On Monday 19 October 2020, YMCA’s Youth-Led Solutions Summit: Climate Action will launch with the first of two live virtual events, and we invite you to join us. Inspiring young leaders, the thinkers and doers of today, will begin an international dialogue on creating solutions to address the climate crisis.
A second event on Friday 23 October will look to the future, equipping young leaders to be multipliers of change who can empower others.
PARTNERS




WHO IS INVITED?
Young leaders, educators, activists, business leaders, policymakers, indigenous communities, philanthropists, artists, influencers, NGO staff and volunteers and community members are all invited to join YMCA for these two unique events. These events are for anyone passionate about addressing the climate crisis and committed to taking action in their community.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The live event will be primarily in English, and translated into French and Spanish.
Conversations, panels and keynotes
Featuring dialogues with young people at different stages of their journey to take action, panel discussions, and specially curated talks, keynotes and conversations with young leaders and world-leading agencies addressing the climate emergency.
Discover the Youth-Led Solutions initiative
The Summit will also explore the essence of the Youth-Led Solutions initiative, with the launch of seed funding for participating Solution Teams from every continent.
Hopin, our event platform
Focusing on connections as well as talks and panels, Hopin allows attendees to watch and react together to the content as it happens live, and take a deeper dive into the content post-event. Attendees will have the chance to meet others and stay connected. Plus unique post-Summit connection opportunities for small group conversations and networking with other attendees, participants and speakers.
THE PROGRAMME
World YMCA is excited to welcome eclectic and dynamic contributors from different backgrounds in the area of youth leadership, activism and climate. Interactive panel discussions and Q&A sessions, keynote speeches, conversations and dialogues all form part of the programme.

Hosted by:
Winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize, L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honouree and Canada's Top25 Women of Influence Awardee, 19-year old youth icon Kehkashan Basu, has been impacting the global fraternity with her work on children’s rights, promoting gender equality, mitigating climate change and social upliftment. A United Nations Human Rights Champion and a National Geographic Explorer, Kehkashan is the Founder President of social innovation enterprise, Green Hope Foundation which has 2,038 youth ambassadors working in 15 countries.
Kehkashan Basu
One Young World Ambassador
Kehkashan has spoken at over 125 United Nations and other global forums including the World Bank, St Louis Climate Summit, Parliament of World's Religions, One Young World, Globe Forum and has been awarded the 2019 Innovator of the Year award for her path-breaking work on engaging marginalised children in the implementation of the SDGs. In 2013 at the age of 12, she was elected for a two-year term to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the Global Coordinator for Children & Youth and a member of its Major Groups Facilitating Committee making her the youngest person and first minor, ever, to be elected into this position in the history of UNEP. A passionate advocate of children’s rights, Kehkashan is a One Young World Ambassador, Climate Reality Leader, the Youth Ambassador of World Future Council & Honorary Advisor for the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development – New York.
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More to be announced
Bertine Lakjohn
Environmental Studies student, Marshall Islands
To the Marshall Islands and Kosrae the climate emergency poses severe threats to its security, human rights and way of life. Something Bertine is acutely aware of, having taken part in and led youth leadership camps and dialogues on the subject, which inspired her into taking Environmental Studies at college.
Mathilde Emilie Thue
COO, Norwegian-African Business Association
Serving as World YMCA's Strategy Committee Chair, Mathilde also led the creation of its first global environment initiative. She has taken part in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and to the UNFCCC representing Norwegian Children and Youth Council (LNU) in the Official Norwegian Delegation to the climate negotiations.