One Young World
Friday 5 March 2010
Youth reporter Einy attended the One Young World event. Read her blog.
Write Here Right Now
Write Here Right Now is the UK’s leading hub of information on global issues – created entirely by young people, for young people.
Einy, a reporter for Write Here Right Now, got to attend the One Young World event. Read her report on what happened and who she got to speak to.
Einy's report
'Young people aren’t interested in politics, they don’t care about global issues – they care about violent video games.'
Try telling that to the thousands of young people who attended One Young World, a youth summit which brought together under-25s from over 100 nations for one thing - to discuss their opinions on critical issues like climate change and poverty.
David Jones, a co-founder of One Young World, set the record straight. “World leaders often get it wrong. We want to give today's young leaders a chance to get it right.”
Making a difference
One Young World saw young people from all over the world stand up and deliver speeches to over 1,000 people. Kicking off on the topic of climate change were people growing up in the UK. We also heard from teens from developing countries like Bangladesh and Haiti, countries which are experiencing the effects of things like climate change and poverty. They spoke with a different perspective on things that most people ignore in their day-to-day lives.
It soon became clear that young people all around the world were making their mark. French delegate Parker Litaud, who is only 15 years old, told the audience that he would soon undertake the challenge of becoming the youngest person to ski to the North Pole where ice caps are melting at a worrying rate.
Throughout the day, influential figures who’ve already made an impact in the world were making their rounds. I got to see people like Professor Muhammad Yunus, who won a Nobel Peace prize in 2006. He is known for creating a nutritious yoghurt in Bangladesh which has already transformed the lives of thousands of malnourished children in the area.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Pekka Himanen, John Hope Bryant and HRH Haakon, the three co-founders of an organisation called Global Dignity. Watch the interview!
Familiar faces
I also spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd. People like Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof, Wyclef Jean and Archbishop Desmond Tutu were all there to pledge their support.
Let’s not make the same mistakes that the last generation did. “You feel you have been let down by my generation, and say you are going to do better. I think you should,” explains Kofi Annan.
We are the generation of hope and prosperity, but we are living in a climate of fear inherited from the world’s previous tenants. Can we do something about it? Of course!
Get involved
Do you think you could write headlines? If you’re passionate about something and want to express your feelings through words then read this helpful article.
You could also contact Write Here Right Now, a site dedicated to people who want to make a difference in the world. Visit the site if you want to get involved.
Volunteering is a great way to help others in the UK and abroad. At the same time you’ll learn some valuable life lessons too. Check out CSV for more information.
