Jozi is youth summit finalist

Joburg is up against the American city of Pittsburgh in the bidding to host next year’s One Young World summit for hundreds of delegates from around the world.
JOBURG will slug it out with Pittsburgh in the US to host the One Young World 2012 summit. The two cities have been shortlisted as the finalists and only one can walk away with the title of host when the announcement is made on 3 September.

YouthThe summit will afford youth a chance to connectInterest in hosting the event was widespread, with leading cities from countries such as Australia, China, Peru and the United States stepping forward.

“The bids from both Pittsburgh and Johannesburg were exceptional,” said One Young World co-founder Kate Robertson.

“They showed an unhesitating commitment to the ethos of One Young World in championing young people and the vision to create a formidable event in 2012.”

Joburg’s bid is being handled by the convention and events bureau at the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), which went into high gear to garner support from the city’s residents; this was to show widespread support and commitment.

One Young World is a platform for young people of leadership calibre, with the primary purpose of connecting the brightest youth with those in power and ensuring that their concerns and solutions are taken seriously.

Global leaders in diverse fields, such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, musician Bob Geldof, and former United Nations leader Kofi Annan, support the summit and act as counsellors to delegates.

London hosted the inaugural summit in 2010, when 823 delegates from 114 countries discussed the issues confronting the youth of today.

This year’s conference is being hosted in Zurich from 1 to 4 September, with the announcement of next year’s host being made at the closing ceremony on 3 September. It is expected that the summit will attract approximately 1 600 delegates from 194 countries.

JTC CEO Lindiwe Kwele is confident that Joburg will host the One Young World Summit in 2012JTC CEO Lindiwe Kwele: clinching the One Young World Summit 2012 important for the CitySix resolutions were tabled at the first conference as the most pressing contemporary issues. These were:

Political leaders need to make clear their stances on humanitarian issues;
Global business to define and act on their role in the fight against poverty;
Leaders and followers of all faiths to commit to delivering peace among all nations, races and creeds;
Media to use its influence to help protect truth and personal freedom;
Governments to take more legislative action to guarantee that carbon emission reduction targets are agreed on and met by 2020; and
Businesses, governments and civil society to work together to prioritise health care and nutrition.
These resolutions will remain at the forefront of the agenda at future summits.

For Johannesburg to host the 2012 conference would be a milestone.

“Clinching the bid for 2012 is important for Johannesburg on so many levels,” says the JTC’s chief executive officer, Lindiwe Kwele. “Africa is the continent with the largest proportion of youth and it would be significant to host this event on a continent which so many young people call home and which offers so many opportunities and challenges.

“As the African continent’s most accessible hub and vibrant business location, Joburg makes sense as an appropriate destination to inspire youthful leadership, networking and brainstorming solutions to issues across the spectrum – from health care, development, finance and business to social issues and politics.”

For more information on Joburg’s bid, go to the Facebook fan page.