UN Human Rights Champion Kehkashan Basu to Speak at ISU’s 54th Frank Church Symposium

ISU’s International Affairs Council is pleased to announce the keynote speaker for the 2025 Frank Church Symposium, who will address the community at the Bilyeu Theatre in Frazier Hall on April 3, 2025, at 6 p.m. Online streaming via Zoom will also be an option for those unable to attend in person, please visit the symposium website for the link as the event approaches.

The keynote speech, called "Powering Feminist Sustainable Development,” will be given by Kehkashan Basu, Canadian Founder-President of Green Hope Foundation & UN Human Rights Champion from the United Arab Emirates. At only 24 years old, Kehkashan Basu, who holds a master's degree in business administration and has received Canada's Meritorious Service Medal, is an iconic global influencer, educator, environmentalist, champion of women and children’s rights, TEDx speaker, Climate Reality Mentor, author, musician, peace and sustainability campaigner. 

Basu is the only Canadian to win the International Children’s Peace Prize. A Forbes 30 Under 30, Kehkashan is a United Nations Human Rights Champion, a National Geographic Young Explorer, a UNCCD Land Hero, a UN Habitat Young City Champion, the Regional Organizing Partner for North America for the NGO Major Group, and one of Canada's Top 25 Women of Influence. 

Kehkashan is the founder-president of global social innovation enterprise Green Hope Foundation, which works at a grassroots level in 28 countries, empowering over 500,000 young people and women, especially those from vulnerable communities, in the sustainable development process. She has spoken at over 500 United Nations events and other global fora.

She is a trustee of the Parliament of the World's Religions, a board member of the International Leadership Association, co-lead of UN Women Generation Equality Forum's Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice, and a member of the World Humanitarian Forum Youth Council.

She is the recipient of several awards that include the World Literacy Award for Significant Contribution to Literacy by a Young Person, Canada's Global Energy Show Emerging Leader Award, and the Pax Christi Toronto Teacher of Peace Award. Kehkashan was named one of the Top 100 SDG Leaders in the world in 2019. She continues to work tirelessly to amplify the voices of young people, women, and girls in decision-making processes.

Community members are warmly invited to attend. On-campus parking is free after 4 p.m. for those attending in-person, and the closest parking lot to the Bilyeu Theatre is available at Frazier Hall.

The International Affairs Council was started in 1970 in memory of the late Senator Frank Church and has since then organized the Frank Church Symposium every spring on the Pocatello campus of Idaho State University. This international symposium is a rare forum in the United States because it is fully student-organized and primarily funded by the student government body, ASISU.