Professor Muhammad Yunus joined the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday, where more than 2,200 young leaders from over 190 countries gathered to discuss solutions to pressing global challenges.

The annual summit brings together young changemakers and influential global figures to exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore responses to issues including peace, climate change, equality, healthcare, technology and human rights.

Among the prominent speakers were Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan; Graça Machel, women's and children's rights advocate and former first lady of Mozambique; Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist; and Maria Ressa, Nobel laureate and co-founder and CEO of Rappler.

Addressing the gathering, Queen Rania urged young people to challenge double standards and speak out against injustice, saying their passion and idealism should not be dismissed.

"Anger at injustice is not weakness; it's proof you're paying attention. Caring deeply is not the opposite of thinking clearly," she said. "Standing up for each other isn’t sentimentality; it’s how we pay our dues."

She began her address by saying she had arrived from Jordan "with a heavy heart" following a recent attack on a church in the country's southern governorate of Al Karak that left nine people dead and dozens injured.

Turning to the role of young people in confronting global challenges, Queen Rania said today's generation approaches issues with greater curiosity, scrutiny and intellectual rigour.

She particularly challenged attempts to dismiss pro-Palestinian student protests by questioning the protesters' understanding of the conflict.

"That is why, in discussions over pro-Palestinian student protests, when people say to me, ‘Most of them probably couldn’t find Gaza on a map,’ I push back," she said.

Other speakers included Academy Award-winning actor and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation Forest Whitaker, founder and CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, and actor, television presenter and human rights activist Terry Crews.

The 2026 summit marks One Young World's return to Africa for the first time since its 2013 gathering in Johannesburg. Its timing also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Youth Uprising, with the event recognising the legacy of youth activism and celebrating a new generation of leaders driving change through innovation, entrepreneurship and collective action.