U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy Recognizes Duke Student

Friday, February 15, 2008

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Durham, NC -- The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy will recognize Anjali Bhatia, a Duke University sophomore, for her student-run nonprofit organization, Discover Worlds. The Citizen Diplomacy award honors individuals who “have increased mutual understanding, strengthened ties, promoted international cooperation and developed peaceful relations between people of the United States and other countries." Bhatia founded Discover Worlds when she was 16 years old. At 19, she is the only person under 21 to receive the Citizen Diplomacy award.

Discover Worlds encourages high school and university students to raise public awareness of any domestic or international issue they are concerned about. More importantly, says Bhatia, is that the organization also supports students in taking action on those issues. "We're raised to believe that we can make a difference when we're adults," says Bhatia. "People need to see that they can make a huge impact right now." Much of Discover Worlds' work focuses on addressing poverty in Rwanda by supporting children and their communities, building on long-standing relationships nurtured by Bhatia.

As a Robertson Scholar, Bhatia draws energy from her fellow scholars at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill: "When I see how much they can do, I am reminded of how much I can do--they're very inspirational!" Bhatia is currently working to establish Discover Worlds chapters at UNC-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University.