Trans Visibility & Rights with Munroe Bergdof, Model & Activist
The 3rd day of One Young World took off with a powerful speech by Model and activist Munroe Bergdorf. As a Trans woman of colour, she spoke with a firm voice about the violence and discrimination faced by many Trans women around the world. It is a sad fact that we live in a world where racism and hate crime towards Transgender women of colour and the LGBTQA+ community still exists.
She stated that the reason behind this is “Fear of change and progress”. Munroe urges people to learn about the history of Trans people, that only the knowledge of the future generation can be a shield against the violence caused towards the Transgender community. Her words were loud and clear, “Trans people are valid, were valid and will always be valid”.
A World of Three Zeros with Professor Muhammad Yunus
One of the most awaited sessions of the day was that of Nobel laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank and the father of both Social business and micro-finance. Prof. Yunus focused on the issue of “Wealth Distribution” in the country and everywhere in the world. He recounted his story of starting Grameen Bank and his intention behind it was very simple - to help the victims of loan sharks.
He strongly believed that the money belonging to the people should stay with the people. Our economic structure has become disastrous, with the wealth gap getting wider, and money flowing away from the common man rather than towards him. Prof. Yunus states that what he did was “defy all the rules of the banking system”.
In fact, he advises that every problem whether it is climate change or financial crisis can be addressed head-on if we defy what we already know, undo things to achieve our goals. He believes that the Pandemic has given us a wonderful opportunity to reset our paths, erase old rules, forget old beliefs and it is now the young generation that has to create a new path towards a beautiful future.
![A woman [Kate Robertson] stands on stage looking at the camera. She creates a heart shape using both her hands. She is wearing a black t-shirt with a tropical design featuring the word 'HAITI' in capital letters.](/sites/default/files/2021-07/2_8.png)
![A wide angle image of a crowd sat in deep blue lighting. They are watching a screen projected onto stage. On screen is a woman [Munroe Bergdorf] wearing white, looking and speaking directly to the camera.](/sites/default/files/2021-07/3_10.png)
![Taken from the back of the auditorium, a socially distanced audience sit basked in deep blue lighting. They are watching a women speak [Paris Hilton], projected on a large screen above a stage.](/sites/default/files/2021-07/8_1.png)
We are doing this not because it is easy, but because it's hard with Ilka Horstmeier
Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG made an interesting entry in a BMW Isetta. Before this entry, a video clip showed how BMW cars helped 9 people to find freedom in 1964. Ilka’s story too is that of Freedom and after her walk to freedom, it was Mobility that became a symbol of freedom for her.
Ilka has been with BMW for the past 27 years and said that they are making transformative changes to combat climate change. With the help of her team, she introduced a BMW Mini seat that is more sustainable, high quality while at the same time meeting all the requirements. Ilka said, “the transformation is not easy at all. We’re doing this, not because it’s easy but because it’s hard. It’s the only way, to sustain the freedom of individual mobility.”
Breaking Code Silence: A spotlight on the abuse behind the Troubled Teen Industry, Paris Hilton, Entrepreneur, DJ & Activist and Amanda Nguyen, CEO and Founder, Rise
“There is power in telling the truth”, says Paris Hilton, Entrepreneur, DJ and Activist who started a campaign called “Breaking Code Silence”, to encourage former Troubled Teen Industry to speak out about the abuse and trauma they suffered at the residential programs that were meant to help them in the first place.
These programs train girls to be silent, that they should be ashamed of what happened to them. Paris herself remained silent for 20 years but then decided to turn her pain into purpose. Now she urges those who suffered a similar fate to speak up and speak loud. She believes that by sharing stories and raising awareness there is more hope at passing this issue on a federal level, that these places that hurt young children can either be shut down or reformed with the help of thorough checking, regulation and supervision.
Paris’s efforts have helped pass a new law for troubled teen centres in Utah.
Freedom, Connection and the Power of the Arts with David Hasselhoff
One of the highlights of the day was the motivation young leaders received from David Hasselhoff. The session started with his hit music video “Looking for Freedom”, which he sang at the Berlin Wall in 1989. Speaking about the most monumental moment in his life, he said “you never know when a moment is created, so just show up!”.
Shedding more light on the climate issues, he said that “the future is not space, the future is right here, on our planet, we need to save it because future is now.” David also advised delegates to collaborate together, because one person can make a difference but together we can create an impact.
Plenary Session: Future Economies
In our 3rd Plenary Session: How can economic growth can be more just? Delegate Nadia says, “Economic instability is here already and will exacerbate. We need drastic changes. If we want a more just economy and a future that our next generation can enjoy, we need a fundamental systemic change.
We need a circular economy where waste is treated as a treasure, a regenerative economy where resource depletion is a past and all resources are valuable.” Dr. Lorenz Narku Laing, a diversity trainer, minority rights activist and social entrepreneur gave a very impactful speech where he spoke about his lifelong mission to fight racism and promote diversity within society.
He recounted the struggles he faced as a child, where he couldn’t pass an exam due to lack of resources, yet acquired a doctorate degree from the University of Munich. He believes there are many like him, who are denied basic support like education and general inclusivity in the community.
Plenary Session: Education
Our 4th Plenary Session tackled the question “How Can We Prepare For The 4th Industrial Revolution?” An opening keynote by Dame Vivian Hunt, Managing Partner at McKinsey & Company where she stated that not only connection and communication is important, but context and quality is important as well.
She emphasised on three kinds of education - Education before University, Education on the job and Education of self. In this session, we also had five delegates who spoke about overcoming obstacles and creating educational opportunities in the most innovative ways.
There has to be quality need-based education focused on equipping our young people with the right disposition, knowledge and skill set that are essential for the needs of today and tomorrow.