The 5th Global YES (Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability) Summit - Rework the World, was this year held in partnership with the Tällberg Foundation, and LSU, The National Council of Swedish Youth Organization. The Summit gathered 2000 entrepreneurs and decision makers from all over the world and focused on 100 carefully selected ventures from around the globe, which could provide the jobs of tomorrow. The selected initiatives fell within five areas: Energy, Water, Land, Cities and People. In response to the converging financial, social and ecological crises, Rework the World aims to shape new ways of working together locally and globally, and to generate investments and connections that will be taken forward to the final YES Summit in 2012. The goal by then is to have provided two million new jobs and livelihoods for young people.
Serageldin had a key role in the four day summit. A plenary session conversation entitled “The openings: Where are the opportunities?” was moderated by Serageldin with: Hafsat Abiola-Costello (Founder, Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), Nigeria); Reeta Roy (President and CEO, MasterCard Foundation, Canada); and Karen Tse (CEO, International Bridges to Justice, Switzerland). Being a world renowned authority on water, Serageldin introduced the Water theme to the participants (water being one of the five themes of the summit). Also, as the final YES Summit 2012 will be held at the Library of Alexandria, Serageldin gave the last words in the closing ceremony, together with Poonam Ahluwalia (President, YES, USA); Seher Yilmaz (President, LSU National Council of Youth Organizations, Sweden); where they summed up “What We Must Achieve - Towards Alexandria 2012”.
Among the speakers in the plenaries were ministers, heads of multilateral agencies, inspiring entrepreneurs, experts on jobs and sustainability, young leaders, as well as musicians and artists from all over the world.
Taking place in a large arena, surrounded by the natural landscape of Leksand, the summit encompassed a busy programme: plenary sessions, action oriented ”reworkshops” providing participants with concrete opportunities to rework specific projects, “rethinking” sessions to rethink models and concepts, conversations presenting stories of hope and inspiration, improvised gatherings, coaching sessions, brainstorming on new ideas and open presentations.
Serageldin is a member of the YES Campaign Committee and former Chairman of the YES Organizing Committee, which was formed by a distinguished group of world personalities to help launch the civil society effort to organize a world summit to address the issues of youth employment. The first YES summit was launched from the BA in 2002.