed to community causes as well as activities for their personal gain, then we need an education model that integrates social enterprise, environmental awareness and civic engagement with regular education. SAGE is an organization that encourages teenagers to create commercial and social entrepreneurial ventures on their school campuses, and is now active in seven U.S. states and 19 countries. Aman Merchant, Founder and Chief Emagination Officer, Future Leadership Academy, explains: The vast majority of educational systems globally are too focused on academic education rather than what we term holistic education, and are seriously falling short on preparing 21st century citizens. Having launched FLA in the UAE, our target for 2015 is to

create one million young future leaders across the MEASA region. We want to develop todays children and youth to become the responsible and confident leaders of tomorrow. The Academy targets young people from 3 to 24 years of age and will work as a leadership and learning 'open-source platform' offering a unique multi-tiered leadership potential accelerator built around three core concepts Lead, Think and Impact. The FLA is looking forward to working with parents and communities, educational institutes, educators, government entities, corporations and skilled professionals to launch and deliver varied initiatives, continued Merchant. As a start-off Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the FLA will use up to 10 per cent of its revenues to subsidise the cost of participation for those children who may not be able to afford the fees, but are extremely motivated to join the Academy. -ENDSAbout the Future Leadership Academy: The Future Leadership Academy (FLA) is a leadership and learning open-source platform that will also serve as a school of thinking and a youth social-innovation incubator working as a positive change agent. It will be a greenhouse for preparing future world leaders, who will be confident in tackling their country's and their region's most pressing corporate, social, economic and political challenges. For more information, visit: www.futureleadershipacademy.org For media requests, please contact:

Phone: +971 (4) 447 2501 Email: team@tcf-me.com P.O. Box 29764 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Fax: +971 (4) 3447 2505

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International Labour Office (ILOs) Global Employment Trends for Youth report in August 2010 Booz and Company calls for accelerating entrepreneurship in the Middle East