Eldon Holder Jr: One Young World Summit - an uplifting experience

by Eldon Holder Jr.

A Canadian Ambassador: Experience From The Inside

Before sharing my experience, I’d just like to say thank you to everyone who supported my One Young World journey, who donated to the Ottawa Young Leader’s Fund, and who encouraged me to stand up and represent change. Thank you!

As a community activist and eternal optimist, I attended One Young World with a particular interest in how I could engage more young leaders in my community and support the causes I believe in. It was a quest to learn how I could use my platform to truly lead on the causes I am passionate about, specifically regarding civic engagement, and social enterprise. I also wanted to learn more about what I could do to make a difference in improving diversity and inclusion in Ottawa.

Like most first-time ambassadors, I didn’t know what to expect from this Summit, but what I never imagined was that I would learn more about myself and the power of young people in four days than I had in the last year.

The best part of this experience is that I was surrounded by likeminded young leaders whose passion is contagious! Together, we will all be inspiring each other to do more, make a difference and change the world forever! I am so extremely fortunate to have been selected to be part of this amazing community!

The following is a sneak peek of the day to day activities I scribbled down throughout the Summit.

Day One: Opening Ceremony

One Young World (OYW) kicked off on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 with Kate Robertson and David Jones, founders of OYW. The opening ceremony included a performance by Orkidstra, a children’s orchestra with a mission to empower children through the universal language of music, and a special welcome address from Ottawa’s Mayor Jim Watson. I was chosen to participate in the flag bearer ceremony, where a select group of leaders stood alongside each other to symbolically represent the next generation of global shapers. We displayed the national flags of all countries in attendance, while the OYW Counsellors were introduced onto the stage. Finally, Kofi Annan, Sir Bob Geldof, Professor Muhammad Yunus and Mary Robinson delivered keynote speeches that left everyone motivated for the days to come.

Overall, the opening ceremony was absolutely amazing. I was personally very excited to hear from Muhammad Yunnus and Kofi Annan. The speeches were beyond moving. We all know the major issues our world is facing and yet, sometimes it takes Summits like these to sincerely put it all into perspective.

Day Two: Sessions Begin

After we celebrated the start to our Summit, it was time to sit down and discuss the global issues we are facing across the globe. Day two of the Summit focused on topic such as building a positive world, extremism, peace and security, climate justice, poverty, unemployment, net carbon emissions, sustainable development, technology in relation to the environment, gender equality, engaging the next generation of change makers, renewable energy, and human rights.

The list of speakers was remarkable. Delegates who had applied also had a chance to share the stage. It was refreshing to get a first-hand perspective on many global issues where we, as Canadians, are so far removed. I was grateful to hear and learn from them. They empowered me to continue to engage young people, to create a change, and more importantly to remember the power of our collective voices. I will forever remember their stories and calls to action. I know many of you have been following me on Facebook so, as you read this I hope I can call you to act as well. The key take away is that young people don’t need to tackle an entire global issue, but even working on a small aspect makes a difference. Together, small action repeated frequently can and will change the world. I promise you I will make a difference not only in my community and country but one day the world and I know you can do the same!

Day Three: The Power of Collaboration

As the Summit continued, the days became increasingly more intense. We were not only hearing from our counsellors but from other fellow ambassadors. These ambassador speakers really resonated with me on a level that is hard to explain. We are not blind to the issues around us; we see them every day on the news, social media, etc.… but when you hear first hand how someone has seen their family murdered, how someone’s island is on the brink of extinction, or how reconciliation continues to challenge Indigenous youth, things become real very fast.

It is in these moments that you begin to question how you, as a global citizen, are helping to support those in need around the world. It is in these moments that you start to question your life and examine how you are contributing to these issues and more importantly, how you can help solve them.

Day two of the Summit focused on the power of collaboration, transformation and innovation in Latin America, the peace and reconciliation process in Canada, inequality and the global economy, global business, social consciousness, and preventing pitiful prisons for the wild.

Today, we heard from the PM’s Parliamentary Secretary, the Queen’s young leaders, former Latin American Presidents, Senator Sinclair on reconciliation, Gary White CEO of water.org, Dambisa Moyo global economist, and so much more! Highlights definitely included hearing from the one and only Cher and Jon Landau, producer of Avatar!

One of my favourite parts about day three was the home dinners. Canadians from across Ottawa volunteered to serve ambassadors dinner; it was truly special! I was grateful to host delegates from South Africa, Micronesia, Hungary, and Mauritius.

We then broke out into external sessions across the city where teams developed a sustainable framework for charities and not-for-profits.

Day Four: I can’t believe it’s really over?

On our last day, delegates discussed government policy, ethics in the context of technological advancement, mental health, the refugee crisis, impactful leadership, education, sport for good, and disabilities. One of the most moving topics of the day, for me personally, was on youth extremism. As many of you know I am a civic engagement advocate, particularly around youth in need of societal support and more recently around including newcomers to Canada. Hussein Manawer’s poem left the entire audience speechless.

With all the sessions complete, it was time to celebrate how far we all had come over the course of this Summit. With One Young World heading to Bogotá, Colombia in 2017, we united behind Colombia’s first peace accord and learned more about this beautiful country.

Finally, the day ended with each delegate making a commitment that would be added to the thousands of others made throughout the last seven years of One Young World.

Where do I go from here?

With the One Young World community behind me, I have high hopes for what I am capable of accomplishing in the months and years to come. I learned so much about what is going on in the world around me that I cannot simply turn a blind eye to it now.

One thing that struck me was that many of the Ambassadors at One Young World are pursuing all these amazing ideas for change from the corner of their desks. We may not get enough sleep and may seem crazy for following our dreams, but that’s what being a change maker is all about. There is no excuse for why we cannot make a difference. If there is one thing I took away from this conference is that the young people can and will change the world.

So, where does Eldon go from here?

I hope to stay in contact with all the friends I made from around the world and to work together in our shared pursuits.
I am motivated more than ever to engage young people in my community, build self awareness and self confidence.
My resolve will only get stronger from here. I am committed to raising awareness youth engagement, diversity, and inclusion and will continue to push myself to find new ways to make this happen.
I want, youth and people my age to believe that we are a force to be reckoned with. I am committed to being a young leader in my community and will continue my mentorship efforts to help others become young leaders too!
As a Director with Black History Ottawa and The Young Leaders Advisory Council, we have a lot of exciting projects underway I am committed to launching our SMART START Youth Summit now more than ever.
Bogotá, see in you in 2017!

A MASSIVE thank you to everyone at Ottawa Tourism, and the administrative staff at the City of Ottawa for making this Summit possible. Special appreciation to Kate Robertson and David Jones for believing in the power of youth.