Prof. Rana Dajani, a Schwab Social Innovator and the founder and director of the “We Love Reading” program, participated in the Global Shapers Annual Summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
The event brought together over 500 young leaders from around the world. The Global Shapers Community is a vibrant network of over 10,000 inspiring young leaders from more than 500 city-based hubs in over 150 countries. These hubs, located in diverse settings ranging from capital cities to remote islands and refugee camps, represent teams of passionate young people from various backgrounds. Through their diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and commitment to collaborative efforts, Global Shapers design and implement projects that enhance their communities, address local challenges, and foster a sense of belonging.
Prof. Rana participated in a session titled “Initiative Deep Dives” along with a group of social innovators the panelists shared their stories, why they built their organization, what challenges they face, and how it differs from one generation to the next, which also included interactive dialogue to highlight what each generation of social innovators can learn from each other, and how the Foundations and the Forum can support in building coalitions, partnerships and pushing the envelope on new models for the economy.
Additionally, Dajani contributed during a special session on “Scaling Solutions and Best Practices: Responding to Disasters and Crises,” where she shared valuable insights into co-designing projects with beneficiaries, ensuring sustainable action, and remaining resilient in adversity.
This year’s summit focused on accelerating values-based leadership to ignite social change, emphasizing six key impact areas: Reskilling for the Future, Protecting the Planet, Responding to Disasters, Promoting Inclusion, Improving Health, and Shaping Policymaking.
The Global Shapers Annual Summit continues to equip a generation of leaders to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future, accelerating youth action and amplifying youth voices.