Some of you may have noticed that two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend and was invited to host a session at the One Young World summit in Belfast. It was genuinely one of the most memorable weeks of my life. From the world-class speakers to the connections made with fellow delegates, who you might only have met for an hour but would continuously encounter throughout the week, and the engaging community and mentor sessions – I found myself smiling the entire four days. Not even a rain-soaked, migraine filled trip to the rain-soaked Giant’s Causeway could ruin the trip!
I will have a substantial amount of content from the summit, but one of the most valuable takeaways is the hope and the skills of the young people of Northern Ireland. They have the potential to improve the country for all of its residents. Here are just a few of the speakers and delegates to follow from the summit:
Caitlin Ball – Part of the ‘What’s Next For Northern Ireland?’ panel
Caitlin was one of the speakers in the auditorium on the last day of the conference during the ‘what’s next for Northern Ireland’ session. The County Antrim native used her platform to, according to her LinkedIn Profile “Address the rise of racist attacks and racist intimidation in the North and the need for us to stand in solidarity against such racism.”
During her speech she mentioned “the need for a trauma informed approach to mental health that includes everyone in our society. The effects of the troubles continue to fracture lives; the intergenerational trauma from the conflict remains rife and unresolved. It’s my hope that a trauma-informed approach towards mental health becomes a priority.”
Aimee Clint – Part of the Mental’ Health Education and Destigmatisation: Lessons From Northern Ireland’ Interative Stage
According to her LinkedIn page Aimee is a “Diana Award 2021 recipient, TransferWise 20 Under 20 winner 2019, NI’s 30 Under 30, Co-Founder Books By Stellas CIC, Former Young Ambassador for Social Enterprise NI, One Young World Ambassador, WISE100, Generation Innovation Alumni, Highly commended Young Business Woman of the year NI, Young Enterprise NI Journey Award Winner, seen on BBC World News and praised in President Biden’s address marking the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
Innovative and driven social entrepreneur currently working in the third sector with experience in business development, product development, marketing and project management, including founding and managing a successful, award-winning social enterprise, aiming to break the stigma surrounding Autism and Special Educational Needs.
Passionate about special educational needs and a strong advocate for non-traditional educational paths, taking every opportunity and paving the way for future generations to thrive.”
Chloe Ferguson – Part of the ‘Bbuilding an Inclusive Education System
The president of the National Union of Students in Northern Ireland, being the Vice Chair and Co-Chairperson of The Climate Coalition, being the Chairperson of the Board at the NUS Charity and being the Youth Climate Commissioner & Chair of YWG and being on the Climate Commission: Youth Working Group at the Belfast City Council. In addition to several roles in Queen’s University Belfast’s Students Union. Chloe spoke at the AUDI AG Empowering Progress Stage. The panel was on building an inclusive education system, and going beyond a schooling system which encourages social divide and difference in and outside of educational settings.
Chloe and her fellow panellists spoke about the importance of education in breaking the barriers and cycle of violence in the past and bringing all communities in Northern together.
They also spoke how there is a small but growing number of schools who cater for people outside the traditional two communities in Northern Ireland or cater for those who may not want religious affiliations in schools. Finally they spoke about the importance of continuing the work of the Good Friday Agreement and bringing those in predominantly Catholic or Protestant together so that they may share what they have in common, rather than what divides them.
Andrew Hamilton – Delegate
I asked Andrew to write about himself, here’s what he said ”I am Andrew Hamilton. I am a disability rights activist from Northern Ireland. I have a particular interest in disability rights and digital accessibility, having lobbied politicians and I have also co-authored a report examining the Northern Ireland Executive’s progress at implementing the UNCRPD. I am a member of various disability policy advisory groups/committees and I have featured in both local and national media including papers and radio, advocating for disability issues within Northern Ireland. I have also lead a successful campaign transforming the accessibility of the Northern Ireland Cinema industry through the introduction of Audio description for those with visual impairments.
I have also successfully lobbied the Northern Ireland executive to release £1.5m in match funding for disability employment projects. I am also the former Member of the UK Youth Parliament for North Down in which I represented young people of North Down both in Northern Ireland but also across the UK. I was an Education Authority delegate at OYW Belfast 2023, I became a delegate as I wanted to develop my leadership and lobbying skills but also I wanted to network with similar minded people who had a passion in Disability rights.”
Jactina Hamley – Part of the ‘What’s Next For Northern Ireland?’ panel
Jacinta began her speech by saying that Northern Ireland can be a peculiar place, being super community oriented and people often go out of their way to do things for others. But there’s a duality that has fueled many a fight and has been hard to break away from. Yet in the fight against the biggest threat, the Climate Crisis, Northern Ireland has fallen complacent.” Jacinta said, “The leaders of change are sitting all around you”. Jacinta created Northern Ireland’s first-ever Climate Festival – Climate Craic, combining her love of environmentalism and creativity. Through their core values to celebrate action, be inclusive and build community, Jacinta and her team at Climate Craic brought together up to 3,000 people across all ages and backgrounds. She mentioned, “it was a place to reignite the fire in burnt-out activists and to spark wonder in newcomers”.
