Insights from the first ever #WETHEFUTURE Summit
On November 11, 2023, I had the privilege of participating as a delegate in the first ever #WETHEFUTURE Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This event, hosted by UN Habitat, We The Planet, and The Chopra Foundation, brought together a diverse group of approx. 500 delegates from around the world, including thought leaders, mental health experts, architects of the future, youth, media, and high-impact innovators. The summit aimed to unite humanity in a critical dialogue towards a more just, sustainable, and healthier planet.
At the heart of #WETHEFUTURE is the commitment to unite in action, providing a platform for a dialogue between generations. The summit emphasized the importance of both local and global action, powered by the energy and vision of the youth (which is everyone under 30), and supported by the wisdom of elders, which I guess is the category I fall in.
The summit was hosted by Kunal Sood, Deepak Chopra, and Poonacha Machaiah. Some of the ideas shared were about being a conscious leader, do (=take action) and dare to dream. You can find more insights about this in the online courses of the Chopra foundation about the Soul of Leadership (find the link below). Mental health and breaking through epigenetic trauma were addressed throughout the summit.
Noteworthy Speakers
#WETHEFUTURE featured a stellar lineup of speakers, each contributing valuable insights to the dialogue. Dieter Brell discussed sustainable architecture, highlighting the importance of design and building in shaping a sustainable future.
Salim Ismail, founder of OpenExO, emphasized the need for institutional disruption while 20 Gutenberg moments are hitting us at the same time, referring to E.O. Wilson: "The real problem of humanity is we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and god-like technologies.”
Salim Ismail proposed six exponential mindsets for the road ahead:
- Curiosity mindset
- Abundance mindset
- Exponential mindset
- Moonshot mindset
- Longevity mindset
- Gratitude mindset
More enlightening perspectives came from Jim Kwik, a renowned expert in brain performance, who shared valuable insights about choices in life, stating, "Life is C between B and D. B is birth, D is death, and C is choice." Rabbi Irwin Kula highlighted a fundamental truth in his very touching speech, stating, "The problem is not with other people, but with ourselves."
The summit also featured the son of Star Trek Producer Gene Roddenberry, Rod Roddenberry, voice and speaking coach Roger Love, and so many more who were adding diverse perspectives to the discussion.
What to Take Home from the Summit
The #WETHEFUTURE Summit was an extraordinary gathering and a platform where ideas about the future took center stage and provided a space for sharp and curious minds to engage in discussions. As we navigate this brave new world, the summit served as a reminder that by coming together as a force for good, we can reimagine and create a better future for generations to come.
What I personally took away from this day was hope and encouragement. Hope for the future, about the human desire and need to live in peace and peacefully and it relativizes the day-to-day “problems”. And the encouragement that each of us can start in his or her own little world to make a difference: in the way we see and treat the people next to us, how we raise our kids and contribute to society. Please take 5 minutes and think about what contribution you can make today.
Online course of the Chopra Foundation about the Soul of Leadership: https://the-chopra-foundation.teachable.com/p/the-soul-of-leadership
