Michael M. Joseph is a born humanitarian. He started his path in humanitarian work at the tender age of 9 years old and has been intimately involved in this area of service for more than (20) twenty years. As a youth, he became a volunteer and member of the Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross Society and worked his way through the ranks to become the youngest individual to be elected to the role of President in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies at the age of (25) twenty-five years old. Michael served in this capacity for (5) years from 2015 to 2020 and went on to become an elected member of the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Society’s Governing Board in Geneva where he served from 2017 to 2020.
Over the past 10 years, through his work with the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society, Michael has helped to strengthen the humanitarian response in Antigua & Barbuda and the wider Caribbean. His expertise in strengthening the Governance and auxiliary role of many of the Caribbean Red Cross Societies has been recognized and commended. His most memorable contribution was demonstrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma which devastated Barbuda. In fact, the Red Cross response is considered to be one of the most complex situations in Antigua & Barbuda’s modern disaster history.
Michael has a passion for youth development and youth engagement and has been working to advocate for the involvement of youth at all levels of decision-making. As a member of the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies’ Youth Commission from 2011- 2015, his team was successful in creating and receiving adoption for the movement’s first youth engagement strategy which now serves as the guiding tool for the full involvement of youth engagement across the world.
On a personal level, Michael is the recipient of two (2) two national youth awards. He was also selected as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Point of Light awardee for volunteerism and is a United States International Visitor’s Leadership Program (IVLP) Alumnus. He’s a pharmacist by profession and currently runs his own pharmaceutical business.
Michael’s overall goal is to help contribute to a better humanity and to serve as an advocate for those whose voices aren’t normally heard. He believes that even if you can only give hope to one person a day, then you have made the world a little better and a little brighter
