Over 190 nations are represented in one room, but we are not at the Olympics. One inspiring talk follows the other, but we are not at a TED conference. Where are we? In London, at the One Young World Summit 2019!
One Young World
One Young World Summit 2019
‘One Young World’ (OYW) is a non-profit organisation based in London which was founded in 2009 by Kate Robertson and David Jones. Their message is simple and coherent: “At the heart of every global threat is a failure of leadership”. At the heart of every problem are leaders who lack the empathy, intelligence, or innovativeness required to drive positive change. Therefore, OYW set itself the goal to unite young people from across the globe and provide them with the necessary means to change the world. The OYW network consists of over 12,000 young leaders, other NGOs, numerous global businesses and inspiring counsellors like UN Women ambassador Emma Watson, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mohammad Yunus, or Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. Each year, OYW organises a summit filled with speeches, workshops, and roundtables that are centred on finding solutions for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The summit has already travelled once around the world with previous host cities being Ottawa, Bogota, Johannesburg, Bangkok and, this year, London.
Rebecca Tillery and Chantal Bohn (Germany) | Class of 2020
The Summit
The OYW Summit 2019 took place from 22 October until 25 October in the City of Westminster, London. Two Jacobs students were given the unique chance to attend the summit as delegates funded by the Jacobs Foundation. And that’s us - Rebecca Tillery (IRPH, Class of 2020) and Chantal Bohn (BCCB, Class of 2020). We joined the delegation from Barry Callebaut, one of the biggest cocoa producers and chocolate manufacturers worldwide. Not only have Barry Callebaut profits partially funded our university through their main shareholder (the Jacobs Foundation), but the company and our research laboratories also cooperated on the ‘Cometa’ and ‘Ruby’ chocolate projects. For four days, we were given the chance to listen to leaders of global players, humanitarian organisations, and local communities. We could participate in workshops and discussions ranging from reforestation projects to stopping orphanage tourism.
Rebecca Tillery’s Perspective
I dreamt of attending the One Young World summit since I was 14 years old. Unfortunately, I was never presented the opportunity to go. In retrospective however, I am convinced that my attendance had to wait for me to study International Relations. My time as an IRPH major at one of the most diverse universities provided me with the public speaking and intercultural skills I needed to make the most out of my time in London. Moreover, it gave me the theoretical background to understand the pressing matters this conference tried to address.
I attended inspiring and illuminating speeches from leaders such as Dr. Jane Goodall, Business giant and philanthropist Richard Branson, J.K. Rowling, Human Rights Activist Kumi Naidoo, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Michael Moller, Anti-Corruption activist Bill Browder and many more. Throughout the entire conference there were panel discussions surrounding issues such as climate change, freedom of the press, human trafficking and other important issues. All in all, the conference harbored the reciprocal environment needed for leaders to learn from leaders and be inspired to keep on being the change the world needs.
Concludingly, I left London feeling inspired to continue on and simply do more for the world around me - I came out as a One Young World ambassador empowered to generate positive change. The expectations of the 14 year old girl in me, who always dreamt of attending this conference, were exceeded by more than I can think to express and I am beyond grateful to have been given the chance to be part of a truly productive engine for change.
Dr. Jane Goodall | One Young World 2019
Chantal Bohn’s Perspective
During the Opening Ceremony, the flag bearers walked over the stage in alphabetical order of their countries. With over 190 nations represented, the applause started ebating after the first three letters. But then, in the middle of the letter ‘K’, a small gesture evoked deafening cheers and foot-stamping that resonated in the hall like rolling thunder. The flag bearer of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had stopped in the middle of the stage and waited for the delegate of the Republic of Korea. They joined hands and raised them to the sky.
This little yet incredibly powerful gesture would set the tone for the following days. The speeches and discussions were filled with compassion and solidarity. Delegates and speakers alike presented an astoundingly optimistic view on our future without trivialising current crises. I believe, that thereby OYW created an important counterpoise to the grim picture painted by the media. Climate activists like Greta Thunberg or members of Extinction Rebellion are often portrayed as embittered and angry. And of course, these feelings exist. But the media neglects the compassion and love they carry in their hearts; emotions that are far better motivators for activism and change. The people on stage and in the audience shared this belief and made it the cornerstone of their innovations and ideas.
At the end of the Closing Ceremony, every delegate was given a little ribbon. We were asked to write down our promises. What will we do to lead the world? We tied our ribbons together and soon long threads reached from the balconies to the centre of the room where the pledges of over 10,000 delegates before us formed a gigantic globe of hope. A globe that, in the words of Jane Goodall, does not only say “Yes, we can” but also “Yes, we will”.
By Chantal Bohn and Rebecca Tillery (Germany) | Class of 2020
