Delegates brave deluge as One Young World summit gets under way

The skies opened over the capital this afternoon meaning many of the young delegates attending the One Young World Summit were soaked as they made their way to Dubiln's Convention Centre.

The upside to the downpour was the early congeniality it brought about in the ladies bathrooms where young women of various nationalities helped each other dry their soaked hair under hand dryers and chatted among themselves.

“Where are you from,” one young woman asked another. “Gabon,” she replied while in the process of wrapping herself in brightly-coloured dress. “Ah, my African sister,” the first said as she broke out in a wide smile.

These young women are among the 1,300 attendees representing 190 countries in attendance at the One Young World event which opened this afternoon.

The three-day event, which co-founder David Jones described as "a platform to give brilliant young people a catalyst to drive change in the world" will see the attendees, who are aged between 18 and 30, present on and discuss a broad range of topics on major issues facing the world.

Its format is deliberately disruptive: these young people are at the heart of proceedings - they present to and hear from high profile "counsellors" including Kofi Annan who served as the seventh secretary general of the United Nations, former president Mary Robinson, musician and activist Bob Geldof, politicians, numerous business leaders and leading lights from the sporting world including former English footballer Sol Campbell and tennis star Boris Becker.

The founders of One Young World - David Jones and Kate Robertson - explained this afternoon why Dublin was chosen as the host of this year’s summit: because “whether it was from the North or whether it’s from the great recession, its story is one of a triumph, it’s one of society, it’s one of communal values, it’s one of people...pulling through,” Ms Robertson said.

However, other aspects also acted in the city’s favour: the strength of the bid by the two young ambassadors Bob Coggins and Clara Kelleher and the city’s position, as Ms Robertson put it “the capital of new technology for the whole of Europe”.

Describing the event Mr Jones said the summit oped to offer a wider platform to the young attendees to enable them to solve some of the world’s problems.

“We see this generation as the most knowledgable, they’re the most socially responsible and most powerful because they understand how to use these new tools to change the world,” Mr Jones said pointing to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as examples of how young people are having a major impact on the modern world.

Over the next three days the young delegates will hear presentations on and engage in discussions on a range of topics including moves to end food waste, human rights, climate justice and peace and conflict.

The event opened today with the energetic MC Ryan Tubridy before the crowd gave a warm welcome to the children of the Ballymun Music Programme.

The attendees were then addressed by an Taoiseach Enda Kenny who said their generation could make a major difference while also touching on the issues which have faced Ireland in recent years and its more recent economic recovery.

“This recovery is the people’s recovery,” he told the delegates. “It’s their sacrifice, often cruel sacrifice, has given us this success. And today I say to you, young leaders, some of whom will go on to form and lead governments, that we as leaders, as a government, from day one, we were always absolutely clear, that overseeing Ireland’s recovery was not only a political challenge.

“For us, above all, Ireland’s recovery was and remains a democratic privilege, a national obligation. Because it is through our recovery that this, and future generations, could fulfil their right and desire as citizens of this republic of this ‘one world’. And that is to live a dignified, meaningful life.

Later as the summit’s counsellors were introduced two received a standing ovation: Mary Robinson and Sir Bob Geldof who was described in his intro as “Ireland’s great son”.

Ms Robinson underlined the importance of sustainable development to combat climate change, an area which she said required “transformative leadership”.

She said that, remaining on our current course in relation to climate change would be “catastrophic” adding that “we are in a very precarious situation in our world because we have not been good stewards”.

“We need to think about how we can have a vision of a world that is safer, cleaner, healthier and fairer...it’s a world of zero carbon emissions,” she said.