In the first two sections of my review of people I met or heard from at One Young World 2025 in Munich, I featured company founders, and in the second section, I featured people who spoke at the event from large organisations who are making a difference in the world. In this section, I will be reviewing the people who spoke at the event, who are politicians, celebrities or the event’s senior staff. These people were the headliners at the event and often brought their own personal experiences into their speeches about why this event was so special to them and why it tapped into their personal values. If you would prefer to see a summary of the information, please view this video
Title: World Cup Winning Footballer and Philanthropist
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Football and Philanthropy
Philipp Lahm is one of the greatest German footballers of all time. A World Cup-winning footballer, captain and philanthropist based in Munich, Germany, he rose through Bayern Munich’s youth ranks, debuting professionally in 2002. A versatile right-back and midfielder renowned for tactical intelligence, discipline and leadership, he amassed 517 appearances for Bayern, securing 8 Bundesliga, 6 DFB-Pokals, and the 2013 Champions League treble. As Germany’s captain, he lifted the 2014 FIFA World Cup trophy, scoring the opening goal in their 2006 home tournament, cementing his legacy with 113 caps.
Post-retirement in 2017, Philipp channels expertise into football governance and philanthropy, serving as Bayern Munich’s board member for sport and ex officio president of the DFB Academy. He supports education, youth sports, and social projects via his foundation, promoting integration and anti-discrimination. An honorary Munich citizen, at OYW2025, he joined BMW’s “Every Movement Starts With One” panel alongside Ilka Horstmeier, emphasising individual action, leadership, trust, and courage to spark collective change for community and organisational progress.
Title: Olympic Refugee Team Co-founder & COO, Koorvi (Germany)
Where are they based: Berlin, Germany
Area of expertise: Sports and Entrepreneurship
Kasra is a co-founder and COO of Koorvi, a platform empowering refugees through sports and entrepreneurship. Karsa was born in Isfahan, Iran. He began taekwondo at age 10, becoming a multiple national champion and Super League winner with Azad University before fleeing political persecution in 2017. Settling in Berlin and eventually gaining asylum there, he secured gold at the Dutch and Belgian Opens in 2018, silver at the German and Austrian Opens, and earned an IOC Refugee Team scholarship. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he debuted in the +80kg division, winning his opener against Papua New Guinea’s Gibson Kaogo Mara before a valiant loss to world champion Cheick Sallah Cisse, representing over 100 million displaced people.
Kasra’s journey highlights sports’ power for integration, supported by his wife Parisa, a former taekwondo athlete who urged his Olympic pursuit. As EOC Refugee Team flagbearer at the 2023 European Games, he won medals like Polish Open gold, blending athletic prowess with entrepreneurial vision at Koorvi to foster refugee opportunities.
At OYW2025, alongside boxer Cindy Ngamba and Tendai “the beast” Mtawarira, he shared “Journeys from the Refugee Olympic Team,” discussing resilience, perseverance, sport’s role in belonging, hope, and opening pathways amid displacement.
Title: Journalist, activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, awarded for combating the oppression of women in Iran
Where are they based: Tehran, Iran
Area of expertise: Politics and journalism
Narges Mohammadi stands as a fearless Iranian human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, awarded for combating the oppression of women in Iran. Born in Zanjan, Iran, to an Azeri family, she earned a physics degree from Qazvin International University and joined student activism during the 1997 reformist campaign. Vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre after Shirin Ebadi’s exile, she launched the Legam campaign against the death penalty and rallied against torture, solitary confinement, and executions. Arrested repeatedly since 2010, she endured 16 years’ imprisonment in 2016 for her work, released briefly in 2020, then rearrested in 2021 at Evin Prison amid the Woman, Life, Freedom protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death.
Imprisoned through her Nobel win—announced while in solitary confinement—Narges faces ongoing health crises like heart issues and a 2024 bone lesion surgery, granted medical furlough in December 2024 but rearrested violently on 12 December 2025 at a Mashhad memorial alongside activists, location unknown.
Based in Iran under detention, her political expertise drives non-violent resistance to mandatory hijab, gender apartheid, and authoritarianism. At OYW2025, she contributed a video message to the “Iran in Focus” panel spotlighting prisoners of conscience, emphasising activists’ resilience, demands for freedoms, and hope amid abuse.
