The Global Social Leaders Festival @ Home

It is now more crucial than ever for changes to be made in our society, and 2020 marks the beginning of a decade of action on the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals. This is what the Global Social Leaders Festival @ Home aims to do, inspire young people all over the world to unite, be leaders and build towards a brighter more sustainable future for all.

Future Foundations, an award-winning organisation that inspires young people across the world, is hosting a two-day virtual festival in partnership with Wellington College on the 18th and 19th June from 9am until 5pm.

This festival puts young people at the forefront with guests including educators, parents and leaders from the public, private and third sector. It’s designed for everyone that believes in the positive power of people to be leaders in their lives and society.

With 28 guest speakers announced, it is an inspirational line up, including:

- Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE

- Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

- Matthew T. Lee, Human Flourishing Programme from Harvard University

- Alicia Jones, Member of Youth Parliament for Thurrock

- Josefa Carino Tauli, Global Youth Biodiversity Network

- Clemence Golinelli & Ilma Stankeviciute, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

- Richard Dunne, The Harmony Project

- And loads more!

The event will also feature workshops and awards, and a mission to make the local global. On day 1, Future Foundations will be celebrating the effort and dedication of student-led project teams that form this year’s Global Goals Competition cohort. This year 687 teams, aged between 11 and 17, spanning 105 countries, have participated with a total of 1,247 young people and 48,823 collective volunteering hours completed. Together, they have impacted 97,492 people and raised £30,389 for projects and causes. The Global Goals that were most popular for young people to address were Goal 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing), Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production).

On day 2, the focus will be on how to build towards a brighter more sustainable future for all with conversations with indigenous activists and a special highlight which will be a spotlight session discussing the Black Lives Matter movement, led by Owen Bailey from Future Foundations.

Jonathan Harper FRSA, CEO of Future Foundations commented: “The GSL Festival @ Home is a fantastic way of gathering momentum, with social action being taken from our next generation. There’s such an increased need for urgent action at present with 2020 bringing to the surface Black Lives Matter, and a pandemic that none of us could have predicted. We can’t wait to see what we can all do to bring global impactful change. 

“We come together in a virtual format this year but have been running GSL programmes and events physically for the past nine years at Wellington College. This is without a doubt, the biggest and most impactful event we will be hosting to date. There have been so many life-changing events and topics addressed this year by our young people, and we will come together to build a brighter and sustainable future for all involved”.

The GSL movement has grown from an annual World Summit, to become a global movement of young people, teachers, parents and wider stakeholders working together to bring about change in their communities. Future Foundations have gone from strength to strength over the past 15 years and continues to encourage and shine a light on leadership of young people.

So stop what you are doing, and tune in. It is time to ‘Think Globally, Act Socially and Start Now’!

Join the festival from your home, your school, your community or your office and be part of the GSL movement, celebrating youth action and sparking action. 

To find out more and tune in live please visit: www.globalsocialleaders.com/gslfest2020