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Canada  

'One Young World'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau embraced his role as minister for youth as he urged a gathering of young people from every country in the world to act now, instead of waiting for some distant moment, to be the leaders they want to become.

"I do not think you are the leaders of tomorrow — I know you are already leaders today," Trudeau, 44, said Wednesday evening at the opening ceremonies of the One Young World Summit, where many of the young people in the audience wore traditional dress and carried their national flags for the evening event on the lawn of Parliament Hill.

The global forum for youth leaders taking place in Ottawa this week is hosting some 1,300 delegates between the ages of 18 and 30 from 196 different countries.

"Your generation is politically engaged, educated, innovative, inclusive and progressive. You need to harness that potential to make the world a better place and I know that every person here tonight is committed to doing just that in one way or another," Trudeau told the crowd.

"Please remember, what you say, and the choices you make, have the power to change the world," he said.

The star-studded conference will feature speakers and guests such as former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson — who was the first female president of Ireland — and Bob Geldof, a musician and international anti-poverty activist, participating in debates and panels on everything from climate change to peace and security.

Even Cher, the singer and Oscar-winning actor, will make an appearance to launch a campaign to end the mistreatment of wild animals in captivity.

Another celebrity guest is U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, a British actor best known for her role in the Harry Potter movies, who Trudeau welcomed to his office earlier Wednesday for a discussion mainly about gender equality.



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