Title: Minnesota State Senator, was almost shot by a gunman
Where are they based: Minnesota, USA
Area of expertise: Politics
Zaynab serves as Minnesota State Senator for District 63, making history as the youngest member, first Muslim woman, and among the first Black women in that body since her 2023 election. Born in Somalia, she immigrated at age nine to Minneapolis’s Powderhorn neighbourhood, graduating from the University of Minnesota with a human resources degree. Previously, community advocacy director at CAIR-MN, she championed public safety reforms like banning no-knock warrants and police accountability bills alongside families affected by violence. Volunteering for Omar Fateh’s campaign and aiding Jason Chavez, her platform emphasised a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, and renter protections, defeating Republican Shawn Holster with 85.6% of the vote.
Vice chair of Jobs and Economic Development, Zaynab sits on committees for Capital Investment, Finance, Housing, and Human Services, applying a youth-centred, intersectional lens to bridge communities.
Earlier this year, a gunman entered Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman’s home and shot her and her husband, Mark. Two others were shot earlier in the day by the same gunman. After police detained the gunman, they found a ‘kill list’ of Democratic politicians that the gunman wanted to execute. Zaynab was next on that list. At the OYW2025, Zaynab collected the Politician of the Year Award. This year, the award was renamed the inaugural Miguel Uribe Turbay Prize after the Colombian politician who was assassinated earlier this year. During the summit, she joined the panel on “Hot Take: You Can Fight the System from the Inside” session with Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson, Jie Huang, and Enrique Collada Sánchez, discussing fostering inclusion for underrepresented voices in public office.
Title: Former UN Under-Secretary-General; former Director-General, UN Office at Geneva
Where are they based: Geneva, Switzerland
Area of expertise: Politics
Michael Møller is a former UN Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2013 to 2019. Born 10 December 1948 in Copenhagen, Denmark, he launched a 40-year UN career in 1979 with UNHCR as a programme and legal officer, witnessing crises firsthand in New York, Iran, Mexico, Haiti, and Geneva. Roles included special assistant in Political Affairs, deputy director for the Americas, senior political officer, principal officer under the Under-Secretary-General, and director for political, peacekeeping, and humanitarian affairs as deputy chef de cabinet. He served as UN Special Representative for Cyprus (2006-2008) and executive director of the Kofi Annan Foundation (2008-2011), also as Conference on Disarmament secretary-general.
Post-retirement, Michael advises on global governance, foresight, and multilateralism, lecturing at INSEAD and GESDA on future challenges.
His political expertise emphasises youth empowerment, ethical leadership, and cross-sector collaboration amid insecurity. At OYW2025,, he participated in the “Combining Passion with Political Impact” session and “How can young leaders drive global cooperation for a safer world?” plenary, alongside David Beasley, urging radical collaboration across generations to disrupt systems, foster peace, security, and sustainability.
Title: High Representative, United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC)
Where are they based: Madrid, Spain
Area of expertise: Politics
Miguel Ángel Moratinos served as High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) since 2019, also serving as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. Born in Madrid, Spain he graduated in Law, Political Sciences, and Diplomatic Studies from Complutense University, joining Spain’s foreign service in 1977. Early roles focused on the Mediterranean, as Deputy Director General for Northern Africa (1987-1991) and Director of Cooperation with the Arab World (1991-1993), followed by Director General for Africa and the Middle East (1993-1996), organising the 1992 Madrid Middle East Peace Conference. As Spain’s Foreign Minister (2004-2010), he presided over the UN Security Council, OSCE, Council of Europe, and EU Council, doubling development aid and championing multilateralism.
Miguel’s political expertise promotes intercultural dialogue, countering extremism, and global cooperation amid polarisation.
A PSOE member and former Congress representative for Córdoba, he reinforced UNAOC as a platform for stakeholder engagement post-Nassir al-Nasser. At OYW2025,, he joined BMW’s “Every Movement Starts With One” panel with Ilka Horstmeier and Dr. Gabriela de la Torre, stressing leadership, trust, courage, and vision to transform individual actions into collective movements for community and organisational progress.
