Pretoria - As South Africans celebrate Heritage Day, Brand South Africa has called on the youth to be part of the country’s developmental revolution.
The body on Tuesday said youth involvement was critical to driving the nation’s developmental priorities, and sustaining and preserving its heritage.
As part of its commitment to involving young people in the developmental agenda, Brand South Africa will sponsor five young people to attend the world’s largest gathering of youth leaders, the 2013 One Young World Summit, which will be hosted in Johannesburg from 2 - 5 October.
At the annual summit, 1 500 young leaders from over 180 countries will debate and suggest solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.
The participants will be guided by One Young World counsellors, who in the past have included Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Kofi Anan, Bob Geldof and Brand South Africa CEO Miller Matola.
This year, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson joins the line-up of counsellors.
“I am pleased at the opportunity to be part of the One Young World Summit again this year. The 2013 meeting brings together the world’s brightest young minds, right here in Johannesburg.
“These young people must have the resources and support they need to reach their full potential so that they can make a positive impact on their communities,” said Matola
The summit’s sessions will focus on education, global business, human rights, leadership and government, sustainable development and youth unemployment.
Since the inaugural One Young World Summit in 2010, conference ambassadors have been creating change not only in their communities, but also on a global level.
Most notably, the ‘Missing Millennium Development Goal’ was presented to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the African Student Leaders’ Summit was created following the previous summits.
Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation in order to improve its global competitiveness abroad. Its aim is also to build pride and patriotism among South Africans so as to contribute to social cohesion and nation brand ambassadorship. – SAnews.gov.za
