Leading by Example Program by the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates

THE AIMS OF THE PROGRAM

The educational platform of the Leading by Example Program consists of more than 60 educational workshop opportunities, covering topics related to human rights. These include: protecting the environment, abolishing nuclear weapons, ending child labor trafficking, resolving civil wars, the status of refugees, equality for all, peace through nonviolence, political leadership, and tools in peacebuilding, among other topics.

• Encourage youth to think creatively about practical ways to affect positive change within their communities through social projects
• Promote peace and non-violence as a form of effective diplomacy among emerging global leaders, such as those youth delegates who attend our Program
• Provide networking opportunities connecting youth delegates with Nobel Peace Laureates, non-profit leaders, academics, and peers from universities all throughout the world
• Encourage youth delegates to think about social issues that the global community faces today, and to apply critical thinking skills to solutions to these challenges
• Provide access to unique educational opportunities in which youth delegates can learn directly from Nobel Peace Laureates about tools in peacebuilding

HISTORY

The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was founded by former President Mikhail Gorbachev in the city of Rome in 1999. The aim was to provide a unified platform for Nobel Peace Laureates to promote their many inspiring messages of peace to the world.

Recognizing the important role that youth play in promoting these messages, the Permanent Secretariat established the Leading by Example Program in 2012. While youth have typically attended the World Summit along with members of civil society in the past, the Permanent Secretariat was committed to deepening educational opportunities through partnerships with colleges and universities, as well as non-profit organizations, around the world.

The Leading by Example Program aims to attract students and young professionals from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. It is a firm belief of the Permanent Secretariat that peace is only achievable when everyone in society plays an active role. Over the course of the Program’s history, we have attracted bright students pursuing studies in the fields of politics, social business, ecology, arts and sciences, education, medicine, and law, among other academic areas.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Working in collaboration with Nobel Peace Laureates and Organizations, the Permanent Secretariat offers a comprehensive four-day educational Program to college-aged students and young professionals. Over the course of four days, youth delegates attend plenary sessions featuring the Nobel Peace Laureates and other important actors related to the host country’s historical context, and participate in orientation activities, workshops, round table discussions, and networking/cultural activities specially designed for youth delegates.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE WORKSHOPS

A cornerstone to our educational efforts, the Leading by Example Program offers upwards of 60 educational workshops for students to choose from over a course of four days. These workshops are led by Nobel Peace Laureates, academics, non-profit leaders, and in some cases, other youth delegates. Central to the mission of the workshop initiative is providing opportunities for youth to engage in dialogue.

Taking place in smaller rooms, approximately ten workshops take place at one time, in parallel to one another. Some workshops are highly focused on specific academic content such as “Becoming a Social Entrepreneur,” or the history of conflicts in certain regions, while others are more theoretical and may focus on the process of reconciliation and forgiveness. While at the World Summit, students will have the opportunity to select the workshops they would like to attend.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE – EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS

So that the Permanent Secretariat may continue to provide exceptional educational programming to students and young professionals year-round, the Leading by Example team has taken on the task of offering up to five educational webinars to take place in one calendar year. The webinars will follow a model similar to the Leading by Example workshops, in which they will feature experts and academics focusing on topics related to the goals of the Nobel Peace Laureates, as well as the stories of youth delegates who are making positive changes in their communities.

The schedule of webinars for the Leading by Example Program will be released once available.

EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR ADOPTION IN UNIVERSITY COURSES

Building on the success we have found in connecting youth to the teachings and courageous examples of Nobel Peace Laureates, the Permanent Secretariat is introducing an Educational Curriculum for adoption in University Courses. The Curriculum is based on a fifteen-week education model and has been developed and reviewed by doctoral-level professors from the United States and Russia, with feedback from professors attending the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.

The Curriculum brings real-world scenarios to the classroom, where students are engaged as leaders, responding to a range of global challenges that the world faces today. Specially designed for university courses, the Curriculum provides flexibility so that it may be adopted appropriately and freely within any given classroom setting. To learn more, please contact Victoria Devdariani, Youth Program Director: v.devdariani@nobelpeacesummit.com.

TURNER SOCIAL CHANGE PRIZE – $10 000 PRIZE

With generous support from the Turner Family Foundation and the Captain Planet Foundation, the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates is pleased to invite youth delegates attending the World Summit to apply for the prestigious Turner Social Change Prize, accompanied by a $10 000 USD award to assist the recipient in her/his efforts to make a positive change at the local and/or global level. Through this Prize, the Permanent Secretariat seeks to empower effective change-makers to help carry out the Summit’s mission of sustainable peace and development for all.

The first Turner Social Change Prize was awarded at the 16th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Bogotá, Colombia. It was awarded to four young women who are changing the world through promoting inclusive societies, protecting the environment, and promoting tools in peacebuilding. Truly global in its scope, the prize was awarded to two Colombian youths, one South African youth, and a youth from the United Arab Emirates.

YOUTH DECLARATIONS

Throughout the course of the four-day Program, each delegation of students will have the opportunity to elect one member of their team to represent their voice in a congress of youth delegates working together to author the Leading by Example Youth Declaration. The Youth Declaration represents the final thoughts and commitments of students following their experience at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. Once approved by the selected representatives of the youth delegates, it will be read on the main stage, alongside the Nobel Peace Laureates in the concluding ceremony of the World Summit. See Youth Declarations from previous years here.

SUPPORTING THE LEADING BY EXAMPLE PROGRAM

The Permanent Secretariat is committed to its mission of providing access to high quality educational opportunities for students all throughout the world. As such, we have made it a priority to offer the Leading by Example Program at no cost to the attending students. While youth delegates must cover travel and lodging expenses, along with some meals, they are not asked to pay a registration fee to participate. Our work largely relies on funding from private philanthropists, foundations, and hosting municipalities. If you would like to support the Leading by Example Program, and the work of the Permanent Secretariat, please contact Louis Venturelli at l.venturelli@nobelpeacesummit.com so that we may seek opportunities to move forward in a mutually beneficial way.