One Young World Announces the Return of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as Counselor For 2011 Summit

NEW YORK, July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights campaigner, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, is to attend to One Young World 2011.

Despite announcing his international retirement from public life in October last year, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will play a central role at the Opening Ceremony of One Young World 2011 Summit and Chair the Plenary Session on Interfaith Dialogue. The Summit will be held in Zurich this September.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu joins other leading figures including Muhammad Yunus, Sir Bob Geldof, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Fatima Bhutto to act as counselors to One Young World ambassadors as they address some of the most challenging issues facing the world today.  

This year, over 1,200 young leaders representing 181 countries will come together to discuss their vision of the world that they will inherit.

Unlike any other event in the world, One Young World gives young delegates the kind of media platform and access to world figures ordinarily afforded only to those who lead countries and corporations. The Summits facilitate global debate around the ideas and resolutions of the delegates and the consequent initiatives and action are monitored and recorded.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said: "I was inspired by the energy, ideas and dynamism of the wonderful young people I met at One Young World in London last year and I am delighted to be attending the second gathering of these exceptional individuals in Zurich this year.  Young people are changing the world in which we live at an incredible pace and it is important that we listen to the young leaders of tomorrow and encourage them to address the problems in the world today."

Since the 2010 summit the One Young World ambassadors have been affecting change on a global level -- including the presentation of The Missing Millennium Development Goal to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and launching the first ever African Student leaders Summit as well as over 100 environmental and education projects around the world.

David Jones, One Young World co-founder and Global CEO, Havas, commented: "The world has witnessed incredible change in the last year -- much of it driven by younger citizens who have been inspired by global figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

"The One Young World summit is a ground-breaking event which brings together some of the most inspirational leaders of today with the young leaders of tomorrow. I'm delighted that Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has agreed to attend One Young World 2011, where he will once again share his experience and inspire our young delegates. He is, in so many respects, "The Father of One Young World".

About One Young World

One Young World is the world's premier global youth leadership summit, aiming to bring together delegates aged 25 and under from every one of the world's 192 countries. One Young World combines the social power of the Internet with the energy and ideas of global youth to address the most challenging issues of today. Founded by David Jones, global CEO of Havas and Euro RSCG Worldwide, and Kate Robertson, U.K. Group Chairman of Euro RSCG, One Young World focuses on plenary sessions at which delegates are guided by a group of international luminaries including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Bob Geldof. The inaugural London summit took place in February 2010. The second-annual One Young World summit will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sept. 1-4, 2011, and will gather more than 1,600 young people from every country worldwide. For more information, please visit www.oneyoungworld.com.

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Lisa Gruber
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Euro RSCG Worldwide
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SOURCE One Young World