Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, Announces Sahil Shah as Winner of the 2021 Gorbachev/Shultz, Voices Youth Award

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons selects Sahil Shah as the 2021 Gorbachev/Shultz, Voices Youth Award Winner in recognition of his outstanding efforts to help abolish nuclear weapons. The award honors the legacy of former U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S.A. Secretary of State George Shultz in their efforts for nuclear disarmament. The first Voices Youth Award was given to Kehkashan Basu, President and Founder of Green Hope Foundation last year. Sahil will accept the award on August 6, at 9AM, PDT during a Voices webinar.

Sahil Shah (26) currently works as a Policy Fellow at the European Leadership Network (ELN) in London. In this role, Sahil advises senior transatlantic government stakeholders on reducing strategic and nuclear risks and convenes international security dialogues. In particular, he leads the organization's efforts to stabilize and strengthen nuclear and regional security diplomacy with Iran and its neighbors, and also advises widely on other non-proliferation, disarmament, and arms control issues.

Separately, Sahil recently reprised his previously held role as a Policy and Outreach Consultant to the Office of the Executive Secretary at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and is also a Policy Advisor to the Institute for Security and Technology (IST). He is part of the inaugural class of 2021 Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leaders, has worked closely with former US Secretary of Defense William J. Perry as a member of the Perry Project Advisory Board, supported the Nuclear Security Project at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), co-directed the Stanford US-Russia Forum (SURF), and helped create and chaired the CTBTO Youth Group (CYG).

Sahil has become well known at the most senior levels of security and defense circles across the world, leading multiple peer-to-peer, intergenerational, and expert/official Track 1.5/2 programs to stimulate creative, diverse, and inclusive thinking on nuclear weapons issues.

"Sahil is the brightest of the young people working to reduce the existential nuclear dangers we all face. Our future depends on the success of young people like him succeeding where my generation failed. I am proud to have been one of his teachers." – William J. Perry, 19th U.S. Secretary of Defense 

Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons is part of United Religions Initiative (URI) the largest grassroots interfaith network in the world: building bridges through working together on practical projects that enhance civil communities and understanding between people of different religious and cultural traditions.  

Contact: Julie Schelling
P: 347.719.1518
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons