The Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit 2025

“What would Mandela say to us today?”
Speaker: Steve Rametse
Speaker-Chair: Ted Perton

“What is Leadership for the 2020s and Beyond?”
Speaker: Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko
Speaker-Chair: Sophie Woolstencroft

Leadership for Today:
Speaker: USA Consul General Kathleen Lively
Speaker-Chair: Sherry-Rose Bih Watts

African Lutheran Choir

“We all have our mountain to climb... “
Speaker: Daniel Bull
Speaker-Chair: Sione Atu

The Climate
Speaker: Amanda Wendt
Speaker-Chair: Xavier Schmedje

Water for the next 50 years?
Speaker: Lara Olsen
Speaker-Chair: Layla O’Callaghan

The Future: Youth Participants on Optimism and Hope
Introduction: Victor Perton

African Lutheran Choir

Nick said, "I think this Summit enforced a lot of optimism that our future's in pretty good hands. It was good to hear the different perspectives from everyone, and because we all come from different places, there was lots of different optimism about different things. But I think it's pretty clear that our future's in good hands."

Abby said, "The thing that makes me optimistic is seeing what our generation can do for the future. Because the future, with all the opportunities that we've been given, like this Youth Summit, and how we will use that for our future."

Tahira said, "What makes me optimistic is my friends and family and the community of people that I surround myself with, that are also positive and optimistic and have a good eye for the future. "

Ali told us, "The thing that keeps me optimistic is that I have a belief that at the end of everything, there's hope at the end of every trouble, there is hope so with hardness comes ease. So let's say, for example, like lockdown; most of us would be in lockdown, but I still do believe that sooner or later, we will come out of it. So this is the thing that keeps me going. "

Ella said, "The thing that I see as optimistic for me is I see a brighter future for me, through all the opportunities that I've made, from people, from leaders that have allowed us to do and give us these amazing opportunities, like going to school. I can see a brighter future. "

Nicholas said, "Something that makes me optimistic is nothing in life is locked in, and everyone has equal opportunities to do what they want to do."

Sav said, "What makes me optimistic is striving to help other people not just myself, because what I want to do in my life is actually be a neurosurgeon or a psychologist, so striving to help people is what I want to do in my life."

Victoria said, "What makes me optimistic? I think that the people I'm around, like my mentors and relatives, keep me going. Sometimes if I feel a bit down, I think it's just great to have someone by your side.

Haley said, "I'm optimistic for the future because whilst things, like right now they're not the greatest and it's hard to be optimistic about them, but eventually, this will be over. We'lL all be off in the real world and able to do whatever we want really. "

Diana said, "I'm optimistic about people, and I'm optimistic about this generation that's coming after us. I feel like generations keep becoming better and better. And everyone, each generation is becoming kinder and more compassionate. So yeah, people make me optimistic, and the fact that we're becoming more kind and compassionate with each other.

Ella said, "What makes me optimistic, I think, from trying my best and being around everyone inspires me a lot. And I learn so much from everyone, like my brother and my dad and mom and my teachers.

Jeff said, "What makes me optimistic is just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that there's always a way out of this, and also seeing today how many people are working towards a better future for everyone.

Amelia told us, "My community makes me optimistic, watching the passion that different members and corners of my school community, my town and my global community. Everyone's passionate about something different. Everything, different things give people reasons to wake up in the morning, and I just really love seeing that and finding those things for myself, as well."