Day 1 - Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Day 2 - Thursday, June 10th, 2021

Dr. Sandie Okoro is Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the World Bank Group, and Vice President for Compliance at the World Bank. She is also the Chair of the World Bank Group Task Force on Racism.

A British national and the first black woman to hold this role, Sandie is the principal advisor and spokesperson on all legal matters for the world’s leading development finance institution. She also heads the Compliance Vice Presidency that is responsible for developing and overseeing the World Bank data privacy framework based on the World Bank Group Policy on Personal Data Privacy. The two Vice Presidencies are separate and distinct. In her role as the Chair for the World Bank Group Task Force on Racism, Sandie is bringing the topics of race and racial equity at the forefront of Bank Group staff and operational matters, convening discussions and proposing action steps to help ensure racism and racial inequalities have no place in the institution, its operations, and the countries it serves.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Sandie was General Counsel for HSBC Global Asset Management, Deputy General Counsel of HSBC Retail Banking and Wealth Management, and Global General Counsel at Barings.

Sandie is an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple in the United Kingdom (2018) and was named one of the Upstanding 100 Leading Ethnic Minority Executives (2016), Top 20 Global General Counsel (2019) by the Financial Times, and was recognized as Britain’s 5th most influential person of African and African Caribbean heritage by Powerlist (2018). She holds Honorary Doctorates in Law from City University London (2014), London Southbank University (2018), and her alma mater Birmingham University (2019). Sandie received a lifetime achievement award from the UK Black Solicitors Network (2016), was named one of the Power 100 Women by City A.M. and 100 Women to Watch by Female FTSE Board.

Sandie received the Howard University 2019 Vanguard Women Award for her accomplishments as a woman of color who has blazed the trail and her commitment to mentoring young women and advancing the rights of women and girls globally. She is also the recipient of the Beyond the Glass Ceiling Award presented by the Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys (2019), the Chambers 100 Outstanding Global General Counsel (2019), and an honoree of Harvard Law’s 7th Annual International Women’s Day Portrait Exhibit (2020).

Sandie is an ardent defender and champion for women empowerment, gender equality, and justice for all. Outside of work, Sandie is a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and prior to joining the World Bank Group, she was a council member of the human rights organization JUSTICE, Ambassador for the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme and sat on the Equality Standards Panel of the Premier League

Naria K. Santa Lucia General Manager, Digital Inclusion and US Community Engagement Microsoft Philanthropies

As general manager for digital inclusion and US community engagement at Microsoft Philanthropies, Naria leads Microsoft’s global philanthropic strategy, grant investments and partnerships in digital skills, computer science education, and career pathways. With the goal of increasing digital, computing, and AI skills for traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced communities, Naria’s team works in partnership with nonprofit organizations around the world to help millions of people thrive in the digital economy.

Prior to joining Microsoft Philanthropies, Naria served as Executive Director of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS), a unique public-private partnership helping to build the next generation of scientists, engineers, technology specialists, mathematicians, and health care professionals in Washington state through scholarships and support services for low- and middle-income college students. Under Naria’s leadership, WSOS raised over $200M in public-private support for scholarships and supports and to support 20,000+ students by 2025 - the majority of whom are women, students of color and/or first in their families to go to college. 
 
Naria has also served as the Executive Director of the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, a juvenile and education law and social work organization in Illinois and the Director of LAW Fund and the Endowment for Equal Justice at the Legal Foundation of Washington. 

Naria has served various boards and committees including the ACLU of Illinois, Seattle Goodwill Industries, the Governor’s STEM Alliance (Washington state), and Columbia Legal Services. Naria currently serves as the Chair of the World Bank’s Solutions for Youth Employment initiative.  

Naria is a graduate of the Law School and the College at the University of Chicago. 

David Kaczan, Enviromental Economist, World Bank 

David Kaczan is an environmental economist at the World Bank, specializing in oceans and marine conservation, fisheries, forestry, and water management issues. He joined the Bank in 2017 as a Young Professional, and currently focuses on countries in the East Asia Pacific region. He co-leads the World Bank’s research initiative on China’s Transition to a Green Economy, the Yangtze River Revitalization Program, and the Indonesia Sustainable Oceans Program. David completed his PhD in environmental and resource economics at Duke University, USA and his undergraduate studies in his home country of Australia.

