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Y20 (Youth Summit)
Winter 2026 | USA
Meet the 2026 Y20 Fellows
Isha Desai
Isha Desai is a writer, researcher and analyst, graduated from the University of Sydney in Politics and International Relations. She was the 2024 Indo Pacific Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA) and currently works in sustainability and social impact policy at Penguin Random House ANZ. In 2025, Isha was accepted into the Women in Strategic Policy Program, and her writing has been featured in the Lowy Interpreter, ASPI Strategist and Australian Outlook. Isha is very excited to be representing Australia at the 2026 Y20 Summit in Washington DC with a particular focus on climate mobility governance.
Connor Maloney
Connor Maloney is a third-year Bachelor of Arts student at Curtin University, majoring in International Relations, Security, and Strategic Studies, and President of the Curtin International Relations Society. A competitive sailor representing Western Australia, he leads initiatives engaging young Australians in Indo-Pacific policy debates. Connor has a particular interest in confidence-building measures, multitrack diplomacy, and how middle powers can uphold a rules-based international order while managing complex economic interdependence. His Global Voices fellowship work focuses on mitigating the risk of armed escalation in the South China Sea through multilateral diplomacy and confidence-building measures.
Adam Gottschalk
Adam Gottschalk is an emerging writer and policy leader in the climate space, with experience across think tanks, advocacy organisations, the public service and parliament. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the ANU in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and Arts specialising in Environmental Studies and French. In 2024, Adam was an Anne Kantor Fellow at The Australia Institute. He is also an accomplished writer, most recently shortlisted for the Australian Book Review's 2025 Calibre Essay Prize. Adam will be focusing on supply-side fossil fuel policy during his Global Voices Fellowship, advocating for fossil fuel phase-out.
Riya Rao
Riya is a final year Bachelor of International Studies/Media (Communication & Journalism) student at UNSW whose commitment to ethical humanitarianism, Indigenous participation and people-centred policy stems from global study, volunteerism and development work, recently supporting DFAT’s Fiksim Sola initiative in Tanna, Vanuatu. Witnessing first-hand the precarity of locally-led development without structural scaffolding inspired her ongoing original research project, proposing storian, Ni-Vanuatu storytelling, as a non-extractive methodology to translate Melanesian lived-experience into decision-making arenas. This ethos underlies her professional roles, amplifying marginalised perspectives as SAARI Collective’s Newsletter Editor and previous strategic communications work with Australian Red Cross for people-first humanitarian action.
Madura Katta
Madura is a policy officer in the Queensland Government working to improve the lives of marginalised communities. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Queensland and a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia. She has a diverse range of experience, encompassing research in areas from food insecurity to health communication, and practical policy experience across critical sectors, including health, treasury, and corrective services. Her work reflects her upbringing in India, Canada, and Australia. She aims to bridge the gap between research and policy to advocate for evidence-based solutions to improve health outcomes.
What is the Y20 Summit?​
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The Y20 (Youth 20) is the official youth engagement group of the G20, an international forum for young leaders from G20 countries. The Y20 serves as a platform for youth to express their perspectives, propose solutions, and engage in dialogue on global issues such as climate change, education, employment, and social inclusion. Each year, Y20 delegates gather at a summit hosted by the G20 presidency, where they collaborate to develop policy recommendations that are presented to G20 leaders. The Y20 aims to ensure that the voices of young people are heard in shaping global policies and fostering sustainable development, promoting the active involvement of youth in decision-making processes at the highest levels of governance.
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The Y20 is different to our other delegations. Fellows are not only completing the Global Voices Fellowship Program requirements, but are actively negotiating on behalf of Australian young people at the Y20 (G20 Youth Summit). This requires a much higher time and work commitment than our other delegations. You must be willing to actively participate in additional tasks and meetings throughout the year, as a part of being an Australian Y20 delegate.
To be eligible to apply, you must:
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Be aged 18 - 30 for the full duration of the program
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Be available for pre-departure training in Canberra
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Be available and able to travel for the full duration of the international delegation you are applying for
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Be able to travel to the country of the delegation you are applying for
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Have the ability to commit at least 5 hours per week to the fellowship program
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Currently hold or can obtain a passport which is valid for at least 6-months after the end of your delegation
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Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
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Have not taken part in the Global Voices Fellowship Program before.
​We are looking for delegates that have:
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Personal and/or professional interest in the delegation’s purpose and issues
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Potential to gain professionally and personally from the Fellowship Program
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Intention to use this unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their communities
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A desire to upskill in policy writing to create meaningful change.​
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A willingness to participate in online negotiations and meetings in the lead up to the Y20. Because of time zones, the Australian delegation often has to take part in online meetings at various times of the day/night and delegates must be willing to commit to this.