Kate Robertson, co-founder of One Young World, is on a mission to inspire and empower the next generation of global change-makers. Her organization, co-founded in 2009 with David Jones, hosts an annual summit that brings together youths from over 190 countries to address pressing global issues. With more than 17,000 youth ambassadors, interest in One Young World is soaring.
Robertson’s passion is personal. “I grew up in apartheid South Africa, where, along with the huge sacrifice of the Black struggle, the transformative leadership of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu changed the trajectory, changed the arc of history,” Robertson explains.
How One Young World’s Summits Unite Junior Leaders
Encouraging and arming the next generation with resources to change the world is a central goal of Kate Robertson’s and the main aim of One Young World. The magic happens at its annual summits.
The upcoming 2024 One Young World Summit in Montreal will focus on five key themes: water scarcity, Indigenous voices, gender equality in health care, artificial intelligence, and peace and reconciliation. These topics reflect the most urgent concerns identified by fledgling trailblazers worldwide, according to the nonprofit’s annual research.
There are several pathways to participation. Robertson emphasizes the importance of One Young World’s scholarship programs, which aim to make the event accessible to a diverse range of peer up-and-comers. Roughly a third of participants attend on fully funded scholarships.
The application process for these scholarships is highly competitive.
“The first 10 of the scholarship programs for 2024 Montreal were launched from November, December through January and to the end of February,” Kate Robertson recalls. “And just 10 of those programs had 48,000 applicants; these amazing people around the world are absolutely determined to get themselves into this network. That is a big thing. That is a big thing to manage.”
This overwhelming response illustrates the eagerness to engage with One Young World’s mission. It encourages activists to apply and seeks individuals who are already making a difference in their communities or have innovative ideas to address global challenges.
For those unable to attend the summit in person, One Young World offers numerous ways to get involved throughout the year. Its Global Leadership Program aims to redefine traditional notions of leadership.
The organization’s Action Accelerator Program is designed to help burgeoning leaders turn their ideas into concrete actions. This initiative provides support, mentorship, and resources to people working on projects that align with One Young World’s mission.
Ways To Work With One Young World
The organization’s network extends far beyond the annual summit. Robertson proudly shares that it facilitated around 140 meetings worldwide last year, ranging from small gatherings of 30 to 40 people to larger events with over 300 attendees. These gatherings provide opportunities to connect, share ideas, and collaborate on local and global initiatives.
“Don’t judge, deliver,” Robertson emphasizes. “If you are busy delivering, you don’t have the time and energy to waste by criticizing other people.”
Robertson cites as inspiration from the Theodore Roosevelt quote, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming.”
One Young World also offers in-person and virtual events in various cities, mentorship opportunities, ways to work at the summit, and community collaborations worldwide from Q&A sessions to caucuses. In April, One Young World Southern Africa and Standard Bank jointly hosted a master class with the theme “Empowering Young Voices.” The event focused on youth unemployment, mental health, and elections across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Mozambique. Some of the specific solutions for solving the employment crises in this region include bridging educational gaps, boosting educational skills in fields such as renewable energy and textiles, encouraging entrepreneurship, and a crucial focus on private sector support.
Kate Robertson Shares Where One Young World Is Going
With future summits set to hit hot spots such as Munich, Japan, and the Middle East, Robertson encourages people to stay connected with One Young World through its social media channels, where they can find inspiration, share their stories, and potentially connect with volunteers for their initiatives.
For Robertson, the ultimate goal is clear: to inspire, build, and elevate a generation of ethical, effective, and responsible leaders who can address the world’s most pressing challenges. Through One Young World, she invites up-and-comers from all backgrounds to join what she describes as “the most valuable network of young leaders in the world” and be part of a movement that is “genuinely hopeful” about the future.
Part of the organization’s goal involves ongoing work with its ambassadors in all corners of the globe. Robertson says its ambassadors in the U.K. “meet up every six or seven weeks and then have a couple of big meetings a year,” and she adds that a meeting in India was attended by over 300 people.
As the world grapples with complex issues from climate change to peace and reconciliation, Robertson’s message is simple yet powerful.
“You just don’t give up,” Kate Robertson emphasizes. “You have to keep going.”
