JA Worldwide On-Site at One Young World Summit 2024
September 17–20, 2024
One Young World is holding its annual global summit this week in Montreal, and JA is there! The summit convenes young leaders from 190+ countries and 250+ organizations, working to accelerate social impact. We can't reach 2 billion young people alone, and we're proud to work with youth-serving organizations like One Young World.
Kristina Yurko, JA Worldwide's Global Development Manager, is on-site as a delegate, participating in four transformative days of speeches, workshops, and networking. Explore this year’s agenda and take a look at some of Kristina’s highlights and photos from the summit below.
One Young World Summit 2024
Guest blog by Kristina Yurko
Tuesday: I worked with Tamara Silva, JA Worldwide’s Senior Manager of Executive Operations and Special Projects, to set up the Modern Achievement booth, presented in partnership with the Z Zurich Foundation. We’ve really enjoyed sharing Modern Achievement—a new book by JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani and global leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith—with attendees at the summit. We were also able to visit other booths, including one showcasing chocolates from Peace by Chocolate, a business started by a Syrian refugee in Nova Scotia.
Wednesday: We spent the day engaging with attendees at the booth and joined the Z Zurich delegation for lunch. I attended the summit opening ceremony at the Bell Center, which featured performances by Rupi Kaur and an indigenous hoop dancer. Dr. David Suzuki and Margaret Atwood also delivered inspiring speeches.
Thursday: The day was packed with amazing sessions, full of energy and simultaneous events. We interacted with many enthusiastic and engaged visitors at the booth. I attended the presentation of the Entrepreneurs of the Year awards, where One Young World honored three remarkable winners for turning their real-life challenges into businesses that help others in similar situations. I encourage you to read their truly inspiring stories.
The IKEA session on “Addressing Climate Change through Youth Entrepreneurship” was highly interactive, allowing participants to ask questions and engage in conversations with the panel. Later, on the Rekitt stage, two incredible young female politicians, Hans and Elena, spoke passionately about inclusive political participation and increasing representation. Their powerful and authentic speeches emphasized the importance of standing up for oneself and being brave in the face of adversity. They reminded us that if we don’t take our seat at the table, someone else will. The session concluded with Hana and a group of New Zealanders performing a traditional song and dance, which was a joyful and amazing cultural sharing experience.
The day ended with insightful talks from Virgin Unite about systems thinking and L’Oréal about water sustainability. Cher and Dr. Jane Goodall also spoke about conservation and the importance of saving animals and their habitats.
Check back next week for more about Kristina’s delegate experience.