Unilever's Paul Polman and Other Top Global Executives Will Advise the Leaders of Tomorrow at One Young World, the Planet's Premier Youth Leadership Forum

NEW YORK, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The heads of some of the world's largest corporations have pledged their support to the next generation of global changemakers by agreeing to serve as counselors for the second-annual One Young World (OYW) international youth summit, in Zurich on Sept. 1-4, 2011.

That list includes Paul Polman of Unilever, Antony Jenkins of Barclays Global Retail Banking, Tony Fernandes of AirAsia, Graeme Sweeney of Zero Emissions Platform, Patrick Chalhoub of the Chalhoub Group, and Guler Sabanci of Sabanci Holding, the largest financial conglomerate in Turkey, who was recently ranked by Financial Times as one of the world's most powerful women in business.

"The world is facing a number of enormous challenges over the next 50 years as it tries to evolve from a consumption-driven economy to a new, sustainable economy," said Polman. "The leaders of today are just starting to grapple with the challenges; it will be the leaders of tomorrow who have to deliver the solutions to overcome them. Our job is to inspire these new leaders to seize the opportunities the challenges present."

Along with OYW veterans such as Sir Bob Geldof and Muhammad Yunus, the new counselors will help this year's young ambassadors better understand and address some of the most challenging issues facing the world today. The counselors will facilitate debate and dialogue throughout the summit.

"One Young World is the only summit where global business leaders can meet the remarkable young leaders of tomorrow," said David Jones, global CEO of Havas and Euro RSCG Worldwide. "I am delighted that such a renowned group of international chief executives has signed up to take part, and I would like to extend an invitation to other global business leaders to join us as well."

In addition, the following companies and organizations have pledged their support by sponsoring delegates: AMD, Google, HP, Lenovo, McDonald's, Nike, Pepsi, SAP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In Pittsburgh, which is the sole U.S. city under consideration to host the 2012 One Young World, high-profile companies and organizations such as the Bayer USA Foundation, Euro RSCG Life and Carnegie Mellon University are sponsoring 25 delegates. The One Young World Pittsburgh Partnership, a group of local businesses inspired by OYW co-founder Kate Robertson's scouting trip to the city, put its name in the hat and pledged to secure the logistical, public and private support needed to bring this forum there.

One Young World aims to give people age 16 to 25 of leadership caliber a high-profile platform for their views. The counselors are united in their belief that young people should have the right to influence world leaders on the legacy for future generations regarding many of the problems of global importance the world faces today. OYW also stands out as the only international forum that uses the views, visions and ideas of youth to create real solutions for change. The global issues take on hyperlocal relevance after the summit as delegates use their discussions and resolutions to activate initiatives in their communities—from the Community Pre-School Feeding Program in the Philippines and Bakongo Camp in Colombia to Eggs for Hope in Haiti and Earthfest Africa.

Last year's inaugural forum, in London, attracted 823 delegates from 114 countries. This year, OYW intends to double that number, aiming to create a delegation that accurately reflects the diverse distribution of populations across the globe, not only those from wealthy countries. From the U.S., delegates will be underwritten not only by large multinational corporations but also by hyperlocal organizations, such as the Democratic City Committee of Stamford, Conn.

Tapping into its social media know-how, Euro RSCG Worldwide PR has been attracting, recruiting and selecting top young leaders from around the globe; a Twitter outreach effort drew nearly 50 delegates to sign on for the 2011 event.

One Young World has garnered many accolades in its first year. The Clinton Global Initiative, for one, recognized the event as an achievement in corporate social responsibility. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton personally recognized David Jones with a Commitment to Action designation for his work as co-founder of OYW.

Other awards include a Big Apple Award from the Public Relations Society of America's New York Chapter for Events & Observances (one to seven days), plus Best Conference from the Event Awards, Outstanding Achievement for Youth from the Interactive Media Awards and a standard of excellence in Community for the Website Awards of the New Media Institute Awards. It is currently a finalist for Community Relations in the Golden World Awards of the International Public Relations Association, and it received honorable mention in three categories of the PR News CSR Awards (Human Rights Communications, Philanthropy Communications and Workplace Innovation), plus a certificate of excellence in the Iron SABRE competition for Agency Citizenship.

About One Young World

One Young World is the world's premier global youth leadership summit, aiming to bring together delegates age 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, UK Group Chairman, Euro RSCG, One Young World focuses on plenary sessions at which delegates are guided by a group of international luminaries including Kofi Annan, 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 on Sept. 1-4, 2011, and will gather more than 1,600 under-25s from every country worldwide. For more information, please visit www.oneyoungworld.com.

About Euro RSCG Worldwide PR

Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Chicago and Pittsburgh and strategic partners in Boston and Washington, D.C. It is currently one of the most-awarded PR agencies of its size in the U.S., including recent awards from PRWeek, PR News, SABRE and Bulldog Reporter, and it is part of Adweek's first-ever Healthcare Agency of the Year (2010) and Medical Marketing & Media's 2010 All-Star Network of the Year. Euro RSCG Worldwide PR provides communications services, social brand momentum and thought leadership, among other services, in core areas ranging from CSR and healthcare to B2B, content creation, social media and consumer marketing. Clients include Bayer Corp., sanofi-aventis, Ford's Warriors in Pink and Transitions Optical. The agency also developed award-winning work for Wyclef Jean's campaign for the presidency of Haiti. Its social media lab The Sisterhood is a decorated industry innovation to help marketers understand the teen girl demographic. Euro RSCG Worldwide PR is the public relations arm of Euro RSCG Worldwide, a leading integrated marketing communications agency with 233 offices in 75 countries and the largest unit of Havas, a world leader in communications (Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA). For more information: www.eurorscgpr.com.

Contact:
Lisa Gruber
Global Communications Manager
Euro RSCG Worldwide
T +1 212.886.2018
[email protected]

SOURCE Euro RSCG Worldwide PR