One Young World Summit Munich, 2025

Hear from Yousra Abdelmoneim, One Young World Ambassador and Director at PwC, who will set out simple steps to use your position to support refugee communities. Yousra will share how the global crisis deeply affects her personally and professionally, with examples of the support initiatives she has led at PwC to offer refugees mentoring, training, and employment. Answer her call to action for individuals and businesses to actively support displaced communities around the world.

This special session will celebrate the recipients of the 2025 WE Award – Together Against Loneliness, presented in partnership with Pernod Ricard.
The award will recognise five exemplary young leaders who are pioneering solutions under the vital theme, ‘Together Against Loneliness’.
We will honour those actively fostering social connection, nurturing conviviality, and creating inclusive communities around the world.
Attendees will hear the inspiring stories of these winners, whose impactful work demonstrates the profound importance of connect beyond borders.

Making an impact within large organisations is a constant balancing act between ambition and authenticity, conformity and change. For young professionals, leadership often means using your circle of influence wisely, creating progress from within, one conversation and one opportunity at a time. Leadership isn’t a corner office. It’s a decision. This keynote is about trusting yourself to lead from where you stand, even when the system wasn’t designed for you, and learning that real change doesn’t always start at the top.

Join Giselle Gonzales, Founder & CEO of EqualReach, and Gary Shaughnessy, Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, for a high-energy conversation on how business can do more than just make money—it can transform lives. Discover how EqualReach is bridging economic and digital inclusion for a global network of highly skilled refugee talent, delivering top-tier digital work while driving social impact. Leading organisations around the world are doubling their impact through thoughtful procurement, proving that impact sourcing is not just possible—it is profitable, scalable, and reshaping the way business drives real-world change.

Hear from Ruth Wacuka, survivor leader, Pan-African youth advocate, and One Young World Ambassador, who is fully committed to ending violence against children and advancing justice for the most vulnerable. Drawing from lived experience, Ruth challenges harmful systems such as orphanages and orphanage trafficking, while pushing for legislation and policies that protect children and empower care leavers.

What does it truly mean to build peace, and why is doing so crucial, especially in our current age of chaos? Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, invites One Young World delegates to explore this question through a personal and profound journey through her career as a servant leader, to the quiet courage of her grandfather during segregation in the American South, to the transformative work of United Way. Angela will draw from her own life and from United Way’s work in communities around the globe to help One Young World delegates tap into their spirit as leaders to bring people together—across sectors, borders, and backgrounds—to build a more peaceful and secure world.

In a world of accelerating crises and widening inequalities, it has never been more important to find a way to work effectively across sectors, and crucially, across generations. Whether it is addressing injustice, reimagining the role of business in society, or protecting the planet, we need to find bold solutions that positively disrupt entrenched systems and unlock transformative change.
We stand at a critical juncture – and the choices we make today will shape the future for generations to come. This is our chance to rebuild something better: a fairer, more effective, and truly inclusive system of global cooperation.
This panel session will unite voices across generations, from emerging leaders to seasoned changemakers, to explore how systems thinking, shared leadership, and radical collaboration across generations can help us build a safer, more prosperous and sustainable future.

One Young World’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award celebrating three outstanding leaders from the world of business.

This conversation brings together Maoz Inon, Israeli social entrepreneur and peace activist, and Aziz Abu Sarah, Palestinian author, educator, and conflict resolution practitioner, for a rare and courageous dialogue on one of the world’s most protracted conflicts. Drawing on personal experiences of loss and reconciliation, they will explore pathways toward coexistence, mutual understanding, and nonviolent solutions. The discussion will highlight the transformative power of dialogue, grassroots initiatives, and people-to-people engagement in fostering hope amidst division. Their exchange will offer a deeply human perspective, reminding us that peace is possible when empathy, trust, and shared humanity take centre stage.

David Beasley and Lord Michael Hastings will engage in a fireside chat exploring the critical link between food security and lasting peace. They will highlight how hunger will continue to fuel instability, conflict, and displacement, while sustainable access to food will foster resilience, dignity, and hope. Beasley will draw on his leadership experience at the World Food Programme, illustrating how global cooperation will be essential in addressing urgent needs. Hastings will emphasise ethical leadership and systemic change to tackle root causes of inequality. Together, they will present food security as both a humanitarian imperative and a cornerstone for sustainable peace.

Join Dimitri de Vreeze, CEO dsm-firmenich, for a thought-provoking plenary session on the power of connection in a divided world. Although we are more connected than ever, genuine human connection seems increasingly difficult. This session explores how dsm-firmenich fosters meaningful dialogue and breakthrough innovation by rejecting simplistic us-versus-them thinking. It’s a call for fierce debate and mutual respect – because bridging differences, working together, and standing side-by-side are the only way forward to shape the future.

One Young World’s annual Journalist of the Year Award honours three of the most respected young journalists from around the world, whose courage and commitment to their profession have identified them as outstanding leaders in their field. The award will be presented by legendary South African journalist Ashraf Garder.

Delegates will be able to attend Interactive Stage sessions, SAP Skills Hub session, Workshops, and Action Sessions. Lunch will be provided in this break, as well as networking opportunities.

In today’s hyper-connected yet divided world, genuine human connection has never mattered more. As loneliness and social isolation rise globally, the need to foster inclusion, belonging, and togetherness is more important than ever.