Title: World Cup Winning South African Rugby Player (“The Beast”); Philanthropist & Entrepreneur
Where are they based: Cape Town, South Africa
Area of expertise: Rugby and Philanthropy
Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira stands as a Rugby World Cup-winning South African icon and philanthropist based in Cape Town. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, he moved at 18 seeking opportunity, earning a scholarship to Peterhouse Boys School before joining the Sharks in 2005. Debuting for the Springboks in 2008 against Wales, the loosehead prop amassed 117 caps—the most for any prop—featuring in Tri-Nations triumphs, British & Irish Lions series victories, and the 2019 World Cup title, where his scrummaging proved decisive against England. Renowned for indomitable power, speed, and humility despite early citizenship battles, he retired in 2020 after stints with Old Glory DC, authoring his memoir, Beast.
Now chairman of The Beast Foundation, Tendai leverages rugby expertise for philanthropy, delivering Lead Like a Girl and annual Rugby Bootcamps to empower African youth via sports, education, and life skills, while owning a security firm as an entrepreneur.
A UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador, he champions social cohesion. At OYW2025, he featured in “Journeys from the Refugee Olympic Team”.
He interviewed Kasra Mehdipournejad and Cindy Ngamba, sharing resilience and sport’s role in fostering belonging and hope; and “The Power of Sport: Driving Social and Societal Change” with Mark Tewksbury and François Pienaar, highlighting unity, inclusion, and progress.
Title: Refugee Olympic Boxer (Cameroon/UK)
Where are they based: UK
Area of expertise: Boxing and refugee empowerment
Cindy, a refugee boxer from Cameroon now based in the UK. Born in Douala, she relocated to Bolton at age 11 to join her family, confronting language barriers, immigration fears, and detention at 16 in a Manchester centre. Drawn to boxing at 15 after initially playing football, she trained with GB Boxing, becoming a three-time English national champion—the first woman since Natasha Jonas—and amassing a 26-5 amateur record with wins at the Bocskai event and European Games for the EOC Refugee Team. Having come out as openly gay anti-LGBTQ+ laws, she secured refugee status and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics via the World Boxing Qualification Tournament, receiving a bronze in the women’s 75kg category—the Refugee Olympic Team’s first medal—before a semi-final loss to Panama’s Atheyna Bylon. Honoured at Buckingham Palace by King Charles III and added to GB Boxing’s wall of fame, she turned professional in 2025.
At OYW2025, Cindy joined the “Journeys from the Refugee Olympic Team” session alongside taekwondo athlete Kasra Mehdipournejad and moderator Tendai Mtawarira, sharing stories of resilience and perseverance in pursuing excellence while representing millions displaced worldwide.
The discussion highlighted sport’s power to foster belonging, inspire hope, and create pathways amid determination and endurance, reflecting her advocacy for inclusion and freedom for 120 million refugees. Post-Olympics, she eyes world titles, using her platform to champion mental health, equity, and the transformative role of athletics in overcoming systemic barriers.
Title: Former South African rugby captain (Springboks, 1995 World Cup); sports ambassador
Where are they based: Cape Town, South Africa
Area of expertise: Rugby and Philanthropy
Based in Cape Town, François is a former captain is a rugby union legend, a former South African rugby union captain and philanthropist, renowned for leading his nation to Rugby World Cup glory in 1995. Born in Vereeniging, he excelled as a flanker at Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg), debuting for Transvaal (now Golden Lions) in 1989 and making 100 appearances while captaining 89, securing Currie Cup titles in 1993 and 1994, plus Super 10 and Lion Cup wins. Appointed South African captain for his 1993 Test debut against France, he earned 29 caps—all as skipper—named International Player of the Year in 1994 by Rugby World magazine. At the 1995 World Cup hosted in post-apartheid South Africa, Pienaar guided the ninth-ranked South Africa team to win the World Cup. He was presented the Webb Ellis Cup by Nelson Mandela in a unifying moment immortalised in the film Invictus, before retiring from rugby in 1996. He would later coach Saracens in England, leading them to cup success and European qualification.
Post-retirement, François transitioned to business and philanthropy, serving as Saracens CEO (2001-2003) and spearheading South Africa’s failed 2011 World Cup bid.
A sought-after speaker on leadership, teamwork, and motivation, he founded the Make a Difference Foundation to support disadvantaged youth through education and sports. At OYW2025, he joined the “Power of Sport: Driving Social and Societal Change” panel with Olympic champion Mark Tewksbury, Tendai Mtawarira, and moderator Stefan Scheiber, exploring how athletes leverage influence for social cohesion, barrier-breaking, and inclusion. Drawing from his World Cup legacy and Mandela’s endorsement, François highlighted sport’s role in fostering opportunity and inspiring future leaders, reinforcing his expertise in using rugby for societal transformation and ethical leadership.
