UNGA 80
A WORLD AT THE EDGE, A FUTURE STILL IN REACH
SDG 3 LONGEVITY AND THE FUTURE OF AGING
SDG 4 TO WHAT END, LEARNING?
SDG 5 THE NEXT PHASE FOR WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
SDG 9
INNOVATING TO SURVIVE, THRIVE AMID INSECURITY
MASTHEAD
CEO & PUBLISHER
ANA C. ROLD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SHANE SZARKOWSKI
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
PAMELA KELLEY LAUDER
ART DIRECTOR
MARC GARFIELD
EDITOR
JEREMY FUGLEBERG
BOOK REVIEWER
JOSHUA HUMINSKI
MULTIMEDIA MANAGER
WHITNEY DEVRIES
PHOTOGRAPHER
MARCELLUS MCINTOSH
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
ANDREW M. BEATO
FUMBI CHIMA KERSTIN COATES
DANTE A. DISPARTE
SIR IAN FORBES
LISA GABLE
GREG LEBEDEV
ANITA MCBRIDE
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
NIKOS ACUÑA
KHADIJAH CHANG
BEBEL DEMOURA NILO
CHERI–LEIGH ERASMUS
ELYAS FELFOUL
LISA GABLE
IMANE KENDILI
LESLEY–ANNE LONG
SHENG-HUNG LEE
YASMEEN LONG
JAHNAVI KUMARI MEWAR VONGAI NYAHUNZVI
PRZEMEK PRASZCZALEK STACEY ROLLAND
JAMILA-AISHA P. SANGUILA SEAN SLADE
ROD SMITH
LOUISA TOMAR
EUAN WILMSHURST
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Ana C. Rold CEO & Publisher
From 2006 to Tomorrow: Entering Two Decades of Global Conversation
As we gather for the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we are reminded that this is both a historic milestone for the world’s organization and a turning point for us at Diplomatic Courier. Eight decades since the founding of the UN, the principles of peace, prosperity, and cooperation remain as vital as ever. Yet the challenges we face today—from climate upheaval and health crises to rapid technological change and rising inequality—are more complex and interconnected than any generation before us.
For us at Diplomatic Courier, this UNGA also carries personal significance: we are entering our 20th year since our launch here in New York in 2006. In those two decades, so much has changed in the way the world tackles global challenges. When we began, diplomacy was still primarily the domain of governments. Today, thanks in part to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, diplomacy has expanded into a truly multistakeholder endeavor. Business leaders, innovators, educators, scientists, philanthropists, and
citizens are now all at the table. As you’ve heard me say before, solving humanity’s greatest challenges is everyone’s business.
This evolution gives us hope, even in a moment when the global outlook can feel more grim than ever. With just five years left until the expiration of the 2030 Agenda, time is running short. But we believe in the boundless capacity of humanity to collaborate across borders, sectors, and disciplines to chart a different course.
That is why we are convening 11 events during UNGA 80, including forums on education, health, climate, innovation, leadership, philanthropy, and more. Each one reflects the megatrends reshaping our world and the urgent need to align them with the SDGs. Together, they serve as platforms for partnership and for unlocking bold solutions that help the future arrive well for all.
We are honored to share this moment with you. May this gathering remind us that while the clock is ticking, our collective imagination and resolve remain stronger than ever.
Shane Szarkowski Editor-in-Chief
Reimagine the Future
The mandate at this year’s UN General Assembly is ambitious: move from last year’s Pact for the Future to concrete implementation. The timing is critical. We are closer to the end than the beginning of the UN Sustainable Development Goals timeline, and public trust in large-scale multilateral action is waning.
Success in New York will require more than political will—it will require a cognitive shift. Securing our future can no longer be treated as a long–term aspiration. Implementation must be immediate and uncompromising. That demands clarity: knowing precisely what outcomes we seek, and where today’s realities diverge from them.
To help frame this moment, Diplomatic Courier is publishing commentaries from our World in 2050 network of experts, organized around four themes central to this year’s summit:
Education. UNESCO’s transforming education initiative and shifting geopolitical dynamics show how contested the future of learning has become. How should education be reimagined to prepare new generations for uncertainty?
