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-Asia/ -- 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.
