Youth Leadership for Climate Action and Changemaking

The Tale of Humankind Youth Summit 2021 was a global virtual gathering focused on empowering young people to lead meaningful change in the face of growing global challenges, especially climate change. Built on the belief that many global threats arise from a lack of responsible leadership, the Summit aimed to identify, promote, and connect impactful young leaders from across the world. With the objective of inspiring youth to serve humanity, the Summit provided a platform for young leaders, innovators, activists, and changemakers to share experiences, ideas, and solutions while learning from one another through collective dialogue.

Held over two days in November 2021, the Summit featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, youth led conversations, and interactive sessions that highlighted leadership, climate responsibility, and changemaking as essential skills for the future. The 2021 edition revolved around two major plenary themes Changemaking and Climate Crisis. Discussions emphasized that changemaking requires empathy, creativity, collaboration, and action, skills often missing from traditional education systems. The climate focused sessions highlighted the urgency of immediate action, recognizing that today’s youth will face the harshest consequences of climate change if decisive steps are not taken now.

The Summit brought together an impressive lineup of speakers including global leaders, diplomats, journalists, social entrepreneurs, educators, environmentalists, and young changemakers. Notable speakers included Erik Solheim, Anjali Birla, Dr Andrew Fleming, Aashish Beergi, Chetan Bhattacharji, and several Ashoka Young Changemakers and youth climate leaders. Supported by advisors from Save the Children India, the Tale of Humankind Youth Summit 2021 stood as a powerful reminder that informed, motivated, and connected young people have the potential to shape a more sustainable, just, and responsible future through leadership rooted in empathy and action.