Title: Mayor of Munich, Germany
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Politics
Mayor Reiter is a German politician from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the long-serving Mayor of Munich, Germany’s third-largest city and the capital of Bavaria. Born Rain, Swabia, he studied public administration at the University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and Administration of Justice in Hof, the city treasury and as head of the cash and tax office. In 2009, he became a professional city councillor responsible for labour and economic affairs, opposing the privatisation of key municipal services and helping steer Munich’s economic policy through a period of growth and digitalisation.
Dieter was elected Lord Mayor of Munich in 2014 with 56.7% of the vote, succeeding Christian Ude, and was re-elected in 2020 with over 70%, reflecting strong local support for his agenda.
His priorities include keeping Munich cosmopolitan, open and tolerant, expanding affordable housing, modernising mobility, and advancing climate and digital strategies while combating right‑wing extremism and promoting integration. At OYW2025, Dieter officially welcomed delegates at the Opening Ceremony in the Olympiahalle, giving a keynote that underlined Munich’s commitment to being an inclusive, diverse and youth‑driven city, and helping to set the tone for a summit focused on global cooperation, peace and sustainability.
Title: Co-founder & CEO, Rappler and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (2021)
Where are they based: Philippines
Area of expertise: Politics
Maria is the co-founder, CEO, and executive editor of Rappler—a pioneering digital news platform in the Philippines—and has dedicated nearly four decades to journalism, earning the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Dmitry Muratov for defending freedom of expression. Born in Manila to Filipino parents, she grew up in the US and Philippines, graduating from Princeton University before building a stellar career at CNN as a Southeast Asia bureau chief for nearly two decades, opening bureaus in Manila and Jakarta and covering major crises. In 2012, she co-founded Rappler with three colleagues to pioneer multimedia journalism amid social media’s rise, focusing on investigative reporting that exposed government corruption, Duterte’s war on drugs with its extrajudicial killings, and disinformation networks. Despite relentless harassment, Maria has kept Rappler operational, pivoting to fact-checking for Facebook and disinformation analytics, while authoring How to Stand Up to a Dictator. A Columbia University professor and MIT fellow, she champions ethical tech use and democracy.
At OYW2025, Maria delivered a keynote speech warning of disinformation’s existential threat to truth, democracy, and freedoms, amplified by social media. Drawing from her frontline battles against authoritarianism, she urged courage, integrity, and personal responsibility in combating lies that erode trust and polarise societies, positioning young leaders as vital defenders of facts amid rising authoritarianism.
Title: Co-founder, One Young World
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Business For Good
Kate is the co-founder and CEO of One Young World, based in London, U and is a pioneering advocate for business for good and youth empowerment. Born in apartheid-era South Africa, her worldview was profoundly shaped by witnessing systemic injustice and the transformative leadership of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, instilling a commitment to inclusive, purpose-led change. After studying law at the University of Cape Town, she built a 35-year career in advertising, rising to Global President of Havas Worldwide (2013-2015) and UK Chairman (2006-2013), where she spearheaded impactful campaigns like TckTckTck—a 2009 climate mobilisation with Kofi Annan that gathered 18 million supporters ahead of COP15. In 2009, inspired by the Olympic movement’s values, she co-founded One Young World with David Jones to create the world’s leading forum for young leaders under 35, uniting delegates from 190+ countries at annual summits.
Kate serves on the IOC’s Olympism365 Commission, is a UN Women HeForShe Champion, and co-authored How to Make a Difference (2019), earning accolades like the 2017 British American Business Corporate Citizenship Award and honorary doctorates.
At OYW2025, like David Jones, Kate was a constant presence alongside David Jones. whether it was the opening or closing ceremonies, or on the main stage throughout the three days of the conference, introducing each speaker, or inspiring and driving attendees to go back to their home cities or organisations and create initiatives that will empower others to change the world.
Most recently, Kate accepted an Honorary Doctorate from Bath University in March 2026
Title: MD of One Young World
Where are they based: London, UK
Area of expertise: Business For Good
Ella serves as Managing Director of One Young World, based in London, UK, with deep expertise in business for good and social impact scaling. She joined the organisation early in her career after studying at the University of Edinburgh, rising through roles in operations, partnerships, and strategy to oversee summit delivery, delegate engagement, and corporate collaborations that have amplified solutions to challenges like climate action and health equity. Under her leadership, One Young World has expanded to host 2,000+ delegates from 190+ countries annually, securing partnerships with giants like AstraZeneca, Siemens, and L’Oréal. Her work emphasises purpose-driven business, youth empowerment, and cross-sector innovation.
