Mazda Space hosting conferences for young leaders

Mazda Space is hosting a series of three Barcelona Challengers Conferences on 12 May. Dedicated to future political and societal issues, the conferences are aimed at an international audience of students along with European media. Building on Mazda’s partnership with the last two World Summits of Nobel Peace Laureates, past winners of the prestigious award will speak at each event.

“Building bridges – how peace is made” is the theme of the first conference, with Lord David Trimble as the keynote speaker. The politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for the role he played during the Northern Ireland peace process, will also discuss conflict resolution and the importance of the proper line of argumentation during peace negotiations.

“As a challenger brand, we at Mazda have deep respect for those who challenge convention to make the world a better place,” commented Mazda Motor Europe President & CEO Jeff Guyton. “The Barcelona Challengers Conferences offer a platform for tomorrow’s leaders to exchange ideas and gain inspiration from renowned individuals who have already made an extraordinary contribution to peace.” 

The winner of the second-annual Mazda Make Things Better Award winner will also be announced during the 12 May event. The €10,000 award was inaugurated in 2013 to support imaginative under-30s with ideas to improve peoples’ everyday lives using modern tools of advocacy. The winner of this year’s award is Yuka Kawamura, a Japanese international relations student who plans to set up an interactive online platform offering free mentoring and tutoring services to youths and young students worldwide. 

At the second Barcelona Challengers Conference in mid-June, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee, another Nobel Peace laureate, will talk about women and leadership in the 21^st century. The third event is planned for September. All three will be held at Mazda Space, the carmaker’s European cultural and event hub located in the heart of Barcelona. The venue was conceived to enable people to experience the Mazda brand and its challenger spirit while also providing a forum for dialogue with the like-minded. Since opening last September, Mazda Space has attracted more than 60,000 visitors.