This session celebrates the recipients of The WE Award - Together Against Loneliness, created in partnership with One Young World. These inspiring young leaders are redefining what it means to bring people together, from building inclusive community spaces to promoting authentic moment of sharing and a spirit of conviviality.

Join this session to hear their powerful stories and discover how they are strengthening and connecting beyond borders.

Over a decade of leading transformation, Masa Schmidt (Head of Marketing Germany at SAP) has learned that true leadership is less about control and more about connection. In this candid and inspiring session, she shares ten lessons that have shaped her journey — from why clarity is kind and consistency is key, to how empathy can solve almost anything. With humor, honesty, and humility, Masa explores what it really takes to lead through change, build trust, and create cultures where people — and ideas — can thrive.

Spotlighting Reckitt's SDG6 Lead2030 winners, this session will explore social entrepreneurship, technology and innovation in driving access to clean water and sanitation.

As we mark the 25th anniversary of the UN’s Women, Peace and Security agenda, the landscape of conflict is more widespread than most of us have experienced in our lifetimes. Despite some progress, the specific needs of women and girls in conflict-affected contexts too often remain overlooked. Even as women endure the frontlines, their voices continue to be sidelined in decision making processes that shape the wider peace and security agenda.

Amid the erosion of women’s rights in many regions, this session will examine how to bring the Women, Peace and Security agenda back to the forefront of today’s shifting security landscape.

Journalists get hundreds of pitches a day, so how do you make yours one they can’t ignore? Join this session to hear from BBC journalists how you can hook a newsroom in under 30 seconds. Discover what makes a pitch irresistible, what is needed to turn a worthy story into a newsworthy headline, and how to build the resilience needed to handle inevitable rejection.

In the heart of Rangpur, Bangladesh, Karupannya is redefining supplier collaboration through a powerful blend of sustainability, social impact, and youth empowerment. Their Young Worker Program is more than employment—it's a movement that uplifts vulnerable communities by engaging young women and ethnic minorities in eco-friendly rug and handicraft production.
Through innovative partnerships with global brands like IKEA, Karupannya transforms textile waste into high-value products, while creating dignified livelihoods for thousands. This session explores how supplier collaboration can drive circular economy practices, empower the next generation of artisans, and elevate living standards—proving that business can be a force for good.

Join us to discover how Karupannya’s model inspires a future where supply chains are inclusive, sustainable, and deeply human.

Intellectual property rights have a powerful role in driving innovation. But so does free competition. If those monopoly rights, like patents, are not well balanced by competition, they hurt us more than they help us. We'll explore that balance using medicines as an example.

Following on from their conversation on the Presentation Stage, this session welcomes Palestinian peacebuilder Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli peace entrepreneur Maoz Inon. Joined by Eiqan Ahmad Shams, a young leader serving as Advisor to the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Holy Land, they will discuss their collective experiences of grief and loss, and how to channel this into prioritising peacebuilding. Emphasising the vital role of interfaith dialogue, Aziz, Maoz and Eiqan will explore what it takes to move from division toward reconciliation.

A practical, people-first session on how young social innovators can grow steadily without burning budget or capacity. We focus on values-aligned partners, small pilot agreements, and community trust to create traction that lasts. Delegates complete a simple Partner Pilot Brief and a Capacity Map so their growth plan matches their real time, team, and resources.

Hear from a panel of your peers, outstanding One Young World Ambassadors who attended past Summits and have used the Community to accelerate their own impact and leadership. This session will explore how you can use the exclusive opportunities available to the network and the expertise of your fellow young leaders to create transformative positive change. Learn from their experiences, and ask them directly how to make the most of your lifetime membership of the One Young World Community.

This panel explored how young people can channel their passion for change into tangible political impact. Whether through diplomacy, activism or holding office, this session discusses the different pathways available to influence policy-making, and how to navigate them effectively.

Across the world, women are redefining leadership in the pursuit of more equitable and representative systems.

This session spotlights individuals with lived experience who are confronting the structures that have historically excluded women’s voices, and who are building intersectional systems from the ground up. Join this conversation to hear from leaders who are ensuring that those directly affected by decisions are present in the rooms where those decisions are made.

Hear from Hauwa Ojeifo, globally recognised champion of mental wellbeing and women’s rights, and proud One Young World Ambassador. She will share how she is delivering her mission, to get people with mental health conditions and disabilities into decision-making rooms…ALL decision-making rooms.

The session demonstrates how financial inclusion through entrepreneurship education contributes to developing young people with an entrepreneurial mindset, action, and intent, showcasing Pan-African delivery, strategic implementation, shared value, and transformative impact.

The Summit concludes at BMW Welt, one of Bavaria’s most celebrated landmarks and a symbol of innovation. Hosted by BMW Group, the Closing Ceremony will bring together reflection, celebration, and a look ahead.

We will look back on the highlights of the Summit and commit our pledges for the future in the Ribbon Ceremony. Finally, the baton will be handed over from Munich to Cape Town, Host City of the One Young World Summit 2026.

After dinner, we will bring the Summit to a close with a big party, celebrating with music, drinks and unforgettable memories.

• 18:30 Admission BMW Welt
• 19:00 Welcome at Plaza
• 19:15 Welcome Words from moderator Flo Akinbiyi, Ilka Horstmeier, Kate & David
• Summit recap & reflections
• Ribbon Ceremony
• Baton handover to Cape Town
• 20:20 Dinner
• 21:45 Live performance by local artist
• Followed by party with DJ and drinks