Jacinta’s path took her from sailing for 3 months across the Atlantic Ocean campaigning for sustainable travel at ‘COP 25’ and then ran for the Green Party in the most recent Local Elections. Her run was unsuccessful, but that hasn’t deterred her from entering politics in the future. Jacinta finished her speech by saying, “There’s no right path; there’s just a path that’s right for you. We all have a role to play in making the world a better place, so embrace yours fiercely.”
Chloe Marks – Part of the ‘What’s Next For Northern Ireland?’ panel
Chloe was also one of the speakers in the auditorium on the last day of the conference during the ‘what’s next for Northern Ireland’ sessionThe Armagh native, spoke about how despite growing up in a peaceful catholic background, all she could see around her was division and prejudice. This became more evident when she moved to Belfast for university when people asked where she came from so they could label her as a threat or an alley.
She became a young leader in her community and decided that she would not let young people slip through the cracks of this society, and watch the society in which she lives be divided, by religion, education, socioeconomic background or your nationality. C
hloe is now on The Irish Government Young People’s Forum. She said “we don’t want to see words written down, we want a seat at the table”. She used her platform to ask for the voting age to be lowered to 16. Chloe mentioned “We desperately need leadership who are not afraid to tackle inequalities. The future of this island relies on three principles: education, inclusion and unity. There’s hope, and it begins with you and me”
James Martin – Opening Ceramony Keynote Speaker
The Oscar winner used his keynote address to welcome the delegates to Belfast and described how his Down Syndrome was never going to be something that held him back. He went to acting and this year he won an Oscar for An Irish Goodbye won the academy Award for best short film. The film also won a BAFTA an IFTA and a slate of other awards. Next year he will enter The Guinness Book of Records as the first actor with Down Syndrome to win an academy award and how this has given hope to everyone with Down Syndrome and other learning difficulties.
For example one young girl said to him that when she saw him accepting the award she said to her family, ‘oh look there’s a winner who looks just like me’. As he always says ‘never judge a book by its cover’. He went on to meet President Joe Biden and Michael D Higgins and was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the Ulster University. He finished by telling a story about Dwyane Johnson otherwise known by The Rock.
James was wearing his leopard skin jacket and Dwyane was wearing a peach suit jacket. He spoke to him for 20 minutes. The next day there was a photo of the pair in the newspaper with the headline “James and the Giant Peach”.
After he finished his speech the crowd responded to it by giving him the biggest standing ovation of the night, while the dignitaries behind him included royalty, sports stars and some of the biggest political and business leaders in the world.
Heidi McIllvenny – Part of the ‘What’s Next For Northern Ireland?’ panel
Heidi was one of the speakers in the auditorium on the last day of the conference during the ‘what’s next for Northern Ireland’ session. Heidi is a PhD candidate at Queen’s University Belfast, while also being a advisory committee member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, a Marine Consultant at An Bord Pleanála, a Marine Specialist at SLR Consulting, a Project Leader at the Save Our Seas Foundation and a Marine Conversation Manager at Ulster Wildlife for nearly the past 4 years.
Heidi used her platform to make an impassioned plea to delegates to rekindle the love of our seas, while making the oceans more hospitable for all the creatures who live in it. She mentioned “It seems that with our national focus on land, soil and territory, we’ve invertedly developed a sea-blindness.
And for an island, this is deeply concerning. We must rekindle our profound connection to the sea by acknowledging that the sea is not a distant entity separate from us, it is an integral part of our identity as an island nation, influencing every facet of our lives”. Before urging delegates to explore Northern Ireland’s sandy beaches, coastlines and seas.
Rebecca McCullough – Part of the – Mental’ Health Education and Destigmatisation: Lessons From Northern Ireland’ Interative Stage and Embracing Neurodiversity: How Diversity Drives Positive Change
Rebecca is the founder of Eden Consultancy NI (www.econsultancy.com), a training provider offering support to schools, public services, charities, parents, and others through a variety of platforms such as 1:1 consultations, webinars, online lectures, training events, conferences, and courses. Her primary mission is to not just witness children merely coping with life’s challenges, but rather thriving in every aspect of their lives. You can reach out to her to explore how she can assist you in achieving this goal.
Rebecca possesses specialised expertise in several areas, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, challenging behavior, and the social and emotional/mental health needs of children and adolescents. Additionally, she is a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teacher with experience spanning from Key Stage 1 (KS1) to Key Stage 4 (KS4). Her educational background includes an MSc in Psychological Sciences, where her studies delved into ACEs, trauma, epigenetics, and original research focused on anxiety, autism, and behaviour.
