One Young World Unveils Findings of Global Survey of 20-Somethings and Launches YouTube Contest to Identify Future Leaders to be Delegates at Inaugural World Summit |
Global Nonprofit Calls 20-Somethings Worldwide to Participate in Phase III
Online Survey
Inaugural Summit in 2010 to Feature Counsellors Kofi Annan, Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, Bob Geldof, Professor Nick Haysom, EMI Music Chief Executive
Elio Leoni Sceti and Oscar Morales
LONDON, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- One Young World, the global nonprofit
organization that serves as a platform to raise the voice of the next
generation of world leaders on global issues, has unveiled the findings of
a global survey of mid-20-somethings addressing the topics of Environment,
Business, Politics, Media and Religion. Co-founders David Jones and Kate
Robertson presented the findings in London on Friday, alongside Carole
Stone, Managing Director of YouGovStone, just-announced Counsellor Oscar
Morales and philanthropist Bill Liao.
"The way to create a better future is to listen to and empower the
leaders of the future. The digital revolution has not only given this
generation of young people access to knowledge and information on an
unprecedented scale but it has also given them massive influence. We've
founded One Young World to help empower the leaders of tomorrow to shape a
better future."
-David Jones
The event also marked the launch of two initiatives aimed at gathering
input from the world's 20-somethings on critical issues:
-- YouTube contest: People born between 1984 and 1986 from around the world
can go to http://www.youtube.com/OneYoungWorld upload their video submissions
on YouTube's One Young World Channel, to be voted on by the YouTube
community. Those with the most votes will be invited to be Delegates at
the 2010 Inaugural Summit in London.
-- Phase III Survey: People born between 1984 and 1986 can log on to
http://oneyoungworld.com/global-consultation/index.html to participate
in the next phase of survey research, by completing an online survey
about today's key issues.
"The global consultation process is vital to engendering a productive
dialogue at the One Young World Inaugural Summit in February, which is why
we are launching Phase III through social networking and online
communities," said Robertson, who also serves as Group Chairman of Euro
RSCG UK.
Survey findings will be used to shape the program at the One Young
World Inaugural Summit on 8-10 February, 2010, which will be attended by
designated One Young World Counsellors, including Kofi Annan, Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, Bob Geldof, Professor Nick Haysom, EMI Music Chief Executive
Elio Leoni Sceti and Oscar Morales. The One Young World Annual Summit will
be a yearly global gathering of future leaders that is truly representative
of the world's population -- weighted for the first time ever to reflect
the most populated regions and countries, and not necessarily the richest
or most politically influential.
"I hope that the delegates of One Young World, the ones who will
inherit this planet, will join us as partners in the Global Alliance for
Climate Justice."
-Kofi Annan
"This One Young World idea says surely there's a way we can get ahead
of the game and plot the way we would like it to be, rather than reacting
to the events that happen to us."
-Bob Geldof
"We want to see this world different world; a peaceful world, a more
compassionate world. And so we appeal to you, please send the best that you
have, the next generation of leaders."
-Archbishop Desmond Tutu
"One Young World is indeed a project that will change the world right
now, and for good. The power of youth is an amazing thing, and One Young
World is tailored to embrace that power and make it work for the sake of
mankind," said Morales, who is renowned for leveraging social media to
organize "One Million Voices Against FARC" to protest the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The global surveys are part of the Global Consultation Process,
monitored by research consultancy YouGovStone, which is designed to
identify key topics for the One Young World draft resolutions and Annual
Summit plenary sessions, as well as to inform ongoing One Young World
discussion and debate. Phase I (completed June 2008) and Phase II
(completed June 2009) research represents the views of 23- to 27-year-olds
throughout the world. The Phase II findings, unveiled today, highlight the
views of more than 9,000 20-somethings from 22 countries representing a mix
of advanced, newly industrialized and developing nations in Europe, Asia,
Latin America, North America, the Middle East and North Africa.
Following is a snapshot of some of the highlights of the Phase II
survey:
ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
Respondents across all groupings see themselves as environmentally
conscious (72% in advanced nations, 87% in industrialized nations and 80%
in the Middle East and North Africa), and 80% agree that people are
currently not taking enough responsibility for their own carbon footprint.
50% of respondents in newly industrialized countries feel optimistic about
the future of the planet, while the number drops to just 28% in advanced
economies. Although there is widespread agreement about the need to be
environmentally responsible, actual steps taken to reduce personal impact
vary greatly among the groupings, with plastic bag re-use and household
recycling prolific in advanced nations and buying organic products and
using less energy common in other countries.
ON BUSINESS:
This category of questions showed perhaps the greatest disparity
between the ideal and the real. Although the global majority of respondents
believe that multinational corporations must behave responsibly and
ethically (as high as 80% in newly industrialized nations), few (from
26-31%) believe this is possible. Although there is some recognition of the
role of global business in the relief of poverty through job creation (61%
in newly industrialized nations), fewer believe that the goals of global
business and citizens' rights can ever be aligned (from 39-53%).
ON POLITICS:
Overall, a small minority of respondents felt that their concerns were
properly represented by politicians in their country, though this number
jumped to 45% in the Middle East. Among the three groupings, respondents in
newly industrialized nations and the Middle East and North Africa most
closely follow politics, both locally and globally. A majority of
respondents in newly industrialized nations, 65%, expressed concern about
corruption among their political leaders, compared to 42% in advanced
nations. Mexico, Greece and India received the highest corruption scores.
The overwhelming majority of global respondents agreed that human rights
should trump politics, with the percentage, 92%, being particularly high in
the Middle East and North Africa.
ON MEDIA:
There is global support among respondents for freedom of speech as an
essential component of a successful society and for the need to regulate
news media to be sure it is independent of corporate and state bias. The
smallest majority in support for media regulation, 64%, reside in advanced
nations, with the numbers climbing to 76% and 85% in newly industrialized
and developing nations respectively. Across groupings, more than 65% of
respondents are increasingly getting their news via the Internet, while TV
remains a top news source in the form of both new bulletins and 24-hour
cable news networks.
ON RELIGION*:
The survey showed that there is widespread concern that religious
conflict will be a hallmark of the 21st century and that extremist behavior
should be eradicated. 80% of those surveyed agreed that war must never be
carried out in the name of religion. Respondents in advanced economies,
such as Germany, Japan and the United States, tended to be more spiritual
than religious, with only 23% agreeing that the world is a better place
with organized religion, compared to 53% in newly industrialized nations,
such as India and China.
To learn more, and to see video of the event, go to
http://www.oneyoungworldpresskit.com.
About One Young World
One Young World is a global nonprofit organization co-founded by
advertising executives David Jones and Kate Robertson in 2009 as a platform
to raise the voice of the next generation of world leaders, and help 23- to
27-year-olds throughout the world engender a discourse on today's global
issues. One Young World's Inaugural Summit, which will be held in London
8-10 February, 2010 will be a global gathering of future leaders that is
truly representative of the world's population -- weighted for the first
time ever to reflect the most populated regions and countries, and not
necessarily the richest or most politically influential. One Young World
Summit will be held every year in a different location, and be attended by
new Delegates and Counsellors. Further information about One Young World is
available at http://www.oneyoungworld.com, on Facebook, on Twitter
(http://twitter.com/OneYoungWorld) and on YouTube
(http://www.youtube.com/OneYoungWorld).
*Respondents from the Middle East and North Africa did not participate
in this portion of the survey research.
SOURCE One Young World
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