Voices of the Future

HOWARD BUFFETT
Executive Director, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Chair, Global Impact Institute

How are you engaging youth to affect change in your line of work?
At the Global Impact Institute, we build partnerships that focus on how to cultivate next-generation leadership. When you think about old definitions of success – wealth, power and fame – they center around self-interest. What we’re trying to look at is how to redefine that and understand that success has to be about the positive impact you bring to communities, whether you live in them or they’re across the planet.

MANDY MOORE
Singer-songwriter, actress & PSI Ambassador

Why do you think it’s important to empower youth, particularly around health issues?
It’s important to empower youth, especially when it comes to issues like global health because the youth are changing the world; we are the next generation. You look at examples of how social media contributed to movements like the Arab Spring; we really are at the forefront of these movements. We are in the position as well to affect change when it comes to policies and government. Now is the time to own it, to own that power, and really use that momentum to push forward and create some change.

EMI KOLAWOLE
Editor, Innovations and On Giving, Washington Post

What innovative ways have you seen others around you empowering youth?
I think that by virtue of presenting new ideas, people are inspiring young people to think differently about their world. Our generation has a very large capacity for work. We’re in a period of contraction, so it’s very hard for people to find jobs, but the people who are looking, are looking very hard, and by virtue of that they are always looking for new ideas and ways that they can approach our economy and our society in a different way.

CHRISTINE HORANSKY
Education Specialist, World Bank

You are really passionate about education. What are ways that other people can get involved in empowering girls, particularly around education or just in this movement in general?
There are lots of terrific points of engagement. In terms of civil society, at the United Nations agencies, young people can make their voice heard and help advocate for world leaders to invest in young people around the world. I think getting behind movements such as the United Nation’s Millenium Development Goals is really important and there are lots of wonderful civil society movements such as ONE Campaign and The Girl Effect that young people can and are taking part in. Something I think has been really exciting has been helping young people have that voice so they’re empowered.

ALLEN GANNETT
Founder, Future Civic Leaders

What are the most successful tools to reach kids?
The most successful tools to reach kids shorten the gap between action and results. We tend to find, for example, we spend a lot of time on public speaking. Public speaking is an activity where once you go up and do it, you’re overcoming a fear, and you hear people clapping, and it’s a very short feedback cycle. You very quickly see that you’re able to do it, that you’re able to accomplish something, that you’re able to make a point, and we find public speaking to be a very empowering tool. It’s also a really good practical skill. We like to double down on public speaking.

VICTOR MARSH
Foreign Service Officer, U.S. State Department

What are your hopes for both your own generation and younger generations?
For my own generation, I’m really excited. The Millennials are a group that’s all about community building. I’m excited to be in this group and to be building community at home, at the workplace and abroad. My hopes for the next generation is that they use all of the new tools they have at their disposal to make a positive impact and then teach others how to use those tools for positive change.

Watch a video of these interviews below: