Innovation Lab Specialist Ryan Peña during his participation at the second edition of World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh - Photo courtesy of Ryan Peña.
CAIRO – 4 November 2018: For nearly 10 years, Ryan Peña has been adept in social media works, mainly to raise public awareness on different causes, including donations to patients.
Peña is currently in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for the first time, where he speaks about the best usage of social media during the second edition of the World Youth Forum, which is taking place during the period from Nov. 3 to 6.
Innovation Lab Specialist Peña told Egypt Today that he was recruited by an event consultancy agency to join the forum this year, and that he “was very impressed by the purpose of the event and very honored to be part of it.”
Innovation Lab Specialist Ryan Peña with panelists during his participation at the second edition of World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh - Photo courtesy of Ryan Peña.
Innovation Lab Specialist Ryan Peña with panelists during his participation at the second edition of World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh - Photo courtesy of Ryan Peña.
Peña along with other panelists will bring to the ground on Monday, Oct. 5 the disadvantages of digital age distraction, and how people can live better lives. His background in social media was demonstrated in his current work at the Be The Match; a national non-profit blood stem cell registry for the cure of blood cancers and diseases.
“I want people to look beyond the negative aspects of social media to understand how it can be used for meaningful change,” Peña said.
When asked about expectations of opportunities of the forum, he added “I look forward to making new connections with other change-makers during my time here as well as making new friends. I love learning from others, especially diverse cultures as we typically bring different experiences and ways of thinking.”
Describing the forum's representation as “diverse,” Peña explained that some participants have similar social media backgrounds, while others have a broader marketing background. “I truly want to know their passion, experience and stories that got them to where they are now. That's inspiring to me.”
As it is not the first time for Peña to share his experiences at conferences all over the United States and internationally, he commented “I feel these events allow me to grow both personally and professionally. Meeting people from outside of my day-to-day circle is an exciting way to gain more experiences and knowledge.”
And regarding the World Youth Forum’s impact on Egypt’s image, he went on saying that the forum provides the country with a stage of positive ideas and inspiration for the world to look up to. “It also brings the world together to experience what can happen when we all come together to make a change.”
Peña noted that his friends and family had mixed concerns about him coming to Egypt, mostly spoiled from news and media. However, he said he did “enough research to see the pride and beauty of this area from people who have actually been here and shared their experience on social media.”
Peña flooded his Twitter account with pictures of his stay in Sharm El-Sheikh, where he arrived a couple of days ahead of the forum to enjoy the sun.
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