Child protege and accomplished author Amir Fehri, 18, has been wearing a number of hats since a young age.
Among his accomplishments include being appointed Francophonie Ambassador by French President Emmanuel Macron at 15, in honour of his academic history.
Born and brought up in Tunisia, he moved with his parents to live in France six years ago.
The significance of his appointment is the role he gets to play. La Francophonie acts as a forum for educational, political and economic co-operation and provides important support to ensure French remains an international language. France is the leading contributor to the OIF and Francophonie agencies highlighting their role as a priority vehicle for action.
Thus his role is cut out, his mandate allows him to travel and rub shoulders with prominent political dignitaries globally, while simultaneously listening to the needs of the youth of today and promoting education.
Still in his teens, Amir has managed to accomplish more in life than people thrice his age.
The Tunisian, an only child of a Kurdish Iraqi mother and Tunisian father who worked for the WHO, Fehri is a prolific author, completing his sixth and latest book Journal D'Un Jeune Ambassadeur (Diary Of A Young Ambassador), which details his experiences working in diplomacy at a tender age, in just under a week.
Recently in Bangkok to launch the book, which will be translated into Thai by September, Amir spoke with Life about his vision to see the youth of today be equipped with education to lead them to a successful future.
In his capacity as Francophonie ambassador, he gets to meet high school and university students along with dignitaries wherever he goes, with Thailand being no exception.
"While my time in Thailand was spent largely promoting my book, I did find time to meet Thai students. It was a memorable moment," said Amir.
"Besides meeting dignitaries, I always make it a point to spend quality time with the youth of the country. I do this because this is the bridge that brings us together. Policymakers have to realise the urgency of engaging the youth. Signing an MoU is not the ultimate solution, rather listening to the voice of the youth is the backbone of society. Around the world today we see an awakening of young people wanting to be heard. We have to heed that call."
Amir believes in the importance of education as a force for advancement and tolerance that can bring people of different beliefs and backgrounds together.
In this capacity, he has been working with the UN to open the first international school in Mosul, a city in northern Iraq. The city has been rebuilding itself after it was left in ruins in 2014 following intense fighting as the Iraqi government and its allies reclaimed it from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria terror group.
It is reported that the school is scheduled to open its doors for admission by 2025, which will then allow Iraqi students access to school programmes from both Arab countries and the European Union.
Amir is hoping to build a similar school in the Ivory Coast in West Africa. His plans also include visits to Ukraine and Russia to look at what can be done to educate young Ukrainian refugees sheltering in Romania.
A linguist, Amir is the product of Tunisian education. He skipped several grades in school and at age 15 enrolled at the Côte d'Azur University in Nice, France, to study medicine. He will qualify as a medical doctor at age 24 as it takes nine years to get a French medical degree.
The social media-savvy teen published his first book at age 12 -- an autobiographical story about his experiences of being bullied in school. He writes in French but his books have been translated into numerous languages.
Amir has a whole slew of accolades, 25 international prizes in literature alone, despite being still so young.
He speaks seven languages -- Kurdish, French, Chinese, English, German, Arabic and Latin -- which has been instrumental in him communicating with some of the most prominent leaders today.
In Diary Of A Young Ambassador, Amir remarked: "It is my memoir which raises a number of eyebrows because I am still young. When I presented the idea to my publisher, he was sceptical about whether it was a good idea as I am still in my teens.
"At first his reaction made me feel uncertain about going ahead with the plan, however, judging from the fact that I have had an array of exceptional experiences in my still young life, I decided to go ahead.
"The book can be viewed as controversial because I share my take on my encounters with politicians, dignitaries from all walks of life, and also the media. It is a first-hand encounter of what often goes on behind the scenes. This book gives you a glimpse of what I often encounter on my travels, so I think it will make for an interesting read."
Amir said the work that went into getting this book together was interesting because he was sharing experiences that were often left unspoken but felt intensely.
"It took me four days of working round the clock to get all my ideas on paper. I started work on the book each day at 9pm and worked until 9am of the next morning. I am a person that cannot rest until I have completed my task. I only took a break to eat and meet up with friends to chill out for a short while before coming back to writing.
"People often ask me how I am able to multitask with my busy schedule, but the answer is simple. I use apps to help me navigate through the day.''
