Never Thought but Dreamed: Sitting in a Room with World Leaders, Presidents — People in Power.
Last fall, I was honored to be in One To World’s Corporate Governance sessions at the Harvard Club, Columbia, and NYU. But this time, they offered something even more exceptional — 10 limited spots at the Annual Concordia Summit held alongside the United Nations General Assembly. The selection process wasn’t just about applying; we had to write about a problem we’re passionate to solve and how Concordia could help us. Shared my diverse story and issue that concerns me, and got selected — not just as an attendee, but as One To World’s panelist for Libra Philanthropies panel discussion with youth across the globe.
The summit was unreal! Seeing two young women from small corners of the world, The Diana Award recipients alongside Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, made me realize the incredible power of passion-driven impact. Can you believe that one of the ladies is just 18 years old?? It’s one thing to believe in change… It’s another to see people like you actually creating it and inspiring others to do the same, like they inspired me.
With leaders like former and current Presidents and Prime Ministers from Denmark, Paraguay, Qatar, Iraq, Taiwan, and more, I found answers to pressing questions I’d shared in my Concordia essay on human rights, politics and foreign policy. I loved how Concordia brought together different perspectives.
America is never boring. It was very interesting to see Concordia bring together two different perspectives — a Republican and a Democrat senator — for a friendly discussion next to each other?
What surprised me most was how much I learned about tech’s role in reshaping industries, especially in business and economics. Projects like the Rockefeller Foundation’s Mission 300 initiative, aimed at bringing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030, left me in wows.
Thanks to One To World, being a panelist on the Libra Philanthropist’s roundtable was unforgettable. I got to meet passionate young people with projects and startups from countries like Colombia, Japan, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and Albania. Our discussions on civic engagement felt real, inspiring, raw and unfiltered! Such a perfect space to network and connect.
Even though I planned to make a YouTube vlog about the summit, juggling sessions from 8am till 6pm left little time for that — or even for a decent photo with all the international friends I made! As a friend joked, I left with a selfie of a tired face and what they called a “Russian stare straight into soul” (Central Asian here, by the way!).
Best summit I’ve ever attended, the easiest networking opportunity, and especially a one-in-a-lifetime chance for a passionate Uzbek🇺🇿 from a small village like me.