Ella is also co-author (with Kate Robertson) of How To Make A Difference, a practical guide to modern activism that helps readers choose causes that matter to them and translate concern into effective, strategic action rather than burnout or tokenism. The book distils lessons from some of the world’s most impactful campaigns and changemakers, offering tools on coalition-building, communications, and sustaining momentum.
In her TEDx talk and other keynote appearances, she expands on these themes—explaining how young people can combine passion with research, collaboration, and “action now” discipline to move from talking shops to “action shops,” and why dignity, equity, and community are at the heart of meaningful, lasting change.
Before the summit, Ella played a key role in the formation, organisation and agenda for the summit itself. At OYW2025 in Munich, Ella interviewed Nazanin Boniadi and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe during the Iran in focus’ session. Ensuring that Iran was kept top of mind throughout the four days of the conference.
Title: England women’s football player and tattoo artist
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Football and tattooing
Georgia is a women’s footballer for Bayern Munich and the England women’s national team (nicknamed The Lionesses). In addition, she is also a tattoo artist and is currently based in Munich, Germany. A dynamic attacking midfielder renowned for her goal-scoring prowess and leadership. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, she began at grassroots club Furness Rovers before joining Blackburn Rovers and breaking into Manchester City’s senior squad in 2016, winning the Women’s Super League that year, three FA Cups, and multiple League Cups. In 2022, she transferred to Bayern Munich in the Frauen-Bundesliga, securing two league titles in her first season while amassing over 100 appearances. Internationally, Georgia debuted for England’s senior team in 2018, scoring on her first cap against Austria, and captained youth sides to bronze at the 2016 U17 Euros and 2018 U20 World Cup. She starred in England’s Euro 2022 triumph—scoring the quarter-final winner against Spain—and reached the 2023 World Cup final with a penalty against Haiti, later defending the Euro title in 2025 with a goal versus Wales. Nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality (2016) and PFA Young Player awards, she boasts a perfect penalty record for England, recently netting a hat-trick in an 8-0 win over China.
At OYW2025, Georgia featured in a fireside chat titled “Georgia Stanway in Conversation” with moderator Harriet Leach, tracing her journey from Barrow-in-Furness to elite levels at Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
She discussed the mindset for major tournaments like the Euros, realities of female athletics, the Lionesses’ evolution post-2022 success, and visions for women’s football growth globally, highlighting sport’s role in inspiration and inclusion. Her tattoo artistry—creating custom designs for teammates—adds a creative dimension to her expertise, blending athletic excellence with personal expression.
Title: Survivor of the Hiroshima bomb
Where are they based: Hiroshima, Japan
Area of expertise: Peace
Shigemitsu is a Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor (hibakusha) based in Hiroshima, Japan and has devoted decades to global peace advocacy following the 1945 Nagasaki bombing. Aged four on 9 August 1945, he was 6km from the hypocentre in Togitsu, witnessing a blinding white flash while in his garden with family; they fled to nearby hills amid the shockwave, escaping immediate injury. Long-term effects ravaged his family—his mother developed lifelong thyroid and liver issues from aiding victims, his father died of cancer 12 years later, a brother succumbed similarly, and a grandchild perished days after birth from diaphragm defects, fuelling Tanaka’s genetic guilt. Working as a train driver until a 2000 heart attack prompted activism, he joined Nihon Hidankyo in 2000—the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize-winning group of survivors pushing for nuclear abolition, rising to co-president. For 25 years, he has led soil inspections in Nagasaki, guided tours, lectured students, and collected bomb remnants like fused roof tiles to illustrate radiation’s horror, urging ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
At OYW2025, Shigemitsu shared his testimony, recounting the bombing’s chaos—“a bright white light” and unassisted burns victims—while emphasising nuclear weapons’ incompatibility with humanity. As Nihon Hidankyo representative, his presence amplified calls for disarmament amid Asia’s arms race, stressing survivor stories as living proof against reuse, and inspiring youth to join anti-nuclear efforts for a weapon-free world.
