Established in 1999, Athgo is an apolitical not for profit 501c3 non-governmental organization based in Los Angeles, California, with programs in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Earmarked for people ages 18 to 32 years old, our programs, all of which combine both academic and professional training, ensure a structured, yet flexible, approach to mobilizing and engaging young people in Athgo's two major program areas:
Affiliations and Networks
Athgo is a member of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest, global corporate citizenship initiative. Having consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council and the UN Department of Public Information, Athgo also has access to most UN hosted summits and conferences and is well positioned to make formal contributions to the UN’s overall development agenda. In addition, Athgo has a formal agreement with the UN to house the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) Global Youth Coalition secretariat, which will serve as the focal point for GAID’s youth related activities by providing a venue for young peoples to share knowledge and experiences on ICT-for-development and youth issues.
Through partnerships with academia, the private and public sectors, and international entities and governments, our programs have built a growing network that includes over 100,000 young members, nearly 500 universities and colleges worldwide, and partnerships with international entities such as the UN, the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization, Fortune 500 companies, government Ministries, and UN Permanent Missions and Embassies representing over 50 countries.
Since 2003, our Global Forums, Internships and Associates Program have directly engaged and trained over 3,000 college students and young entrepreneurs in all levels of the political, social, and economic policy development process. Many Athgo alumni are employed or interning at the UN, the World Bank and other international organizations, multinational corporations, governments, and NGOs.
Origins of the Athgo Name
What does "Athgo" stand for? We've been asked this question a lot lately, so we thought it was time not only to set the record straight but also to move forward and update our name just as we did our logo in April, 2008.
When Athgo was established in 1999, "Athgo" was an acronym for "Alliance Toward Harnessing Global Opportunities," which summarized our goal at the time to provide opportunities for a globally diverse group of young people to further their education, training, and networking in the realm of international affairs. Although Athgo has remained true to its foundational principles, over the years it has also evolved, progressed, and refined its mission to the point that the old acronym no longer adequately expresses either the wide-ranging scope of our endeavors or the particular emphases of our individual programs.
During the same period of time, however, the name "Athgo" has become recognized worldwide and associated with the good work of the organization, thereby precluding a name change for the sake of a new acronym that would only result in confusion. Therefore, we have decided, beginning in April, 2008, to update our name simply to "Athgo" and to drop "Alliance Toward Harnessing Global Opportunities" from our collateral materials. In doing so, we hope that Athgo will continue to be recognized for its past work while also being free to undertake new initiatives that will keep it relevant and on the cutting edge in addressing the most pressing issues of an ever-changing world.
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