Dynamic young citizens of the world gathered in Johannesburg for the One Young World Summit, where they presented their New Charter for Business Leadership to The B Team, a group of international business people working for change.
On the final day of the One Young World Summit in Johannesburg, ambassadors presented their Charter for Business to The B Team, a non-profit group that works to deliver a new way of doing business.
The summit ran from 2 to 5 October in the city, the first time it took place in Africa. One Young World is a charity, based in London, which gathers together young people from around the world, helping them make lasting connections to create positive change. At its annual summit, the young delegates, backed by the One Young World Counsellors, debate and formulate solutions for the pressing issues the world faces.
One Young World Ambassadors Alan Mak, Angela Jhanji and Charlie Oliver presented the charter to the counsellors and B leaders in Joburg, including Arianna Huffington, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Shari Arison, Richard Branson, Kathy Calvin, Guilherme Leal and Jochen Zeitz.
David Jones, co-founder of One Young World, said that through The B Team, Huffington, Branson, Calvin and Yunus – all counsellors – had set out on a path to establish a better way of doing business. “Their response to the New Charter for Business Leadership, presented by the One Young World Ambassadors, is a sign that change is on the way.”
The charter had further encouraged The B Team in its mission and would help guide it, explained Zeitz, co-founder and co-chair of The B Team. “Fostering a new type of leadership – one that understands that business must generate long-term value for society, the environment and the economy is essential. The young leaders have excellent ideas and many are already active in doing this themselves.” The challenge, he added, was to scale up solutions that could work in different parts of the world and across different industries.
“By joining forces with The B Team and committing to the principles outlined in The One Young World Charter for Business, these young leaders are leveraging business and entrepreneurship to change the world,” said Huffington, the president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group. “I’m inspired by the depth of their commitment and the scope of their mission.”
Mak said that The B Team could change the way business was done forever and ensure the voice of young leaders was heard at the highest levels of business. “The leadership of One Young World and The B Team in this area is truly inspiring.”
One Young World delegates are 18 to 30 years old and have demonstrated their leadership potential. The organisation says that many have already had an impact in their home countries on a range of issues, including the role of business in society, transparency in business and government, the impact of climate change, global health and hunger relief. Applicants can join the pool of candidates to attend the summit. At the summit closing ceremony, delegates graduate as One Young World Ambassadors, joining a global network of young leaders who are creating a positive change around the world.