Young People Ready to Make Their Mark in the Face of a Challenging Global Legacy

One Young World Publishes Groundbreaking Report Ahead of the Summit in Zurich

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Aug 25, 2011, 11:37 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's young people have declared themselves ready to rise to the challenge set by previous generations, according to a new report released today from One Young World, the global youth forum.

In a year that has seen youth activism extend across the globe and drive real political change, the white paper, Beyond the Long Spring of Dissent, acts as a temperature check on a generation facing increasing obstacles.

Inheriting difficulties ranging from massive public debts and stagnant economies, to high unemployment figures and growing environmental concerns, young people across geographical barriers are challenging the current global situation. The report looks closely at what motivates them to do that.

The white paper follows research for One Young World conducted for the summit by YouGovStone, which surveyed the opinions of young people aged 20 to 29 from 21 countries around the world on important global issues.

The findings demonstrate often stark contrasts among countries, with a strong sense of pessimism and doubt among the youth of Western economies compared with far greater optimism in China, India and Egypt.

According to the research, there is a major gulf in the attitudes of young people toward their country's future, with just 16 percent of young people in France feeling positive about its future and 29 percent in the USA feeling positive. This is a strong contrast to the views of young people in Egypt, who have recently witnessed political regime change, 80 percent of whom feel positive about their country's future.

Other key findings from the survey include a declining interest in climate change from young people in the West, with 42 percent from the USA admitting they are extremely concerned about climate change. This contrasts heavily with the views of young people in Indonesia, 89 percent of whom are extremely concerned about climate change.

One Young World has published the report in preparation for its second annual summit, which is taking place in Zurich from September 1 to 4, 2011.

At the summit, 1,200 future leaders from over 170 countries across the globe will join with some of the world's most influential figures to discuss challenging global issues and deliver their demands for change.

One Young World gives delegates, predominantly under 25 years old, a forum afforded ordinarily to those who lead our countries and corporations.

Supported by a distinguished lineup of counselors including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Sir Bob Geldof, Muhammad Yunus, and Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, delegates will use the forum to communicate their demands on the leaders of today.

The 2011 summit will comprise three days of interactive sessions and plenary discussions based on six key resolutions in the areas of global business, media, global health, interfaith dialogue, environment, and leadership.

Kate Robertson, UK group chairman of Euro RSCG and co-founder of One Young World, said: "Young people around the world are realizing that their future isn't necessarily the one they have been preparing for, and we are starting to see a real change in their attitude to the world they inhabit.

"One Young World will give them a platform to express their ideas and deliver their demands to the leaders of today. They have a voice and we need to listen."

David Jones, global CEO of Havas and co-founder of One Young World, said: "The research we commissioned not surprisingly found that young people around the globe are feeling increasingly disillusioned with the way their countries are being run and this year we've seen this clearly manifested in the actions they've taken. One Young World is a unique opportunity to listen to their views and opinions and especially to their ideas and thoughts on how to effect positive change and create a better future."

For more information or to download the study, please go to http://oneyoungnewsroom.com

About One Young World

One Young World is the world's first global youth leadership summit, aiming to bring together 1,200 delegates aged 25 and under from over 170 countries. One Young World combines the social power of the Internet with the energy and ideas of global youth to address the most challenging issues of today. Founded by David Jones, global CEO of Havas, and Kate Robertson, UK group chairman, Euro RSCG, One Young World focuses on plenary sessions at which delegates are guided by a group of international luminaries including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Yunus, and Sir Bob Geldof. The inaugural London summit took place from Feb. 8-10, 2010. The second-annual One Young World summit will be held in Zurich from September 1-4, 2011.

For more information about One Young World please visit www.oneyoungworld.com.

Methodology of the research

One Young World commissioned a series of 21 national reports of young people in their 20s to form part of a global consultation process that will inform the second-annual One Young World summit. The research was carried out by YouGovStone, during which 9,240 interviews were conducted with young people aged 20 to 29 from 21 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, U.K., U.S., and Venezuela.

In 19 of the 21 countries surveyed, YouGovStone had access to online research panels who agreed to take part in research surveys. Respondents in these countries participated in the survey using a self-completion online questionnaire. Data from most of the survey countries were captured, processed, and analyzed by YouGovStone using its bespoke online survey system. The exceptions were Nigeria, where interviews of respondents meeting the sampling criteria were conducted by telephone, and Bangladesh, where face-to-face interviews were collected on streets nationwide.

The 21 countries where the survey was conducted have a combined population of more than 4.4 billion, equivalent to some 64 percent of the world's 6.9 billion population. In each country, the samples were split evenly between men and women aged 20 to 29 to match the profile of One Young World delegates.

Contact:
Lisa Gruber
Global Communications Manager
Euro RSCG Worldwide
T +1 212-886-2018
[email protected]

SOURCE One Young World