Arosa, Grisons (Switzerland), June 8, 2023 – 140 top young leaders came together in Lausanne on May 31 and June 1, 2023, to take action on empowering organizations to drive sustainable change at the One Young World Switzerland Caucus 2023. On May 31, young leaders opened the event at The Olympic Museum, and on June 1 convened at the Swiss Tech Convention Center.
What does it mean to “Shake up the Status Quo”? How can we empower our organizations to drive sustainable change? What can we do to progress the topics of climate action, and mental health, and promote cross-sector collaboration? These were some of the key guiding questions that set the tone of the discussions in the two-day event in line with the purpose of the One Young World initiative, a global forum that identifies, promotes, and connects the world’s most impactful young leaders to create a better world.
“Bringing together these top young leaders from so many different organizations across Switzerland is an incredible opportunity to support them in their efforts to drive positive sustainable impact,” said Jessica Jones, Managing Director of the One Young World Switzerland National Board.
One Young World Switzerland is the first National Board of the global organization, that is acting to empower young leaders across Switzerland. Founded as an association 1 year ago, with its heart in Arosa, Grisons, One Young World Switzerland works to support talented young leaders across the country.
Inspiration from speakers and each other
The event's opening ceremony was at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, where delegates were inspired by a powerful fireside chat. Kate Robertson, Co-founder of One Young World, Michael Moller, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Louise le Gat, Founder of the Purpose-Led School, and Mark Heasman, Head of Activism at the Z Zurich Foundation shared their personal journeys and what “Shaking up the Status Quo” means for them.
Inspiring inputs also came from new National Board member Livia Altmann, an Olympic Bronze medalist for the Swiss National hockey team who introduced the key topics of this year's event – mental health, climate action, and cross-sector collaboration. Experienced executives, managers, and start-up founders driving sustainability in their industries and fields offered insights and ideas on how to act. Most importantly, the young leaders had opportunities to network and inspire each other.
Young leaders in academia also joined the event and shared an overview of their research in mental health, climate change, and cross-section collaboration. Yu Wang, ETH Postdoctoral Fellow, Nele Dael, Senior Behavioral Scientist at IMD, and Buse Aktaş, Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at ETH Zürich, presented their insights and personal journeys as academics.
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