Dr. Renzo Guinto, campaigner for the Healthy Energy Initiative of Health Care Without Harm-Asia, was named an Aspen New Voices Fellow for 2016 by the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC whose mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues.
Dr. Renzo Guinto (Photo courtesy of the Aspen Insitute)
Now on its fourth year, the New Voices Fellowship is a groundbreaking program designed to amplify the voices of experts from the developing world in the global development discussion. This year, the Aspen Institute selected 21 fellows who are leading scientists, educators, doctors, policy experts, activists and economists coming from 13 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Renzo is the first Filipino and the second Southeast Asian to be named an Aspen New Voices Fellow. In its press release, the Aspen Institute recognized Renzo for his leadership role in “exploring the intersection of global health & climate change,” particularly in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
“He is a strong proponent of greater involvement of public health experts, particularly from the developing world, in mitigating climate change and speaks clearly and thoughtfully about how governments should be assessing their way forward,” the Institute describes Renzo in its release.
As a New Voices Fellow, Renzo will participate in a year-long series of activities, including an inaugural workshop with mentors in Johannesburg, South Africa in February, participation in the annual Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colorado in June, another workshop in Africa in August, and a closing “Aspen Seminar” in Washington, DC in December. During the entire year, Renzo will also participate in an online mentorship program with an accomplished journalist on a wide range of media skills such as writing op-eds and preparing TEDx-like presentations, among others.
“This Fellowship is a deep personal blessing, a great honor for our country, and a positive contribution towards the advancement of our causes, including my work in Health Care Without Harm,” stated Renzo. “I commit to maximize this rare opportunity and ensure that our unique voice is heard by those who make the ultimate decisions for the rest of us.”