Furthermore, Rebecca is recognized as Northern Ireland’s first Thrive trainer and boasts extensive experience as an SEN Outreach Coordinator, where she has taken the lead in providing training, organising conferences, and facilitating INSET days. She also offers personalised 1:1 consultations as part of her professional services.
Ryan Murphy – Belfast Mayor – Gave the opening and closing ceramony remarks
Belfast’s youngest ever Mayor, Ryan kicked off the summit on Monday evening during the opening ceremony. He used his platform to welcome the delegates to his city and outlined how through the legacy of work of The Good Friday Agreement the city is now more welcoming and open than it ever has been in the past. Outlining the creative and historical links in the city Ryan then turned to the themes of the summit, particularly focusing on the area of Peace and Reconciliation and sustainability. So that young people may go back home with the ideas and motivation to change, start or continue on their journey towards making the world a better place, so that the Gen Z generation can take on the baton of previous generations and not only inherit the world, but make the world better for the future.
It was during the closing ceremony that One Young World Founder David Jones said that “possibly nobody embodies the spirit of One Young World more this week than Belfast’s youngest ever Mayor”.
Ryan’s closing ceremony speech was one of hope and the desire for young people at the conference to return one day and enjoy all that Belfast and Northern Ireland has to offer.
Yomi Olaide-Kolapo – Part of the ‘What’s Next For Northern Ireland?’ panel
Yomi was one of the speakers in the auditorium on the last day of the conference during the ‘what’s next for Northern Ireland’ session. Yomi made an incredibly impactful speech to the summit delegates, talking about being a fish out of water when he first arrived in Northern Ireland, having trouble settling into school and society because of the racism that he received on a daily basis. How his teachers would say he had an anger problem in school parent teacher meetings, but that anger problem seemed to go away when he went back to Nigeria. He said that he was probably the first black child his teachers encountered. He took laws into his own hands and delivered “African beatings” to any attempt of aggression or racism other children would show towards him.
Eventually he would move to Nigeria, before moving back to Ireland to pursue his studies. In 2018 he moved to Belfast to further his studies, 3 months later he was on the brink of dropping out. But when he came back he became the President of the African Criberian Society. Within this role Yomi was able to show the positive narrative of black people and black culture. The society was able to advocate for culturally competent mental health services so students are not met with comments such as “these students are from a rural background” or other stigmas because of students’ upbringing. Yomi concluded his speech by stating how Belfast is becoming more cosmopolitan, the streets are changing and more people who look like him are being accepted in Belfast and iIt is obvious we have so much potential in this country; we have the potential, talent and hope to make the next 25 years count, but it is up to all of us.”
Fatima Sarwari – Part of the Peace and Reconcillation Panel
I originally come from Kabul, Afghanistan, and I arrived in Belfast in January 2022. Currently, I am a student at Belfast Met and still in the process of seeking asylum.
In December 2022, I co-founded “Alghochak,” which translates to “stepping stones” in Dari. Our mission is to provide support to Afghan communities in the UK, offering hope and dignity to asylum seekers and refugees who have experienced displacement and trauma.
Our organization focuses on several key initiatives:
Orientation and Integration Programs: We help newcomers adapt to life in the UK by introducing them to British culture, customs, and laws. Additionally, we provide information about available services and resources, such as housing, healthcare, and education.
Cultural Events: We host various cultural events to celebrate Afghan traditions and heritage.
Raising Awareness: We work to increase public understanding of why Afghans seek sanctuary in the UK.
So far, Alghochak has made a positive impact by assisting over 150 individuals, including 20 families. We’ve celebrated significant cultural events like the Persian New Year, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha, and held two community gatherings with more than 60 attendees.
Furthermore, we’ve established a youth group that meets every Friday here in Belfast, and we’re proud to have ten women attending our weekly Afghan traditional embroidery group.
Matthew Taylor – Part of the ‘What’s Next For Northern Ireland?’ panel
Matthew is a Diana Award recipient which is the highest accolade for young person in the UK’s humanitarian work and a Washington-Ireland Programme Alum. He is currently studying Philosophy and Anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast.
Matthew’s summit speech left a profound impact on the audience, as he shared his mental health struggles, including a stay in a psychiatric hospital where he travelled to the summit from. In a suicide that he wrote while in psychiatric note he asked the question, “I know I could survive anything, but do I want to?” which resonated deeply with the audience.
He also addressed the challenges Gen Z faces globally and in Northern Ireland, criticising the lack of action from current political leaders. Matthew stressed that this generation isn’t just future leaders but must lead now due to a leadership vacuum above.
He mentioned that at 17, he co-founding the UK’s first youth-led mental health charity.y. Through this organisation, he and his peers developed policies and a youth-focused curriculum, benefiting thousands of UK youth by advocating for change through words, not violence.
In his conclusion, Matthew issued a compelling call to action, instilling hope by asserting that this generation has the capacity to create lasting change, not only in Northern Ireland but worldwide.
The speech has been viewed more than 200,000 times e since the summit.