Returning for its 10th edition, the World Bank Group Youth Summit engaged youth on the most pressing topics facing their generation, bringing together thousands of participants from around the world.
The Summit took take place on May 25-26, 2023, with activities and engagements in different regions and at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC.
Congratulations to the 3 winners of the 2023 Pitch Competition!
Nicholas Kee is the Winner of the Jury’s Choice Award for his initiative, Kee Farms which focuses on Combating Climate Change Through Ocean Regeneration & Restoration.
Krish Yadav, the Jury’s Choice runner-up, has developed a project called BhashaX, which aims to facilitate coding in individuals' mother tongues, accessible to anyone with internet connectivity.
Amal El Najjar won the Audience Choice Award for her project, TAMAS Lebanon, a reintegrative initiative that strives to build bridges between juvenile detainees and the local society.
About the World Bank Group Youth Summit
Established in 2013, the Youth Summit is an annual event hosted by the World Bank Group to engage with youth globally on the most pressing issues facing their generation. As the largest youth worldwide annual gathering at the World Bank Group, the primary goals of the Youth Summit are to:
The 2023 World Bank Group Youth Summit themed ‘From the Ground up: Local Solutions to Drive Global Impact’ is dedicated to ensuring development solutions are generated locally, elevated globally, and scaled cross-regionally. In alignment with the WBG’s decentralization approach, the Summit will honor local ownership, local knowledge, and local solutions as the pathway to responsively tackle global development challenges.
Climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic. War and forced displacement. Energy shortages. Worldwide inflation. By 2023 these overlapping crises have caused the biggest setback to ending global poverty since 1990 – making international development more relevant than ever.
Young people are among the most vulnerable to these crises. Youth unemployment is at its highest level since 1991. Almost half of the global refugee population is under 18. And as climate change worsens, our future looks less and less certain.
As the WBG pushes to correct course on poverty reduction and support resilient recovery, the Summit will localize the spotlight, shifting power to youth on the ground. Young people bring some of the boldest solutions at the local level. In towns and villages around the world, youth are finding innovative ways to use technology, such as creative solar panel delivery, female-led education platforms, and much more.
Day 1 – May 25th, 2023
“Community-Driven Strategies and Delivery Systems for Achieving Development Goals”
Join us for the first day of the World Bank Group (WBG) Youth Summit as we explore the power of youth-led local movements and their potential to drive global change and foster sustainable development. The Summit brings together young changemakers from around the world to discuss innovative ideas and solutions for global development challenges. Today’s experts will discuss locally led strategies and small-scale delivery systems for achieving development goals on a global scale. From local initiatives to global partnerships, the Summit will explore what it takes to implement effective strategies that drive progress towards a more sustainable future.
Opening ceremony | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Welcome and run down of the activities by the Master of Ceremony.
• Alice Vandenberghe, YS23 Steering Committee Co-Communications Lead
• Marco Fayet, YS23 Master of Ceremony
Introduction of the 2023 Youth Summit Theme by the Manager | WATCH THE REPLAY!
• O'Neall Massamba, YS23 Steering Committee Manager
Opening remarks by Keynote Speaker | WATCH THE REPLAY!
• David Malpass, former President, World Bank Group
Roundtable – Celebrating 10 years of the WBG Youth Summit: Bringing youth-led local solutions to the global stage | WATCH THE REPLAY!
For 10 years, the WBG Youth Summit has brought together young people from all over the world to exchange ideas, explore innovative solutions, and learn from each other's experiences. This session celebrates this milestone with a conversation among former Youth Summit Managers and Pitch Competition Finalists, as well as senior WBG leaders. This dynamic roundtable discussion will highlight the importance of youth-led local solutions with a global impact and showcase the support provided by the WBG to young innovators through community-driven development projects and the WBG Youth Summit.
• Mamta Murthi, Acting Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships
• Ousmane Diagana, Vice President of the World Bank for West and Central Africa
• O'Neall Massamba, Moderator, YS23 Steering Committee Manager
• Hope Ndhlovu, Founder and CEO of TUVERL
• Kilian Koffi, MBA Candidate, Columbia University
• Zenna Law, Co-founder and CEO of Pinkcollar
Plenary Session 1 – Setting the Community Agenda: How Local Development Strategies Have a Global Impact | WATCH THE REPLAY!
