Having grown up in apartheid South Africa, Kate's world view is defined by having witnessed the creation of its new way of life. Awed by the leadership of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kate believes that the shared humanity of people makes every good thing possible. One Young World is her idea. Inspired by Kate's love for the Olympic movement and its values. One Young World should, in Kate's vision, give young people a chance to meet their counterparts from every country in the world and resolve to make the world a better place.
The not-for-profit organisation, One Young World, is the brainchild of David Jones, global CEO of Havas, and Kate Robertson, UK group chairman of the advertising agency Euro RSCG. After canvassing interest on Facebook, in businesses and in universities around the world, the inaugural One Young World summit attracted a staggering 823 delegates from no fewer than 114 countries.
Over the course of four days the delegates thrashed out six key resolutions on matters including poverty, climate change, the media, interfaith dialogue, health and the role of multinational business and political systems. They also rubbed shoulders with some of the pre-eminent figures on the international humanitarian scene. Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof, Desmond Tutu and Muhammad Yunus were among the Counsellors who lent their global stature and inspired the delegates. With that kind of profile it’s no wonder the summit was nicknamed the “Young Davos” by CNN and splashed all over the world’s media.
With the first summit a runaway success, any resting on laurels was never going to be an option. Robertson and Jones have been busy looking for the next crop of delegates among companies, NGOs and universities. But the real impetus comes from the One Young World Ambassadors themselves. Interest in the organisation has snowballed beyond all expectation. The target is to recruit 1,600 delegates representing 196 countries for the 2011 summit, which will be hosted in Zurich in September. Already the Facebook site has over 5,000 applicants.