Title: Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist; advocate for mental health and LGBT inclusion
Where are they based: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Area of expertise: Sports and LGBT Inclusion
Mark is an Olympic gold medallist swimmer and advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ inclusion based in Ottawa, Canada. He won gold in the 100m backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Canada’s first swimming gold since 1984, setting an Olympic record in a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Jeff Rouse, plus bronze in the 4x100m medley relay. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he earned silver in the medley relay despite finishing fifth in the 100m backstroke. A four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist (1986, 1990), he claimed seven Pan Pacific medals, 21 Canadian national titles, and seven short-course world records, earning accolades like Canadian Athlete of the Year (1992 Lou Marsh Trophy) and induction into halls of fame, including the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Post-retirement, he hosted How It’s Made, pursued motivational speaking, and came out as gay in 1998 after battling depression and suicidal ideation during his closeted career.
At OYW2025, Mark joined the “Power of Sport: Driving Social and Societal Change” panel with François Pienaar, Tendai Mtawarira, and Stefan Scheiber, sharing how athletes leverage influence for social cohesion, barrier-breaking, and inclusion.
Drawing from his Olympic triumphs and personal struggles with mental health stigma in sport, he highlighted sport’s role in advancing equity, opportunity, and empathy, inspiring youth leaders to use athletics for societal transformation and LGBTQ+ advocacy. In addition to being on the One Young World Council and taking part in the opening and closing ceremonies
Miguel Uribe Turbay and his family
Title: Assonated Presidential candidate of Colombia
Where are they based: formerly Bogeta, Colombia
Area of expertise: Politics
Miguel Uribe Turbay (1986–2025), was a prominent Colombian politician formerly based in Bogotá, was a senator for the Centro Democrático party and a leading pre-candidate for the 2026 presidential election, specialising in security, anti-corruption, and opposition politics. Grandson of former president Julio César Turbay Ayala and son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was abducted and killed by Pablo Escobar’s Medellín Cartel in 1991, he entered public service as Bogotá city councillor (2012–2015), championing urban security and fiscal reforms. Elected senator in 2022, he became one of President Gustavo Petro’s fiercest critics, opposing labour reforms, pension changes, and peace talks with dissident groups, while advocating stronger law enforcement amid rising violence from rearmed guerrillas and cartels. Announcing his presidential bid in October 2024, Miguel positioned himself as a defender of traditional values and economic stability, drawing crowds despite Colombia’s fraught history of assassinated leaders in the 1980s–90s. On 7 June 2025, during a campaign rally at El Golfito Park in Bogotá’s Fontibón district, Miguel was shot three times, twice in the head and once in the leg, by a 15-year-old gunman from behind while addressing supporters; bodyguards wounded the assailant in the foot, leading to his arrest.
He was rushed to Fundación Santa Fe for emergency neurosurgery, he lingered in critical condition for two months before dying on 11 August 2025 from brain complications. The assassination, first against a top politician in over 30 years, sparked national mourning and condemnation internationally.
Having previously taken part in sessions in One Young World in 2017 in Bogota, in one of the most emotional sessions of the entire 4 days, at OYW202, Kate and David announced that the politician of the year award will be renamed The Miguel Uribe Turbay Politician of the Year Award. Miguel’s stepdaughters, Maria and Emilia Ascota, were present at the ceremony for Zaynab Mohamed, who herself was almost assassinated earlier this year.
Title: CEO of United Way
Where are they based: Atlanta, USA
Area of expertise: Philanthropy
Angela is the President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, based in Atlanta, USA, is a trailblazing philanthropist with over 30 years of experience advancing equity, community resilience, and systemic change. The first Black woman and ordained minister to lead the 135-year-old organisation, she previously served as President and CEO of Easterseals (2018–2021), EVP and Chief Administration Officer at YMCA of the USA, and interfaith liaison for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, mobilising faith communities for disaster recovery. A lawyer (JD) and Master of Divinity holder, her civil rights upbringing—daughter of activists—fuels a bi-vocational approach blending faith, law, and nonprofit leadership to tackle health, education, economic mobility, and disaster response. Named a 2025 USA Today Woman of the Year and Forbes’ 2021 Women 50 Over 50 for social change, she drives United Way’s transformation: scaling local impact via 1,100 affiliates in 35 countries serving 48 million, from Maui wildfire aid to Hurricanes Helene/Milton recovery, broadband in rural areas, and food access in deserts.