Heng Li Seng, Founder, Green Nudge

Heng Li Seng is the founder of Green Nudge, a social enterprise that supports businesses and communities to achieve positive environmental impact through activities such as coastal cleanups and workshops, outreach talks and sustainability consulting. Li Seng graduated from the Nanyang Technological University in 2013, majoring in Mathematical Sciences. He’s a 2019 Professional Fellow under the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program, member of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, as well as an Associate under the Philip Yeo Initiative. Heng Li Seng’s experience in the public, community and social enterprise sector since 2013 has reinforced his belief that effective public policies need to be supported by ground-up actions and engagement. Playing an interfacing role within the tri-sector, Li Seng is able to provide sectoral knowledge through a system thinking lens to make informed decisions and strategies. He is happy to discuss disposables, sustainability of events, public education, and is familiar with corporate social responsibility and community / youth engagement.

Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth

Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake was appointed as the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth in June 2017 at the age of 26. She is the youngest senior official in the UN and the first woman to hold this position. In this role, Jayathma works to expand the UN’s youth engagement and advocacy efforts across all four pillars of the organization’s work — sustainable development, human rights, peace and security, and humanitarian action — and serves as a representative of and advisor to the Secretary-General.

In 2019 Jayathma was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the “Time 100 Next: Rising stars shaping the future” and in 2020 she was recognized by Forbes magazine as part of its “30 under 30” list.

Originally from Sri Lanka, Ms. Wickramanayake has worked extensively on youth development and participation, including playing a key role in transforming the youth development sector in her home country.

Prior to taking up her post, Ms. Wickramanayake was instrumental in creating the movement for civic and political engagement of young people, especially young women, in Sri Lanka through the “Hashtag Generation” movement. Previously, she advocated for global youth development on an international level including as the first ever Sri Lankan Youth Delegate to the United Nations and as the youth lead negotiator and member of the International Youth Task Force of the World Conference on Youth 2014 where she played a critical role in mainstreaming youth in the Post-2015 Process and in the establishment of World Youth Skills Day.

Pablo Fajnzylber, Acting Vice President and Director of Strategy and Operations, Infrastructure, World Bank

Pablo Fajnzylber is Acting Vice President and Director of Strategy and Operations for the Infrastructure Practice Group, covering Energy and Extractives, Transport, Digital Development and Infrastructure Finance, Public Private Partnerships and Guarantees. The World Bank’s active portfolio in these areas consists of more than 400 operations for a total value of USD 75 billion, focused on providing sustainable solutions to close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies. 

A Chilean national, Mr. Fajnzylber has over 20 years of experience in technical and leadership positions in international development. In previous assignments at the World Bank, he has been Manager for Economic Management and Country Programs at the Independent Evaluation Group, Manager for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management in the Africa Region, and Lead Economist for Brazil.

Mr. Fajnzylber holds a PhD in economics from Michigan State University and has published extensively on a variety of development topics. In addition to authoring multiple World Bank reports, his work has been published in various professional journals, including the Journal of Development Economics, Journal of International Economics, Journal of Law and Economics, European Economic Review, World Development, Journal of Development Studies, World Bank Economic Review and Applied Economics.

Mohamed TOURE is regional Head of Technology & Digital Transformation at Deloitte. 

Mohamed TOURE is regional Head of Technology & Digital Transformation at Deloitte, a global professional services organization, based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Mohamed has been assisting international financial groups such as SUNU, AXA, BPCE and African governments for more than 12 years in the definition and deployment of their Strategic and Digital Transformation projects. 

He holds a post-graduate degree in Management from ESSEC Business School, a French State Engineering degree and an MBA.

Mohamed actively contributes to the development of African entrepreneurship through numerous projects of deep transformation of the African continent's economy. He is also certified in Agile Scrum method, author of numerous articles and expert speaker at events on Digital Transformation in Africa.

Amna Habiba is a 15-year-old Pakistani, founder of Global Creative Hub

Amna Habiba is a 15-year-old Pakistani, founder of Global Creative Hub, international speaker, STEM enthusiast, and an advocate for girls' education and mental health. She received the Young Achiever Award at the age of 10 for being the first Pakistani to take part in a digital exchange. When COVID struck her home country, she explored e-learning and completed more than 80 courses and 40 guided projects in the span of 6 months in various fields. Not only this, but she also completed two internships and a fellowship at the age of 14. That stemmed a combined interest in AI and healthcare, which led her to develop a mental health app for teens (to be released soon) and host an international AI hackathon in her country, becoming the youngest Pakistani to do so. She takes part in STEM camps, talks on global platforms, advocates for what matters to her, and hopes to make an impact by her work around the UN SDGs. 