A deep dive into the theme of this year’s Summit, this session will highlight how local development solutions can sustainably eliminate poverty and reduce income inequality on a global scale. In alignment with the World Bank Group's community-driven development approach, the Summit will use the lens of local voices, experiences, and solutions to discuss three critical development challenges: (1) fragility, conflict and violence (FCV), (2) climate and energy; and (3) jobs and skills. This plenary conversation is an opportunity to discuss community-driven development projects with young innovators, a WBG representative, and a representative from the private sector.
• Sofyan Yusufi, Deloitte Principal - Risk and Financial Advisory Leader for International Development Organizations Practice
• Patrick Barron, World Bank’s Global Lead for Social Cohesion and Resilience
• Sera Bulbul, Research and Advocacy Associate for the Hunger Project & the Movement for Community-led Development
• Julie Ryan, Moderator, Risk Communications Officer
• Menno Pradhan, Professor of Economics at the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Sara Boughedir, Program Officer on Forced Displacement, Center for Mediterranean Integration
Activity 1 for Online Delegates – Youth, Jobs, and Conflict: Navigating Complex Delivery Systems | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Fragility, conflict and violence are not static or linear – nor are development solutions. WBG research consistently shows that locally led development solutions are the most effective to reach remote or insecure areas in FCV locations. Local solutions through community-driven development are highlighted in the World Bank’s FCV strategy as one of six areas for special emphasis. This session will focus on insights, lessons learned, and best practices for strengthening delivery systems and strategies for youth employment and education.
• Heela Yoon, Founder of Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace Organization
• Ivanna Khrapko, Chairman of the Youth Council of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine
• Lucky Omaar, Project Manager, Women, Peace and Security Project
• Noris Moreno, CEO of Más Resilientes
• Sylvie Umwere, Moderator, Admin & Client Support of the World Bank
Fireside Chat 1 – Breaking the Cycle: Grassroots Solutions to Gender-Based Violence | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Gender-based violence affects one in three women worldwide according to the WBG. This somber and dark problem devastates potentially every aspect of a survivor’s life including health, education, and financial security. This fireside chat between two well-regarded experts will discuss innovative ideas and best practices at the local level, as well as obstacles that need to be overcome to end gender-based violence.
• Maria Gonzalez de Asis, Practice Manager, World Bank Social Sustainability and Inclusion Unit
• Raaga Akkineni, Moderator, 2023 Pitch Competition Co-Lead
• Hanna Lemma, Founder and Director, Addis Powerhouse
• Iryna Pavlyk, GBV specialist from UN Women Country Office, Ukraine
Plenary Session 2 – Rising Seas, Rising Tensions: The Intersection of Fragility and Climate Change | WATCH THE REPLAY!
This plenary session will present the intersectional challenges of climate change and areas affected by FCV. Climate change can exacerbate FCV situations by leading to droughts, floods, and food insecurity. Environmental shocks such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions have devastating effects on local communities already affected by instability and violence. The WBG predicts that climate change could force 216 million people across six world regions to move within their countries by 2050. Additionally, access to food is becoming increasingly unreliable because of both FCV supply shocks and extreme weather events driven by climate change. To deliver durable development outcomes that ensure peace, stability and security, it is vital to act decisively to address both FCV and climate change. Local solutions may provide the most effective and long-lasting strategies.
• Louise Cord, Global Director for Social Sustainability and Inclusion, World Bank
• Srujani Shrawne, Moderator, Pitch Competition Co-Lead for the 2023 World Bank Group Youth Summit
• Amina Bintaleb, YOUNGA Youth Delegate 2021 for the UN General Assembly
• Binta Bajaha, Special Assistant to Emergency Director at World Food Program
• Jevanic Henry, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellow
• Opira Bosco Okot, Founder of the Leads and Climate Change Activist
Career Development Sessions
Join a session to learn more about these programs and how you can be a part of them. These career development sessions will be accessible both in person and online to Youth Summit delegates.