At OYW2025, Angela led “Unlocking Brighter Futures with United Way: Expanding Access to Education,” convening four OYW delegates championing community education initiatives, and “Being the Peace in an Age of Chaos,” drawing from her grandfather’s segregation-era courage and United Way’s global work to inspire cross-sector peacebuilding. She also featured in “The Power of Sport” panel and hosted delegate discussions on equity for marginalised groups, reinforcing philanthropy’s role in fostering safe learning, mental health, and societal cohesion amid global crises.
Toru Yamaguchi
Title: Co-Chairperson, Nihon Hidankyo, and President, Nagasaki A-bomb Survivors Council
Where are they based: Hiroshima, Japan
Area of expertise: Peace
According to his profile on the One Young World website Toru Yamaguchi was born on July 3, 1960, as a second-generation Hibakusha of Nagasaki. From April 1984 to March 2024, he worked for the educational division in Nagasaki Prefectural Government. At the time of retirement, he served as chief administrative officer at Nagasaki Prefectural Isahaya Special Needs School. While working, he engaged in citizen peace movements and teachers’ union activities, serving as secretary general of the Nagasaki Prefectural High School teachers and staff union, among other roles. He now focuses on researching and compiling the history and testimonies of atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki, including family members and damages caused by radiation, while aiming to connect this work to activities contributing to anti-war and peace efforts. Currently, he serves as Councillor for the Nagasaki A-bomb Survivors’ Council and as a member of the second-generation Hibakusha association”
At OYW2025, he took part in the closing session in the main hall entitled ‘80 Years since the end of the Second World War’, along with Eva Clarke BEM (Holocaust survivor), Shigemitsu Tanaka, Horoshima bomb survivor, and Bradley Langer Public Affairs Manager at the Holocaust Educational Trust who refelcted on todays wars and how they were shaped by the second world war and what we must do to stop a third world war from starting.
Title: British-Iranian human rights advocate
Where are they based: UK
Area of expertise: Iranian Politics
Nazanin is a British-Iranian human rights advocate based in the UK, who gained global prominence after enduring nearly six years of wrongful imprisonment in Iran from 2016 to 2022. A project manager at Thomson Reuters Foundation, she was detained at Tehran airport while visiting family with her toddler daughter, accused of plotting against the regime and propaganda—charges she denied. Held in the notorious Evin Prison, subjected to solitary confinement, mock executions, and forced confessions, she faced a sham trial with limited lawyer access, later receiving a second sentence. Her husband Richard’s high-profile campaign, UN interventions deeming her detention arbitrary torture, and diplomatic pressure she eventually secured her release in March 2022.
Post-freedom, Nazanin has become a forceful commentator on Iranian politics, exposing the regime’s hostage diplomacy, judicial abuses, and suppression of dissent, while advocating for dual nationals and press freedom. Author of My Name is Why? on captivity’s trauma, she campaigns via Free Nazanin, lectures at Oxford Union on Evin’s horrors, and critiques Tehran’s xenophobia against Western-Iranians.
At OYW2025, Nazanin took part in the ‘Iran in Focus’ session, along with actress Nazanin Boniadi, discussing “ the plight of Iranian prisoners of conscience, focusing on their resilience and struggles under harsh conditions”
Title: Principal Dancer, Bayerisches Staatsballett
Where are they based: Munich, Germany
Area of expertise: Ballet
Jinhao is a principal dancer with the Bayerisches Staatsballett based in Munich, Germany, is celebrated for his refined technique, powerful stage presence, and versatility across classical and contemporary repertoires. A Chinese artist who joined the company as a demi-soloist, he ascended to soloist in 2018/19 and principal in 2021/22 under directors like Laurent Hilaire. Known for roles in La Bayadère (Solor), Onegin, and Wayne McGregor’s Kairos, Zhang has performed pas de deux with peers like Jeanette Kakareka, earning acclaim for emotional depth after initial technical focus, as in Patrice Bart’s productions. His live captures with the Bayerisches Staatsorchester highlight precision in jumps, partnering, and musicality, contributing to the ensemble’s global reputation alongside stars like Margarita Grechanaia.
At OYW2025, Jinhao joined “The Universal Language of Creativity” session with Bavarian State Ballet artists, Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria, Marcia Brown-Rayford, and Jeanette Kakareka. The panel examined artistry’s transcendence of borders, politics, and history to foster empathy and shared identity, showcasing ballet as a unifying force amid division.