Jurgita Campbell, librarian, ITSKI

Jurgita Campbell is long life librarian and still within the youth category. She managed to go from FOMO to JOMO in this era of information. Knowledge is power, and this presenter knows where a couple of the 'easy' buttons hide. Come and find out!"

Jewel McFadden is a publishing expert for World Bank Group Publications

Jewel McFadden is a publishing expert for World Bank Group Publications. As an Acquisition editor, she is the first point of contact for prospective authors and a gatekeeper of quality for the World Bank Group Publications brand.

Sarah Nezamuddin, ITSKI

Sarah Nezamuddin focuses on exploring how to package some of the World Bank Group’s development experiences in an engaging manner, telling the stories of development, and supporting the various projects of her department.

Rona Razon, ITSKI

Rona Razon joined the World Bank Group Archives in May 2020. She has over ten years of experience as an archivist, working previously at Harvard University, Collège de France, and Dumbarton Oaks. Her professional interests include archives management and digital preservation.

Belen Marcos, Executive Vice President, President of VINCI Highways

Belen Marcos is a Civil Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and holds a postgraduate degree in transportation infrastructure from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées.

She has for 20 years held various positions within the Ferrovial Group, in particular in North America, where she had been assigned since 2005.

She most recently held the presidency of CINTRA in the United States.

She was appointed Executive Vice-President of VINCI Concessions in 2020.

Namita Datta is the Head and Program Manager of Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE)

Namita Datta is the Head and Program Manager of Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE), based in the Jobs Group of the World Bank Group. S4YE is a multistakeholder global program that provides thought leadership and curates innovation on the agenda of youth employment. S4YE brings together multilaterals, bilateral donor organizations, 40 private sector companies, 50 large NGOs, think tanks and youth themselves.  As Program Manager of S4YE she has led several thought leadership products on the agenda of digital jobs, role of technology, gender and inclusion. Before taking over the role of Program Manager of S4YE, she was Global Head of Let’s Work, a global program on jobs and the private sector, created by the IFC.  She has led multi-sectoral operations on jobs at the country level in several regions including Africa, Western Balkans, and Asia. She has led analytical work on Gender and Jobs. She has worked for the World Bank Group (both World Bank and IFC) for over 15 years working across sectors and regions. She was co-author of the IFC Jobs Study: Assessing Private Sector Contributions to Job Creation and Poverty Reduction, 2013, leading the analytical work on the employment impact of investments in infrastructure. She led the analytical work on estimating impact of power on jobs - that was awarded the Knowbel Prize and was also replicated by numerous IFIs. As Advisor (Strategy and Policy) for IFC’s South Asia region, she was responsible for leading the policy dialogue on private sector development in the region.

Before joining the World Bank Group, Namita worked with the Government of India, as an IAS officer (India’s high-level policy making body) where she worked as Delhi’s Zonal Municipal Commissioner leading a large complex municipal corporation responsible for delivering key urban services to the city of Delhi. She also worked as Secretary (Head) of the Departments of Urban Development, Power and Environment in Goa, India. 

She holds a PhD from Cornell University, an MIA from Colombia University, New York, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. 

Marilyn Ceci is a Managing Director and Global Head of ESG Debt Capital Markets at J.P. Morgan’s Corporate & Investment Bank, where she has worked for over 34 years. Ms. Ceci co-authored the Green Bond Principles, which is the market standard process for issuing Green Bonds, and sat as the Vice Chair of the Executive Committee for the first five years since the creation of the Principles. She currently sits as a member of the Executive Committee and Co-Chair of the New Markets Taskforce, Co-Chair of the Advisory Council and Co-Chair of the Sustainability-Linked Bond Working Group, where she was involved in drafting the recently published Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles. Marilyn Ceci was awarded a top Personality of the Year for her leadership in ESG DCM by Environmental Finance for multiple years in a row. J.P. Morgan was awarded Environmental Finance 2020 Lead Manager of the Year, Sustainability Bonds – SSA, 2019 Lead Manager of the Year, Sustainability Bonds – US Muni and 2019 Global Capital Awards one of the Most Impressive Investment Banks for the Americas Green/SRI Capital Markets, among others.

J.P. Morgan has led / structured over 437 sustainable transactions since 2012 including Alphabet’s Sustainability Bond, Apple’s Green Bonds, the first ever Sustainability-Linked Bonds from Enel, and the recent Suzano, Novartis, Klabin and Simpar Sustainability-Linked Bonds, as well as Ahold Delhaize’s Sustainability Bond, among many others. Ms. Ceci joined J.P. Morgan in 1986 and holds a B.A. from Creighton University and an M.B.A from C.U.N.Y/ Baruch.