Activity 2 for Online Delegates – Green Jobs, Golden Experience: Youth and the Green Transition | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Green jobs are decent jobs to preserve or restore the environment. Promoting green jobs can be a powerful tool to address many global issues such as rural poverty, unemployment, climate change, and food insecurity. The transition to green jobs is projected to generate over 24 million full time jobs by 2050. Green jobs, in addition to providing innovative solutions to climate change and preventing environmental degradation, can help solve the rural youth unemployment crisis. Green jobs can also strengthen energy security and solidify energy sources in rural areas. Let’s explore how youth are already creating, promoting, and taking green jobs around the world.
• Elizabeth Ruppert Bulmer, Lead Economist in the Jobs Group at the World Bank
• Gibson Kawago, Founder and Chief Technical Officer of WAGA
• Hanyuan Karen Wang, Founding Member of Carbonbase
• Yurshell Rodriguez, Environmental Engineer
• Vicky Aridi, Moderator, Program Manager for YEO 2030 Initiative & Advisor for Green Jobs for Youth Pact
Day 2 – May 26th, 2023
“Empowering Local Leaders, Building Strong Communities to Drive Global Impact”
Join us for a second day of inspiration, dialogue and networking as the Summit explores the role of local leadership in creating vibrant and sustainable communities. Our expert panelists will share their insights on topics such as local climate solutions, community tactics to solve fragile situations, youth entrepreneurship, and more. Come be a part of the conversation and take your first steps towards becoming an agent of change in your own community.
Welcome and run down of the activities by the Master of Ceremony | WATCH THE REPLAY!
• Alice Vandenberghe, YS23 Steering Committee Co-Communications Lead
• Marco Fayet, YS23 Master of Ceremony
Opening remarks and Q&A with Keynote Speaker | WATCH THE REPLAY!
• Axel van Trotsenburg Senior Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank
Poetry Reading
• Shenna Ross, Senior HR Assistant
Plenary Session 3 – My House, My Community, My Action: Locally Led Climate Adaptation | WATCH THE REPLAY!
This session will highlight the importance of locally led climate adaptation initiatives and their potential to empower vulnerable groups on the frontlines of climate change, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. The session will introduce principles for locally led adaptation action, designed to guide the development of effective and equitable climate adaptation strategies at the community level. The principles recognize the value of local knowledge, participation, and ownership in building resilience to climate impacts, with the involvement of local actors in decision-making around climate finance seen as a key success factor. The panelists will also represent different vulnerable groups on the frontlines of climate change. They will showcase innovative adaptation solutions developed in their local communities, including nature-based solutions.
• Stéphane Hallegatte, Senior Climate Change Adviser, World Bank
• Bianka Kretschmer, Moderator, Adaptation Fund Climate Change Specialist
• Arno Fontaine, Founder of ThinkCity
• Fatou Jeng, Founder of Clean Earth Gambia
• Joshua Amponsem, Founder of Green Africa Youth Organization
• Joyce Mendez, United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Climate Advisor
Fireside Chat 2 – Keeping the Lights On: Community Leaders and Green Energy Security | WATCH THE REPLAY!
This session will explore local leaders and activists in clean energy innovation. Reliable and sustainable energy systems exist when climate change, energy security, and private sector development all come together to succeed.
• Stanley Anigbogu, Founder of LightEd
• Aditi Maheshwari, Senior Operations Officer of IFC Climate Business Department
• Kaihao Cai, Moderator, IMF Research Analyst
• Neha Juneja, Co-Founder of Greenway Appliances
Activity 3 for Online Delegates – Budding Start-ups, Blooming Innovation: Navigating the Journey of Youth Entrepreneurship | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Young people face more challenges to entrepreneurship than ever – education, access to financing, regulatory business protections, mentors, and much more. Policymakers could do more to help youth entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses by improving entrepreneurship education, training programs (outside of education), entrepreneurship coaching and mentoring, business incubators, and start-up financing.
