IT IS ONE of the biggest gathering of young leaders in the world – but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t time for a few laughs too.
Singer and activist Bob Geldof and former President Mary Robinson were among the high-profile attendees at the opening of the One Young World summit in Dublin city centre yesterday.
And although Bono couldn’t be there in person, his doppelgänger managed to make it.
Some 1,300 young people from 190 countries have gathered at Dublin’s Convention Centre for the summit, which brings together global leaders from a range of disciplines for a three-day conference.
Attendees include former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yanus, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and former tennis player Boris Becker.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny gave the keynote speech last night, telling attendees that they could go on to help create a better world.
“In being here, your bearings are good and right. Your convictions, generous, true and strong,” he said. ”You have grown to adulthood in what’s been called ‘an age of anxiety’. Yet your dream, the sheer power of it, remains intact”.
He called on delegates to practice the elements of friendship, kindness and compassion in their work.
“You will be discussing many difficult global challenges over the coming days,” he said. “Sometimes these can seem overwhelming, insurmountable.
“Use these values to make a difference. Your generation, you, can make the difference”.
The conference runs until Friday.
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