Debo Adeniyi is a seasoned professional, a Corporate Sustainability and ESG practitioner, a trained business strategist, an innovator with experience and specialties towards working with the governments and private sector in integrating SDGs, Sustainability/ESG in core business strategy and operations with a strong drive on values, results, creating compelling overarching aspirations and embedding them in the organization through change management and empowered leadership to create growth, innovation, and operational efficiencies.

Debo is the Executive Director and Global Sustainability Leader, Centre for Global Solutions and Development (CENGSSUD), and also the CEO of CENGSSUD Sustainability Services Ltd, with experience of more than 17 years in providing strategic consulting and implementation services for the management of Sustainability Strategy, ESG Implementation, Sustainable Finance, Environmental Management, Renewable Energy, stakeholders’ engagement, Materiality Assessment, Circular Economy, Reporting and Assurance, etc. Also, ESG aspects of investments by Development Financial Institutions (DFI) including IFC (International Finance Corporation), World Bank, AFDB, Investment Banks, Private Equity (PE) & Venture Capital (VC) Funds, for complex industrial/commercial establishments and other projects. 

Debo has engaged in several projects related to Environmental & Social Due Diligence (ESDD), Environmental & Social Management System (ESMS) Development, Sustainable Banking Implementation, Implementation of Environmental & Social Action Plan (ESAP), E&S Assessments, Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Compliance Audits, stakeholders’ engagement, Deployment of Renewable Energy, amongst others.

Debo has also coordinated and delivered several Corporate Sustainability Management implant training and external Masterclasses across Nigeria, where over 1000 personnel from various companies and backgrounds have been trained.

Debo holds A master’s degree in international law and Diplomacy (MILD) and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

Once again, this year, the World Bank Group (WBG) Youth Summit will feature an action-based learning component, called the Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge. The case challenge is an integrated part of the WBG Youth Summit taking place virtually on June 9-10, 2021.

The case challenge’s collaborative element is an essential part of the 2021 WBG Youth Summit on Resilient Recovery for People and Planet, with a vision for fostering an environment of belonging and increase engagement between participants, the WBG and the facilitators. 

Over the course of the Summit, selected participants will gain real time experience in a team-based, simulated scenario identifying key challenges and opportunities in the development of solutions for a resilient recovery for the people and the planet. 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 Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge.

FAQ

What is the Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge?

Once again, this year, the WBG Youth Summit will feature an action-based learning component: Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge (the “Case Challenge”). The Case Challenge is the opportunity for youth to assess some of the challenges faced with the COVID-19 recovery process, think of innovative way to tackle these issues and implement their solutions, by looking at cases. During the Case Challenge, the participants will have the opportunity to explore each of the three dimensions of Resilient Recovery for People and Planet that will be discussed during a panel prior each session: climate change, inclusion and prosperity.

What is the difference between the Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge and the WBG Youth Summit Competition?

The Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge is a foundational action-based learning component of this year’s Youth Summit, fully integrated to the two-day summit. All delegates invited to the Youth Summit will participate in the case challenge, with no previous experience 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 the resilient recovery from the pandemic and ensure that we “build back better”. A jury of experts will pre-select the most compelling proposals based upon two-pillars and invite their authors (individuals or teams) to pitch them during the live competition. Winners will be designated by both the votes from the jury and the audience. 

For more information on the WBG Youth Summit Competition, please consult the Competition section of our website.

What kind of work is done on the cases?

The case is designed to encourage teams to provide solutions to challenges faced in the COVID-19 recovery process. They are meant to analyze the case using guidance from the facilitators and frameworks, to address the problem at hand.

Who will take part in the Resilient Recovery Solutions Case Challenge?

Participants who have submitted their applications for the Case Challenge and have been selected to be part of the 250-300 Youth Summit Delegates. The Youth Summit Delegates will be split into 5-7 large groups and will work in teams of 8-10 people to solve a challenge.

Is any previous case experience required?

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.

Who designs/gives the case?

The case is provided by the WBG Youth Summit organizers and has been designed with the help of experts within and outside the WBG.

Who is facilitating the Case Challenge?

Facilitators are young and experience professionals with prior knowledge on climate change, inclusion, prosperity and/or engagement of the youth. They will guide the participants through the different steps of the case challenge.

When and where is the Case Challenge going to be held?

