2025 Concordia Annual Summit

Shaping Tomorrow: Reflections from the Next Generation of Global Leaders

  • Advancing Human Rights & Social Progress
Hanne LeCount, Alreem Al-Aqaily, Maeve McDermott, Germán Ríos Fuentes

Session
Partners

Session Summary

Important
Quotations

"For me, the biggest takeaway is education. What I heard echoed throughout the summit is that education is the one thing, despite conflict or displacement, that no one can take away from you."
Alreem Al-Aqaily
"Having dissenting voices on stage is important. Speakers from different sessions engaging in dialogue together would have been very informative."
Maeve McDermott
"I realized we share a common humanity with global leaders. Ordinary people like us can help bridge the divide between leadership and the people, especially young people."
Germán Ríos Fuentes

Key
Takeaways

  • Education as Foundation: Education emerged as the central theme, viewed as the one thing that cannot be taken away regardless of conflict or displacement. Young leaders see it as critical for resilience in an uncertain world.
  • AI as Enhancement Tool: AI dominated discussions, but younger generations view it as a productivity and efficiency tool rather than human capital replacement, contrasting with older generations’ perspectives.
  • Energy and Global Cooperation: A key insight centered on addressing growing energy demand through global cooperation rather than country-level interests, emphasizing the duty to cooperate on climate action.
  • Generational Global Perspective: Generation Z was identified as the only generation with above 50% approval rating for UN performance, reflecting their globally-focused, interconnected approach to problem-solving.
  • Hope and Shared Humanity: Young people maintain hope and desire for change, while recognizing shared humanity between leaders and citizens creates opportunities for bridging generational divides.

Action
Items

  • Educational Investment: Increase funding for education initiatives, particularly for displaced populations. Implement proven ROI, recognizing that every dollar invested in girls’ education yields a $3 return. Adjust programs to refugees’ existing skill sets rather than requiring them to change.
  • Conference Inclusivity: Include young voices in agenda-setting, not just attendance. Measure success by opportunities created for new voices and their community impact. Feature dissenting voices on the same stage for real-time dialogue on complex issues. Reduce cost barriers to ensure diverse representation.
  • Cross-Sector Collaboration: Develop free online courses on sustainable development goals and private sector integration. Create platforms where dialogue sparks direct community action. Establish partnerships between youth forums and established institutions.
  • Global South Engagement: Increase conversations and investment focus on Global South regions, particularly Latin America. Invite policymakers and academics to universities to push dialogue about underrepresented regions.
  • Corporate Leadership: Challenge senior leaders to include young voices at decision-making tables and genuinely listen. Provide more funding for training and opportunities rather than viewing talent shortage as a youth problem. Leverage young people’s knowledge of modern tools for fundraising and civic engagement.
  • Policy Implementation: Focus on subnational level actions where real movement occurs. Ensure constant engagement with diverse voices and seek out underrepresented perspectives. Strengthen rule of law foundations to ensure international policies are implemented.
  • Climate and Energy Action: Address energy demand through global cooperation frameworks. Implement the duty to cooperate as recognized in recent International Court of Justice opinions.

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