Zeeshan Suhail

In his new book, The Meaning of the 21st Century, Dr. James Martin argues that as the world gets smaller, the challenges get bigger. Climate change, financial instability, and the spread of deadly weapons know no borders and require global solutions. Dr. Martin therefore calls today’s young people the “transition generation” because it is these young leaders that will play the critical transition role to the next world order. “We are traveling at breakneck speed into an era of extremes—extremes of wealth and poverty, extremes in technology, extremes of globalism,” he writes. “If we are to survive, we must learn how to manage them all."

In collaboration with the World Education Corps at Oxford University, Americans for Informed Democracy is hosting a young global leaders summit entitled The Transition Generation: Fulfilling the Promise in New York City on Saturday, September 16^th. The summit will bring together students and young professionals from across the U.S. for a series of panels, discussions, and workshops aimed at examining the unique responsibilities of the “transition generation” and the opportunities for young leaders to fulfill these responsibilities through innovative global leadership and social entrepreneurship. The summit is part of a broader effort to equip the “transition generation” with the tools they need to lead in an interconnected world. As Dr. Martin observes, "whatever else education achieves, it must equip young people to take responsibility for our future — and to find adventure and joy in being global citizens in a time of historic transition."

The summit is set to take place the day before a major September 17th rally at the United Nations in New York City being led by the by the Save Darfur Coalition, an alliance of more than 160 faith-based, humanitarian and human rights organizations. The rally seeks a United Nations peacekeeping force to immediately deploy to the Darfur region to stop the genocide there. The rally is part of a Global Day for Darfur.

The summit is also part of a broader series, called The People Speak, which in 2006 is building discussions in the U.S. on a wide range of issues, including Peace, Security, and Human Rights; Energy and Global Climate Change; and the Millennium Development Goals. The People Speak offers a rare opportunity for Americans of all levels to consider topics such as global security, development, and the environment.

Confirmed speakers at the summit include:
James Martin, Founder of the James Martin 21st Century School and the James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization at Oxford University and Author of The Wired Society

Mandeep Bains, Senior Policy Advisor, United Nations' Millennium Campaign

Ami Dar, Executive Director of Idealist – Action Without Borders
Alison Fine, Author of Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age

Varun Gauri, Senior Economist, Development Research Group, The World Bank
Mark Hanis, Executive Director of Genocide Intervention Network
David Macquart, Co-founder of Global Nomads Group
Erin Mazursky, Executive Director, Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND)
Sonal Shah, Vice President for Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability, Goldman Sachs
Lucas Welch, President of Soliya

Click here to view the schedule of the Transition Generation Summit

Click here to apply to be a participant at the Transition Generation Summit

More on the sponsors:

Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization working to raise global awareness and civic participation through town hall forums and conferences focused on the U.S. role in the world. Through these efforts, AID seeks to build a new generation of globally conscious leaders who can shape an American foreign policy appropriate for our increasingly interdependent world. AID will hold more than one hundred fifty Securing the Future town-hall meetings and two international videoconferences in 2006 on the changing global environment.

The World Education Corps (WEC) is an international volunteer service organization that unites the energy and idealism of youth with the power of digital media to meet global educational needs and to build awareness of critical issues facing the planet today. WEC volunteers from around the world are engaged in community-based educational and humanitarian projects that aim to improve access of digital media resources, provide skills training and resources to local communities and empower youth, teachers and community leaders.