The case challenge is fully integrated to the Youth Summit so that participants can be inspired by the discussions they attend during the panel discussions on climate change, inclusion and prosperity, and apply their learnings to the Case Challenge.

Is there a participation fee?

No.

Do participants have to register individually or as a part of a team?

The participants MUST have registered individually for the Case Challenge. All teams are formed randomly. One of the challenges of this competition is to test the effectiveness of the delegates’ communication and team–work skills when teamed with people they have not known previously.

What do participants, get out of this?

• They will have the opportunity to experience the challenges of tackling a development case under the mentorship of professionals in this area.
  
  
• They will have the opportunity to apply knowledge gained during the panel sessions and apply them directly, to learn in a more interactive way on climate change, inclusiveness, prosperity and resilient recovery.
  
  
• They will have the opportunity to network with professionals and team members and to learn more about opportunities to collaborate with them.
  
  
• Following deliberations of the panel of experts, one team will be offered the opportunity to write an article that will be published on the WBG Blogs and the WBG Youth Summit 2021 website. 

LAC 

• Title: Rethinking the Future for America with Young Leaders

• Date & Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 am June 2nd (EDT, GMT-4)

• Agenda:

Speakers:

Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank
Carlos Felipe Jaramillo is the World Bank Vice President for the Latin America and the Caribbean Region, overseeing Bank relations with 31 countries and a portfolio of ongoing projects, technical assistance and grants of almost US$32 billion. Under his leadership, the Bank’s operations in the region focus on fueling growth, reducing poverty, supporting equality and protecting the environment.

Jaramillo was previously the World Bank country director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda, based in Nairobi. 

Prior to his role in Africa, Jaramillo was the senior director of the World Bank Group’s Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice (MTI), where he led a global team of more than 450 economists. Since joining the World Bank in 2002, he has also served two terms as country director in the Latin America and Caribbean Region.

Before joining the Bank, Jaramillo was a public servant in the Government of Colombia, holding offices in the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Trade. Jaramillo holds an M.A. and a Ph. D. in development economics from Stanford University. He has taught at the Department of Economics of the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá and at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Kilian Koffi, Manager, World Bank Group Youth Summit

Kilian Koffi is the Manager of the World Bank Group Youth Summit, and works as an analyst for World Bank Vice President for Africa, focusing on strategy and operations. In his role as Manager, he is trying to further incorporate youth voices into the World Bank’s strategic direction and country dialogues. 

Prior to becoming the summit’s manager, Kilian was its treasurer, managing the day-to-day expenditures of Youth Summit steering committee, engaging with logistics, competition, content, and communications leads to provide timely funding in line with budget realities.

Before joining the World Bank, Kilian worked as an analyst for IFC’s Trade and Competitiveness unit, and the United Nation Commission for Africa. Kilian holds an MSc Development Management from the London School of Economics. 

Marianne Fay, Directora del Banco Mundial para Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador y Perú, América Latina y el Caribe

Marianne Fay, an economist specializing in sustainable development, is the World Bank director for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. She has 25 years’ experience in different regions of the world, contributing to knowledge on and the search for development solutions in the areas of infrastructure, urbanization, climate change, green growth and poverty reduction.

As director, she is responsible for the World Bank’s strategic partnerships with the four countries, and for supervising the portfolio of projects and operations in each country. Previously, she was a World Bank chief economist for sustainable development and a chief economist for climate change.

She has published and edited several books and articles, including the “World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change,” and the report “Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Developments and Key Challenges.”

Ms. Fay is a U.S.-French binational who earned her Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University. She is especially interested in the convergence between economic growth and environmental sustainability as key components of prosperity and the future of the countries and their citizens.

Dana Maza from México

Specialist in Marketing and Social Responsibility.  She has served as a Workshopist and Consultant on Entrepreneurship and Communication Issues with a gender focus for Government and Private Initiative.  Since 2018, she founded CRE COMUNA, a Social Company that seeks through business training for women to reduce the Wage Gap in Mexico and Gender Violence. During the contingency, they have trained more than 1200 women in the state of Chiapas and provided advice to strengthen their self-employment or business, as well as linked those in need of attention to gender-based domestic violence. They have generated spaces for conversation and impact for LGBTTTI+ populations through the Citizen Observatory against LGBT Violence in Chiapas, as well as campaigns against violence. They pushed for the creation of an LGBT shelter that remains within the agenda of a Government Secretariat today. TEDx Speaker with "Emprende como Niña", Municipal Youth Award 2020 in Entrepreneurship. She is currently Director of Management and Social Development in the financial Avanza Sólido y Mentora in the possible COOP program.

