Montreal’s historic Olympic Stadium hummed with loads of chance and potential this September when over 2,000 budding leaders from throughout the globe gathered for One Younger World’s 2024 summit. The four-day occasion remodeled Canada’s cultural capital into an epicenter of activism and cross-cultural dialogue.
“There was a real exchange of knowledge, I think, between the different communities,” One Younger World Managing Director Ella Robertson McKay says. “One Young World is one of the only forums in the world where countries that have much smaller economies than G20 nations are given, or are able to rightfully take up the space that they deserve. I think that is something that’s really unique about the work that we do.”
The summit marked a watershed second — the launch of One Younger World’s first Indigenous Youth Day. Ella Robertson McKay described the profound affect: “We have been deeply honored to companion with our Indigenous Youth Council and native communities to create house for Indigenous youth to attach and share their knowledge.
Their tales maintain invaluable classes that may information us all towards a extra inclusive future. “By dedicating the first morning of the main conference to Indigenous perspectives, we wanted to emphasize the crucial role these young leaders play in shaping global conversations. Their insights and leadership are essential in addressing today’s most pressing challenges.”
Ella Robertson McKay Champions Subsequent Technology Leaders
The summit’s programming centered on 5 key themes: water shortage, Indigenous voices, gender equality in well being care, moral synthetic intelligence improvement, and peace-building initiatives. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participated in an in depth dialogue about AI with world AI knowledgeable Yoshua Bengio, demonstrating the Canadian authorities’s dedication to participating youth on rising applied sciences.
Robertson McKay remembers listening to a delegate discuss concerning the summit’s affect, saying, “When I saw AI on the agenda, I really didn’t think that was for me. It’s completely changed my perspective, and I realized how much it’s going to impact my own work.”
The occasion featured exceptional moments of intergenerational dialogue. Literary icon Margaret Atwood, creator of The Handmaid’s Story, acquired a thunderous standing ovation after her humble introduction: “My name is Margaret Atwood and I write books.” Her presence alongside different luminaries like Queen Rania of Jordan and environmental activist Jane Goodall created highly effective bridges between established leaders and rising voices.
One Younger World maintains a steadfast dedication to accessibility. “Currently, about a third of our attendees receive fully funded scholarships covering flights, visas, everything,” Robertson McKay provides. “We’ve announced our ambition to reach 50% scholarship attendance by 2030.”
Constructing Bridges for International Options
The gathering showcased exceptional success tales from One Younger World’s world community. Robertson McKay highlighted how a 2018 delegate speaker who acquired a $10,000 grant by the nonprofit’s COVID fund, established for these on the entrance traces of the pandemic response, just lately secured a $20 million grant from Melinda French Gates to advance gender equality.
“One Young World’s social return on investment is 16 to 1,” Ella Robertson McKay explains, highlighting the multiplicative energy of investing in nascent management. “Any investor would certainly take a return of 16 to 1 on an investment.”
Montreal’s choice as host metropolis carried particular significance. Recognized to Indigenous peoples as Tiohtia:ke, the placement completely aligned with the occasion’s emphasis on Indigenous voices and cross-cultural dialogue. The carbon-neutral Montreal Conference Centre offered a super setting for discussions about environmental stewardship and sustainable improvement.
Looking forward to 2025’s Munich summit, Robertson McKay stays targeted on increasing One Younger World’s affect by significant partnerships and direct funding initiatives. “Through One Young World, we provide networking, inspiration, mentorship, platform opportunities, and funding,” she informs. “The funding component proves particularly powerful in accelerating change.”
The Montreal summit demonstrated how hope can catalyze concrete motion. “Optimism isn’t enough. You have to have hope, which is really the active part of it,” Robertson McKay displays. “Hope is the antidote to all of it, to war, to climate change. When you feel hopeful, you feel you can do something, and in turn, doing something makes you feel hopeful. It’s a virtuous cycle.”
One Younger World Ambassadors Main the Method
Lots of One Younger World’s youth leaders took to social media to share their pleasure and examine notes on the occasion.
Veronica Torres shared on LinkedIn she was “Incredibly honored to be selected as a 2024 One Young World United Way Delegate!”
She additionally expressed her gratitude to United Method, which has partnered with One Younger World to convey a number of the pacesetters working on the nonprofit to the summit.
“I have the pleasure of working to promote health equity across our diverse five boroughs,” Torres shared. “I’m really excited to jump into some of those health equity keynotes and presentations and bring back that knowledge to continue serving the New York City region. Over the past few months, I have been empowered by ongoing professional development trainings, preparing for the 2024 One Young World Summit in Montreal.”
Jennifer McEathron was one other United Method attendee. “Learning about One Young World has really kind of reassured me that there is hope for a stronger tomorrow. And it really is an honor to be given an opportunity to meet the best and the brightest young professionals.”
