We made it to the Summit of the Future!

Author: Leonie Hoffman

We made it! At the Summit of the Future at the United Nations in New York, I had the privilege of speaking at the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition side-event, with the title: From Idea to Action and Impact: mobilizing the Outcomes of the Summit.

A highlight was my conversation with the renowned author 𝐊𝐢𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧, who wrote the book "𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞".

Here are some key takeaways from our talk:

🔎 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞:

As I read his book, I started to think about what would happen if every country followed Wales's example, which set up a "Commissioner for the Future" in 2015. Robinson highlights the need for political parties that support long-term plans. While these "Ministers for the Future" may face some resistance at first, their role is crucial for creating a sustainable vision and guiding the government with strong values.

🔎𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬? Robinson underscores that the climate crisis is not a distant threat, it is a reality we are confronting today. While urgent technological solutions are necessary and may take time to develop, this is only part of the equation. He argues that for meaningful, lasting change, we must reflect on our values and integrate them into the innovations we envision for the future.

🔎 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭:

His key message to global leaders was powerful: “The people of the future are already among us—and we need to give them a voice.” He highlighted that I - and everyone who will live in the world in 2070 - are part of that future. He said that it is our responsibility to take agency and pave the way for meaningful change in the decades to come. He urged us to challenge unsustainable policies and redefine success, moving beyond GDP to genuinely reflect the well-being of our planet and its people.

Lastly, he left me with a lot of food for thought:

"Change isn’t easy, and we’ll face resistance in many different ways. For a better, more sustainable future, persistence is key." As he pointed out, “We are the future.” And he’s so right. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

Thank you Steven Hartman for trusting in me and this role. And also a huge thank you to all the inspiring panelists: Derek Walker, Ellen Dixon, Garry Jacobs, Gabriela Ramos, Mamphela Ramphele, Nolita Thina Mvunelo, and Peter Schlosser.

For those who couldn’t attend in person, you can catch the event online at UN Web TV: From Idea to Action and Impact: mobilizing the outcomes of the Summit of the Future (Side Event, Action Day 2, Summit of the Future) | UN Web TV