"Optimism is so important at the moment. And to you young people here today, you're our future. " The Hon Jason Wood MP, Australia's Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, spoke at The Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit 2021. The Centre for Optimism is proud to be a sponsor and participant in the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summits. We host the event and extracts of proceedings can be found on our website https://www.centreforoptimism.com/Nelson-Mandela-Youth-Leadership-Summit-2021/ Jason opened generously, "I thank Rashidi Somali, Future Voices, Gallawah empowering change and the Center for Optimism. Optimism is so important at the moment. And to you young people here today, you're our future. Thanks for inviting me to participate in the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit...." "As a young teenager myself many years ago, I knew of Nelson Mandela as an amazing person who was reported around the world on the news as having been incarcerated for standing up against the apartheid regime."

The Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC and Her Excellency Linda Hurley joined the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit via Video Link and took questions from students of Greater Shepparton Secondary College. "I'm an #optimist by nature. So when I was going through my career, learning, as you do as a young officer, and then growing up and progressing through the ranks, I'm looking for the #positive in #situations. I'm looking for the positive in #people." A very special optimist-in-chief! The Governor-General of Australia His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC speaking to the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit and taking questions from the students With the students, Margaret Hepworth, Rashidi Sumaili Joseph, Genevieve Simson and Myf Sexton, it was an honour for The Centre for Optimism and Victor Perton to co-host the event.

His Excellency Mr Marthinus Van Schalkwyk is the High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa in Australia. This video is a reflection on his time with Mandela, lessons learned from Mandela and greetings to the Summiteers going the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit 2020 Victor Perton and The Centre for Optimism and Margaret Hepworth and the Gandhi Experiment are proud supporters of Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit 2020