August Spotlight: Himashi Liyanarachchi

Himashi Liyanarachchi, a National Youth Council member and founder of Seminole HS Red Cross Club, recently participated in the 2020 IHL YAC Summit.

While looking for ways to increase youth involvement and impact in her community, Himashi founded her Red Cross Club at her high school & found herself jumping into IHL. As the Political Discourse Speaker for the IHL Youth Action Campaign Summit last month, Himashi was able to speak to selected members of Congress about regulations on autonomous weapons.

At her local level, due to COVID-19, Himashi ran her Club’s first IHL campaign completely virtual. Taking advantage of the poll features on Instagram stories and surveys, Himashi and her team were able to reach out to a large audience and spark conversation surrounding autonomous weapons with their community. Despite it being her Club’s first IHL campaign, her team gained new insights about International Humanitarian Law through thought-provoking discussion and firsthand learned the importance of advocacy through their experience.

Through her Red Cross Club and IHL experiences, Himashi has learned to step out of her comfort zone, establish new connections, and engage with her community.

What an amazing story, Himashi. We can’t wait to see what you do next!