Xiomara Acevedo from Colombia

Climate activist and social entrepreneur, director of Barranquilla+20, coordinator of the Colombian network of young people for biodiversity and master's student of research in climate change, sustainability and development. Barranquilla+20 has been working since 2012 on issues of intergenerational equity, citizen advocacy for project management and environmental public policies. To date, more than 20,000 young people have been directly involved. Their work is focused on working at the territorial and subnational level and since the pandemic we have faced several challenges to maintain contact with groups without all rural and young people with those who work. They have been able to develop several initiatives from digital to strengthening capacities in the areas of climate change, water and biodiversity. They are starting the construction of their elearning platform which will have a first course on gender justice and climate justice.

Eder Alfredo from Peru

Born in lima, he studied Economic Engineering and during the university founded a volunteer to bring adolescents closer to higher education and repair the social elevator that keeps corruption rooted and sustains Latin American poverty traps; volunteering that to date continues to impact thousands of adolescents. He currently works in the Ministry of Education in the area of planning as an economic analyst.

Gabriel Eduardo Bohórquez Gamboa from Venezuela

A student of political science, 9th semester at Fermín Toro University, works as a Marketing and Advertising Analyst for Innova Business Corporation, a Venezuelan business group dedicated to chemical solutions, as well as country coordinator of the Global Youth Parliament, Collaborates with the NGO Venezuelan Youth Organization of the United Nations and the Network of NGOs's Democracy Move. The company where he works was founded by a Politologist graduated from his faculty, thanks to this previous contact he began working in 2019 in the area of market research, from quarantine, a year ago, non-essential activities stopped attending the work offices, therefore an organizational development process was carried out to adapt the organization to the new dynamics.

Mildred Samboy Hernández from Dominican Republic

She is currently the Alliance and Financing For Development Officer of the Office of the Resident Coordinator (OCR) of the United Nations System in the Dominican Republic, has more than 10 years of experience in partnerships, technical assistance, innovation, group mobilization, advocacy, human rights education, public policy, sustainable human development, data, financing for development, social innovation, among others. Since the United Nations, Mildred has worked for more than 8 years working together with different sectors and vulnerable groups in the country in the My World Survey with +200,000 people in the construction of the 2030 Agenda and with the mobilization of +1,000 volunteers and volunteers, more than 50% of young people, who achieved through community leadership and different sectors, the Dominican Republic's recognition within the framework of the Sustainable Development Summit

EAST ASIA 

• Title: A Sustainable Future for East Asia

• Date & Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am June 3 (SGT, GMT+8) / 10:00 pm – 11:30 pm June 2nd (EDT, GMT-4)

• Agenda: The Youth Summit regional event for East Asia is aimed to:

• Generate excitement and interest in the 2021 WBG Youth Summit, which will be happening on June 9-10.

• Allow for the localization of the 2021 WBG Global Youth Summit and create a space for regional youth voices and highlight region-specific issues.

• Create a pathway for ongoing, productive engagement between the WBG, IFC, and regional youth.

Speakers: 

PACIFIC

• Title: Pacific Voices – Championing Climate Action

• Date & Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am June 4th (FJT, GMT+12) / 6:00 pm – 7:10 pm June 3rd (EDT, GMT-4)

• Agenda:

Speakers: 

Yasmin Poole, is a 22 year old speaker, writer and youth advocate and is passionate about ensuring that young people have a place in Australia's political conversations.  She is currently Plan International's National Ambassador and advocates for girls' rights to be recognised around the world. Some of her other advocacy work includes being the Chair of the Victorian Government's Youth Congress, representing over 1 million Australians, and speaking at forums like APEC and the G20. In 2021, Yasmine was awarded the Youth Influencer of the Year by The Martin Luther King Jr Center and has also been named as one of the Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence and 40 Under 40 Asian Australians. Yasmine has also been a commentator on Australian television programs such as Q+A, The Drum and The Project.  She is also the Non-Executive Board Director of OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue charity and YWCA, a national feminist organisation that has supported women and girls for 140 years.

