Event Highlights: Young Activist Summit 25

On November 20th, 2025, the Young Activists Summit (YAS) in Geneva brought together inspiring young changemakers from around the world to showcase their work and mobilize collective action. Held at the Palais des Nations, the 2025 edition centered on the theme “From Hashtag to Action,” emphasizing how young people are using technology, AI, and social media responsibly to advance equality, inclusion, and sustainability.  

The event featured five outstanding young laureates, each selected for their exceptional contributions. These included Aminata Savané from Côte d’Ivoire, promoting digital inclusion; Dev Karan from India, leading water conservation initiatives; Marina El Khawand from Lebanon, innovating in accessible healthcare; Salvino Oliveira from Brazil, empowering students in underserved communities; and Rena Kawasaki from Japan, advancing youth participation and environmental action. Together, their stories reflected the diversity of global challenges and their solutions underlined the power of community-driven alternatives being created by young activists. 

During his remarks, Salvino Oliveira strongly emphasized the transformational power of education, stating: “Education is a tool for change. We need to offer young people the opportunities to dream, to find jobs, and to make a living so that they can realize their dreams.” 

UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Fleming, reminded the laureates—and the hundreds of other young people in attendance—that:

“Change has always been driven by people like you.
People who refuse to accept the way things are.
People who turn frustration into fuel.
People who answer hostility with humanity —
and keep moving forward when the path is steep.”  

In the sidelines of YAS25, NORRAG’s exhibition on the role of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was presented in the Salle des Pas Perdus. The exhibition was accessible to the hundreds of youth attendees participating in YAS 2025.  

‍Likewise, Moira Faul had the pleasure of hearing the young laureates talk about their projects at a high-level evening reception, supported by the Ville de Genève and the Fondation pour Genève. Marina Wutholen Founder of the Young Activists Summit and the Mayor of Geneva, Alfonso Gomez also addressed the numerous attendees from International Geneva, the Ville de Genève and the État de Genève, and Geneva’s philanthropic community, stressing the importance of ceding space and voice to young people, their energy and their solutions.