• Alieu Jallow, Founder of Startup Incubator Gambia
• Dr. Adereni Abiodun, Founder and CEO of HelpMum
• Lemnec Tiller, Co-Founder of Wayuuda Foundation
• Richa Gupta, CEO of the Labhya Foundation
• Leila Fall, Moderator, World Bank Human Development Analyst
Live Presentations by Pitch Competition Finalists | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Listen to the inspiring six final teams of the 2023 WBG Youth Summit Competition pitch their innovative ideas live. Beginning this spring with more than 1,300 proposals, six finalist teams made it to the final round of the 2023 WBG Youth Summit Competition. No one is in a better position than young people to innovate and overcome obstacles in an era of fast-paced, technology-driven change.
Plenary Session 4 – A Decentralized Approach to a Sustainable and Resilient Recovery | WATCH THE REPLAY!
After the outbreak of Russia’s war in Ukraine, multiple environmental disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 70 million people than previously projected could be driven into poverty. WBG research shows that community-driven decision-making ensures a more equitable and long-lasting recovery from such crises. While initial efforts have rightly focused on mitigating immediate impacts, there is now a need to focus on comprehensive support to transform local economies for longer-term economic recovery and resilience. This session will hear from local leaders and activists on their unique approaches to a resilient recovery from crisis in their community.
• Loli Arribas-Banos, Practice Manager for Social Protection and Jobs at the World Bank
• Sarah Sladen, USAID's Agency Youth Coordinator
• Varalakshmi Vemuru, Practice Manager, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, World Bank
• Iman Hamidaddin, Moderator, World Bank External Affairs Consultant
• Eddy Frank Vásquez-Sánchez, Founder of Juventud Sostenible
Breakout Session 5 – Final round of the Case Challenge Solutions’ Presentations | WATCH THE REPLAY!
Final presentation for the case challenge! 7 winning teams from each regional group will present their final solutions in the Summit. With experts from the World Bank Group and other institutions, youth representatives from more than 100 countries, and more than 250,000 watching online, it’s a good time to showcase your solution as a team and more importantly, to manifest the voice from youth group. In this session, each team will make the final presentation and the audience will vote for their favorite team.
Lightning Talks | WATCH THE REPLAY!
In-person delegates now have the opportunity to make lightning talks. Each speaker gets 60 seconds to discuss an idea, issue, or opinion. These talks will spark new conversations and give delegates the opportunity to present on a World Bank stage.
The 2023 WBG Youth Summit Competition is a call for innovative and action-oriented solutions from young people that aim to address some of the world's most pressing challenges through grassroots-based local solutions with the potential to make a global impact.
The competition will provide a global platform for young problem-solvers around the world to showcase their unique, innovative solutions in the form of a pitch deck.
The competition rewards the most innovative idea that fosters one of the themes below:
STAGE 1 – Information Session on February 13, 2023
Watch the replay of this event to learn more about the theme of the competition and how to participate.
STAGE 2 – Submit your proposal (Deadline: March 11, 2023, 11:59 pm EST)
Applicants and pitch decks will be evaluated by an expert committee. Shortlisted individuals/teams will be announced by early April and will proceed to the next stage.
Applications can be submitted in Arabic, English, French or Spanish, and you can use the pitch deck template for guidance.
STAGE 3 – Refine your Idea & Prepare your Pitch (April)
Individuals/teams shortlisted in Stage 2 will receive feedback on their pitch deck and may be asked to submit further information and refine their pitch deck.
STAGE 4 – Pitch your Idea at the Youth Summit.
Finalists will join the 2023 WBG Youth Summit at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. Travel expenses will be covered, including lodging for up to three nights for one representative from each team, subject to the WBG COVID restrictions.
Once again, this year, the World Bank Group (WBG) Youth Summit will feature an action-based learning component through the Case challenge competition on the theme "From the Ground Up: local solutions to drive global impact" (the “Case Challenge”). The Case Challenge is an integrated part of the WBG Youth Summit taking place on May 25-26, 2023.
The Case Challenge collaborative element is an essential part of the 2023 WBG Youth Summit on the promotion of efficient local solutions contributing to global development, with a vision for fostering an environment of belonging and increasing engagement between all delegates, the WBG and the facilitators.
Over the course of the 2023 Summit, all delegates will participate to the case challenge in-person, and they will gain real time experience in a team-based, simulated scenario identifying key challenges and opportunities in the development of local solutions for an equitable growth. Through facilitated working sessions led by leading development practitioners, the participants will work with their peers to develop and present their solutions. The Case Challenge will provide a unique opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, problem-solving skills, and creativity while co-creating and networking with peers and experts in the field.
Participants are divided into groups to form high-performing case teams. Teams are tasked with devising a proposed solution to the given case prompt within an allotted time and present their solutions to a panel comprised of WBG senior leads and partners. With such an eclectic array of experiences and skills within every group, individuals will enhance their own communication and teamwork skills.
Read through the FAQ below to get more information on the Case challenge on local solutions to drive global impact or apply here.
The Case Challenge is an opportunity for selected delegates to develop local solutions tackling the main challenges faced by their communities and which implementation can contribute to a global impact. Through the cases studied, delegates will think of innovative ways to tackle these issues and implement their solutions. During the Case Challenge, participants will explore which localized solutions can address the following development challenges: (i) fragility, conflict, and violence, (ii) jobs and skills as well as (iii) climate and energy, and have a global impact.
The Case Challenge is a foundational action-based learning component of this year’s Youth Summit, fully integrated into the two-day summit. This year, the format on the Case Challenge will be 100% in-person. All delegates attending the 2023 WBG Youth Summit in person will participate in the Case Challenge. No prior experience is required.
The WBG Youth Summit Competition is an annual competition that runs concurrent to the Youth Summit and will capstone the Summit this year. Ahead of the Summit, young professionals from all over the world are invited to propose innovative, action-oriented business-level or policy-level solutions that illustrate how the youth can play a part in promoting local solutions for a global impact. A jury of experts will pre-select the most compelling proposals based on three-pillars and invite their authors (individuals or teams) to pitch them during the live competition. Winners will be designated by votes from the jury and members of the audience.
The cases are real WBG projects designed to encourage teams to provide local solutions which can enhance global development by tackling challenges faced in their communities regarding (i) fragility, conflict, violence, (ii) employment and skills development and (iii) the climate crisis. Delegates are meant to analyze the case using guidance from the facilitators and frameworks, to address the problem at hand.
All 350-500 delegates selected to attend the 2023 World Bank Group Summit in Washington DC at the WBG headquarters will participate the Case Challenge. The delegates will be split into 7 regional groups and will work in teams of approximatively 10 people to solve a challenge.
No prior business or case experience is necessary. This is meant to be a fun and learning experience. Facilitators will guide delegates through the steps of the case.
The cases are provided by the WBG Youth Summit organizers and have been designed with the help of experts within and outside the WBG.
Facilitators are young and experienced professionals with credible knowledge in youth empowerment, the implementation of local solutions to the environmental crisis, fragility, and unemployment. They will guide the participants through the different steps of the Case Challenge.
The Case Challenge is fully integrated into the Youth Summit so that participants can be inspired by the discussions they attend during the panel sessions on the global impact of local development strategies and apply their learnings to the Case Challenge. This year’s Case Challenge section will be 100% in-person at the WBG HQ in Washington D.C.
All participants selected to attend the 2023 WBG Youth Summit will participate in the Case Challenge. All teams are formed randomly. One of the goals of this competition is to test the effectiveness of the delegates’ communication and team–work skills when teamed up with people they have not known previously.
• Participants will have the opportunity to get a hands-on experience of the work conducted at the WBG by working on cases based on real WBG projects.
• The global winner of the case challenge will have the chance to write a blog to be published on a WBG page.
• Participants will have the opportunity to experience the challenges of tackling a development case under the mentorship of professionals in this area.
• Participants will have the opportunity to apply knowledge gained during the plenary sessions and apply them directly, to learn in a more interactive way on the global impact of localized solutions to development challenges across communities and regions.
• Participants will have the opportunity to network with professionals and team members and to learn more about opportunities for future collaboration.
• Following deliberations of the panel of experts, one team will be offered the opportunity to meet and discuss with the expert team (to be confirmed) and receive a symbolic prize.
The 2023 edition of the Youth Summit would not have been possible without the support of our partners:
This year's Youth Summit Steering Committee members are:
Srujani Shrawne
Raaga Akkineni
Content Co-Leads - Case Challenge