Rae is of Banaban and Kiribati origins who was raised and educated in Fiji throughout his childhood years. Like nearly everyone else, his grandparents were forced to relocate to Rabi, in Fiji from Kiribati in 1945 because the British mined it so badly and extensively for phosphate that they could not live there anymore. His environment social justice work is linked to the histories of his people and the extent of environmental degradation caused by mining that have made their sacred land uninhabitable. Rae has extensive background in Local Government and NGOs. He had worked for the Kiribati Local Government Association for four years. He also volunteered for nine years at the Kiribati Climate Action Network and has pioneered several youth programmes in Kiribati on Climate Change and Youth development and advocating for youths at national, regional, and International level. He co-founded several youth organizations including the Kiribati Against Corruption and the Kiribati National Youth Association of NGOs.Rae is a passionate community and youth worker. His interests are in youth, communities, mental health, domestic violence, and social justice. During his studies in New Zealand, he completed internship at the Mahu Vision Community Trust and Ember, a mental health institution. He also co-founded the Kiribati Aotearoa Diaspora Directorate Charitable Trust in 2018 and the Auckland Banaban Christian Fellowship Support Hub in 2020 and supported various other New Zealand based Kiribati Banaban community and faith-based groups on governance and other capacity building programmes.He currently serves as a Board member of the Pacific Climate Action Network, Pacific Youth Forum Against Corruption and Pacific youth focal point on Global Compact on Migration, Member of the Technical Advisory Group for the Pacific Youth Council, TAG member of the Pacific Climate Change Migration and Human Security programme and member of the Displacement and Migration Ad Hoc Group. He is also the Council of Elder at the Pacific Climate Warriors. Rae now runs his own consultancy firm supporting the Kiribati and Banaban CSOs in areas of good governance and social work.a Fruean

Brianna Fruean is a Climate Change Activist, who has been leading grassroots community projects pushing for climate justice since learning about the effects of climate change and noticing the subtle changes to her island of Samoa as a child.At age eleven, she became a founding member of the Samoan chapter of the climate organisation 350.org, and the youngest 350.org country coordinator. At sixteen she became the youngest winner of the prestigious Commonwealth Youth Award for her environmental activism. At seventeen, Brianna was chosen by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme as their first ever youth ambassador in recognition of her efforts to include young people in the environmental conservation space. Now twenty-one years old, Brianna is a proud Climate Warrior residing in New Zealand, while studying at The University of Auckland. She sits on the Council of Elders for the Pacific Climate Warriors as the youth representative and continues her efforts to bring young Pacific voices into the climate space.

Yolanda Joab-Mori is an Obama Leader and a climate action activist from the Federated States of Micronesia. In 2011 she co-created the first climate change focused education and adaptation program in schools and communities across Micronesia. The program, CADRE (Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction & Education) worked with over 10,000 students and 3,000 community members across the Micronesian islands to raise awareness on the impacts of climate change on their communities and develop community adaptation projects to adapt to these impacts.  In 2017 she founded Island PRIDE (Promoting Resilience through Involvement, Development & Education) a non-profit organization, to continue this work to empower her islands in the face of climate change by engaging youth to be proactive stewards of their island environment. She has served as the President of the Federated States of Micronesia's Advocate on Climate Change and currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Blue Prosperity Micronesia. Through this work, she’s been a vocal activist for climate action and climate justice at several international platforms including speaking at the United Nations High Level Political Forum and UN ECOSOC Youth Forum.

AFRICA 

• Title: COVID19 Management: Engaging Africa’s Youths on Good Governance Practices and Transparency

• Date & Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm June 4th (EDT, GMT-4)

• Link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2021/06/04/covid19-management-engaging-africa-youths-on-good-governance-practices-and-transparency 
  
  
• Agenda:

Speakers:

• Elisabeth Huybens, AFW DSO
  
  
• Humberto Lopez, AFE DSO

• Kilian Koffi, Manager WBG Youth Summit 2021

• Dr. Ketakandriana Rafitoson, Executive Director, Transparency Internation – Initiative Madagascar

• Dr. Adidja Amani, Deputy Director for Vaccination, Ministry of Health, Cameroun
  
  
• Odeh Friday, Country Director for Accountability Lab

• Luchembe Chilufya, Founder and Executive Director, Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia

• Aliou Sane, Coordinator, Y en a Marre (Senegal)

• Dimpho Lekgeu / Moderator, Community Manager at Youth Lab / Blog4Dev 2020 Winner, South Africa

• Mountaga Keita / Moderator, Founder and CEO of Tulip Industries 

ECA

• Title: Engaging Youth to Increase Resilience to Disaster Risks in Europe and Central Asia 

• Date & Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am June 3rd (EDT, GMT-4)

• Agenda:

• Speakers:

• Anna Bjerde, ECA VP

• Zuzana Stanton-Geddes, DRM Specialist

• Daniel Kull, Senior DRM Specialist

• Gevorg Babayan, Armenia

• Luka Gudek, Croatia

• Sema Genel, Turkey

• Erkin Isaev, Kyrgyz Republic

• Kilian Koffi, Manager WBG Youth Summit 2021 

The winners are:  

• First Place: Aeloi Technologies – Tiffany Tong and Sonika Manandhar (Nepal)
• Second Place: EcoAct Tanzania – Christian Mwijage (Tanzania)
• People's choice Award: Project Baala – Soumya Dabriwal (India)

Applications to the Pitch Competition is now closed!

