Welcome to the One Young World Academy Series 2024 – your voice matters, and the world is listening!
Congratulations on being selected for this impactful initiative brought to you by One Young World and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation! You are now part of a community of around 1,000 young leaders from across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, ready to engage in crucial discussions about the future of global development.
The One Young World Academy is a globally recognized e-learning platform designed to empower young leaders to make an impact. We are launching a special series focused on Official Development Assistance (ODA) which will guide participants through understanding ODA and to inform their own advocacy initiatives.
About Official Development Assistance (ODA)
Official Development Assistance (ODA) provides vital financial aid to low- and middle-income countries, supporting health, education, and infrastructure. In times of crisis, ODA is often the most reliable source of funding, helping millions access essentials like electricity, medical care, and food, while creating opportunities for a better future.
Although countries agreed in 1970 to allocate 0.7% of national income to ODA, as of 2024, only five have met this goal. ODA funding dropped by $4 billion in 2022, affecting over 70 countries and nearly 3 billion people. This funding gap threatens progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with millions still expected to live in extreme poverty by 2030.
Young leaders are crucial in holding donor nations accountable for improving ODA in both quality and scale. The One Young World Academy, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to equip 1,000 young leaders to advocate for better ODA. Participants will learn from development experts, and submit video proposals, with top submissions featured on global media outlets. This series encourages young leaders to drive change by leveraging their experiences to bridge the gap between the Global North and South.
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(2) UNCTAD
(3) United Nations
What is the One Young World Academy Series About?
The One Young World Academy Series 2024, consists of three pre-recorded sessions featuring high-level representatives who will address crucial development topics. The series will target around 1000 young leaders from Europe, Africa, Asia and America. The sessions aim to emphasise the importance of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and the challenges of ODA cuts. You will explore how the debt situation in Africa has impacted the continent’s development and growth, and you’ll be encouraged to take action through your deliverables, addressing how ODA can help bridge the gap between the Global North and South.
The program’s main objective is to integrate young leaders like you into critical discussions about the importance of ODA. These sessions will place ODA at the heart of development conversations, equip you with tools to understand its significance, reignite interest in ODA, showcase progress made so far, and share impactful case studies from across the globe.
Session Content
Introductory Session: 'Introduction: Understanding the definition and significance of Official Development Assistance (ODA)'
This session will explore the definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its significance in today's global context. It will also examine the decision-making process behind ODA and its effects on various budgets. Lastly, the session will emphasize the importance of advocacy on this issue and the crucial role of active youth engagement across different scenarios.
Introductory Session released: 14 November.
Session 1: 'Navigating Today's Global Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities in International Development'
This session will delve into the current global socio-economic and political landscape, focusing on the differences between the slow growth in Europe and the growing opportunities in Africa. We will also address the difficulties in drawing attention to global issues with the prevalent focus on domestic matters and geopolitical tensions and examine the shift towards right-wing parties with national agendas among youth. The session will conclude with uplifting stories of progress in international development, highlighting improvements in areas such as maternal and child health and vaccination.
Session one released: 14 November.
Session 2: 'Understanding ODA: The Backbone of Global Development Funding'
This session aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to ODA, which is a crucial fund worth $200+ billion annually supporting health, development, and climate programs worldwide. ODA is often overlooked outside of development agencies and relevant Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), despite being the primary funding source for many Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-related initiatives. The session will delve into the history of ODA, how countries set priorities for international development programs and the concerning trends of ODA cuts with specific examples of affected programs. Additionally, it will dive into the importance of including voices from the Global South in the aid debate, emphasising the need for diverse perspectives in shaping effective development policies. The session will conclude with inspiring stories of significant progress, such as South Korea's transition to a donor country and advancements in education, to highlight the positive impacts of ODA.
Session two released: 21 November.
Session 3: 'Rebranding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) concept'
The session will assess the current state of international aid and discuss the necessity to revitalise its role. The session will explore strategies to redefine aid to ensure that policies from the Global North meet the actual needs of the Global South. Content will also showcase successful activist efforts that have effectively drawn attention to these issues, featuring perspectives from dynamic activists. It will end with a call-to-action and a summary of the video as the deliverable, focusing on how participants can raise awareness and highlighting the consequences if aid priorities are not properly addressed.
Session three released: 28 November.
Sessions Outcomes
The sessions will encourage action by inviting participants to submit a deliverable (3-5 min video) after the series which will be graded. The selected winners (top 5) of the video submission will be invited to speak on global media outlets about the significance of ODA in the current political and economic climate. One Young World Ambassadors (alongside other invitees) will be encouraged to explore ODA in their country contexts and will be asked to consider how ODA can serve as a means of bridging the gap between the Global North and South, acting as a mechanism of hope.
Deadline for video proposal submissions: 11 December