Staff writer Cruz Glynka discusses the inspirational people who spoke about the importance of youth leadership at the One Young World Summit in Manchester this year.
This year the One Young World Summit was held in Manchester. The summit was a colourful and vibrant exposé of the ingenuity of young people from across the globe. Those attending were challenged through inspirational talks, workshops, and action sessions where there were opportunities to grow and share ideas with leading experts within their field. One Young World provided the chance to engage in various global issues, from education to justice reform. There were numerous opportunities to nurture ideas and connect with people with similar ambitions.
Inspiring and heartfelt stories of ambitious leaders committing to social action via their initiatives were all but commonplace as talent from Manchester Central shone through. It was truly inspirational to hear the impacts they are having locally, nationally, and internationally. We spoke to various young leaders to understand what their journeys looked like and take away some knowledge they had learnt along their journeys.
Ahmed Ali, founder of Code, made a tech hub to support Sudanese students to study programming and mobile app development to prepare for the fast-changing market, locally and globally. After developing these skills himself, he noticed an opportunity to help others develop and grow. In a truly inspiring story, Ahmed describes the importance of resilience, having had to promote social change through revolutions and coups within Sudan. He shared the value of sustainability and networking to traverse the complexities of leadership.
Esther Okeoghene Edward (left) in conversation with Steven Collet (right) at the 2022 One Young World Manchester Summit.
Esther Okeoghene Edward, founder of the Bluvard Education Initiative, founded a youth-led organisation that promotes inclusive education in rural Nigerian communities. After graduating from university, she developed many of the skills she needed through volunteering, enabling her to develop ideas and learn how she could transform her community. Upon seeing the disconnect between education and work skills, she wished to aid those most in need to grow. Esther spoke about the importance of taking an empathic approach to social issues, and the need for holistic change. She highlighted the benefit that developing social initiatives brings to society and personally in leadership. When asked what advice she had for other young people, she said, “be open to not knowing and be open to trying” and “just start, and don’t be afraid”. It was truly unique hearing young voices from across the globe speak about how they transform society through their resilience, empathy, and drive.
The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, embraced the fact the summit took place in Manchester this year. We spoke to Lauren Rosegreen, who was selected as a Leading Manchester Scholar. She runs Invisible, a non-profit based in Manchester that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides in the city centre. A Manchester Young Talent ‘Community Hero’, she is championing the voice of the displaced, advocating for intersectionality to drive genuine social change on challenging issues facing Manchester. When discussing leadership and activism, she supported the importance of highlighting commonality and forging community to bring about change. When asked for advice for young leaders, Lauren said it’s important to “become self-aware about who you want to be and connect”.
Ultimately, Laurens’ thoughts summarise the sentiments of One Young World, which aimed to grow and enthusiastically connect young people. Using the expertise of today’s youth, this one young world we inhabit shall remain youthful into the future.
Useful Links:
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘Enterprise for Peace’ Scholars: Scholarships received by this year’s delegates – Potential to apply for the Belfast 2023 Scholarship