Deadline for submission: March 31, 2021 (11:59 pm EST)

The global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic calls for a coordinated effort toward recovery. The pandemic has resulted in the creation of not only a health crisis but also an economic one of a scale unprecedented in the recent years. How can we unleash the unique opportunities we have today to not only boost a sustainable economic recovery but also, ensure that this recovery is both sustainable and inclusive? Tell us about your ideas that aim at ‘building back better”!

The 2021 Word Bank Youth Summit Competition awards the most cutting-edge idea that supports either of the two youth summit themes listed below:

A Resilient recovery for the People: Empowers people in fighting the consequences of the pandemic and addresses growing inequality in societies

   – OR –

A Resilient recovery for the Planet: Provides sustainable solutions to support the halt of climate change. 

Who can participate?

The competition is open to teams of 1 to 5 individuals aged 18 to 35. Participants must be nationals from World Bank member countries.  Participants can be students, as well as people in the work force or any other occupation. No prior experience in any particular field or topic is necessary. You need to be committed to implement the solution after the competition. Diverse team compositions are advised, but not required.

What’s in it for you?

• Be mentored by Youth Summit 2019 finalists and World Bank experts 
• Network with leading professionals and young social entrepreneurs around the world 
• Participate and learn in events and workshops 
• Seed-funding

Timeline

Stage 1 – Submit your Proposal by March 31, 2021, 11:59 PM EST

Proposals will be evaluated by an expert committee. Shortlisted individuals/ teams will be announced by late April and will proceed to the next stage.  

Stage 2 – Refine your Idea & Prepare your Pitch (May 2021)

Individuals/ teams shortlisted in Stage 1 will receive feedback on their proposals and may be asked to submit further information, interview with the team, refine their proposals and/ or submit short pitching videos.  

Stage 3 – Pitch your idea at the virtual Youth Summit (June 2021)  

5 finalists will be selected to present their proposals live at the virtual youth summit in June.

Proposal format

A proposal with great potential might include an idea summary, outline the problem(s) it aims to address, pitch the proposed solution and why it stands out compared to existing solutions. In addition, you might want to explain the financial sustainability of your business model, potential to scale, actual progress (if any) and how you and your team Measure Success.

Important Submission Rules

• ^{Proposals must be created by and owned by the Participant(s).}
• ^{Proposals must be submitted in English.}
• ^{The problem/need and the proposed solution outlined in the proposals must relate to at least one of the subthemes of the Youth Summit 2021 and must apply to a least one member-country of the World Bank.}
• ^{Proposals will be judged based on the following judging criteria: (1) Clarity, scope and relevance of the problem and of the proposed solution; (2) Innovation and originality; (3) Feasibility of implementation and sustainability; (4) Potential for impact.}
• ^{Proposals must be between 1,000-2,500 words in length, all inclusive – i.e. including all bodies of text, titles, headings, tables, textboxes, footnotes, endnotes, references and appendices, etc. – and must not exceed 4 pages in total. Proposals that are shorter than 1,000 words, longer than 2,500 words, and/or longer than 4 pages will be disqualified.}
• ^{The following information must be provided at the top of the first page of the Proposal: (a) the names of all Participant(s) submitting the Proposal, (b) the final word count, which must include everything, i.e. all bodies of text, titles, headings, tables, textboxes, footnotes, endnotes, references and appendices.}
• ^{Participant(s) must submit their Entries by filling and submitting the “Youth Summit 2021 – Competition Submission Form”, accessible through the Youth Summit 2021 competition page. Participant(s) must ensure that their Proposal is entered through direct upload, in PDF format.}
• ^{The deadline for submitting Entries is 11:59 pm EST, March 31, 2021. An Entry is timely, and will be accepted, only if received before this time. The time of transmittal will not be taken into account. The World Bank reserves the right to extend the deadline.}

In case of questions, please reach out to us at youthsummit@worldbank.org

Submit your proposal here.