On Thursday afternoon, before a gathering of 50 young people between the ages of 20 and 30 — those who, in the official description, “are exceptional in their potential, their achievements and their drive to make a contribution to their communities” — the prime minister of Canada was publicly complimented on his “sock swag.”
“You can see, we’re just so excited to have this chat with you,” offered the moderator, after Justin Trudeau had been greeted by a standing ovation and one whoop. “In particular, we’re just amazed by how much you’ve accomplished in a very short amount of time. It seems like you’ve awakened, or reawakened rather, the spirit of an inclusive, welcoming, positive Canada.”
His formidable audience — gathered together as “Global Shapers” and boasting the sort of resumes that humble their elders — was indeed enthusiastic.
“There’s three words that you said — ‘[because] it’s 2015’ — that really made a lot of people in Nepal, a lot of people around the world, realize the importance of gender parity,” a young man recalled of Trudeau’s quip after swearing in a cabinet split evenly by gender.