Technology. Access, security, data sharing, and innovation remain unresolved. What does a healthy digital ecosystem look like, and how can it be mobilized to confront today’s overlapping crises?
Gender. Visible progress on women’s empowerment risks masking persistent gaps and new challenges, especially in the context of technological change. How do we ensure gains are not only preserved but deepened?
Demographics. Discussion of the future often centers on youth or migration, but aging populations also demand attention. How can societies support the wellbeing of older citizens while adapting to the pressures of demographic change?
This collection offers perspectives on how global leaders (and we) must recalibrate our thinking if we are to translate ambition into action. As leaders congregate in a bid to help the future arrive well, we hope this collection helps you reimagine what a future where we can thrive will truly look like.
Przemek Praszczalek 28
The diplomacy of emerging tech and cross–border data sharing By: Stacey Rolland
It’s time to retire the strongman By: Lesley-Anne Long 34 I Women rising in a changing world, from access to agency By: Jamila-Aisha P. Sanguila
36 I Making tech work for all women means looking to margins By: Bebel DeMoura Nilo
Longevity and the future of aging 40 I Designing an urban future for the “longevity society” By: Sheng-Hung Lee
42 I Let the market help us age well By: Lisa Gable 44 I Use harm reduction to support Africa’s longevity future By: Imane Kendili
Advancing aging women’s social connections in the digital age By: Yasmeen Long
Image by Adobe Stock.
Image via Adobe Stock.
1. To What End, Learning?
Reimagining education for a complex global future
By Rod Smith
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
For generations, education has served as a passport—a means of unlocking personal opportunity and driving societal progress. From classrooms to campuses, education has been the vehicle through which knowledge has transformed the world.
Yet education systems everywhere are under pressure, and not only from the lingering effects of a generational pandemic. Those pressures also come from teacher shortages, financial challenges, geopolitical unrest, and the digital divide to name a few. More profoundly, education faces a reckoning of purpose. As technology rapidly reshapes every aspect of our lives, we must now ask: what should education truly prepare young people for? The traditional goals of citizenship and employability, while still important, are no longer enough to make our children ready for their future.
With more than a century of experience delivering international education, Cambridge is watching these pressures play out in real time across our community of 10,000 schools in 160 countries. School leaders, teachers, students and families are grappling with questions around the value of education. Those questions are intensified by new study visa policies, AI–morphed job markets, and the aspirations of today’s young people who place a premium on their social media presence, mental health, and work–leisure balance. Students are asking not only what they are learning, but why, where, and how?
Cambridge has undertaken a large–scale survey of its international students and teachers to understand what shape of education they see as being best suited to make them ready for the future.
That research highlights a striking paradox: while teachers believe students are gaining the skills they need to be ready for the future, students themselves are far less sure. This is not a skills gap—it is a visibility gap. Young people want more intentional development of leadership, communication
FOR EDUCATION TO REMAIN OUR “PASSPORT TO OPPORTUNITY” WE MUST ENSURE CLASSROOMS NOT ONLY HELP STUDENTS BUILD KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, BUT ALSO FIND PURPOSE, AGENCY, AND COMMUNITY.
and self–management skills, and greater relational intelligence.
This is a heartening revelation because these competencies are not just complementary to academic achievement but are critical for success in a changing world. Foundational literacies—numeracy, reading, writing, digital, and civic—need to be paired equally with critical thinking, communication skills, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to connect and engage across cultures and perspectives. Of course, emerging technology will be the new, key driver of any educational transformation. Despite that, it cannot replace the humanity at the heart of learning because such skills are best developed through human interactions, teacher–to–student and student–to–student.
Ultimately, in the midst of our changing world, classrooms, whether physical or virtual, must remain spaces where students not only build knowledge and understanding, but also find purpose, agency and community to a larger degree than ever before. This will be the real passport to opportunity.
About the author: Rod Smith is Group Managing Director, International Education, Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Change can be good. Accept
and embrace it.
By Sean Slade
Image by Santiago Lacarta from Pixabay
One positive about the disruptions that educators have experienced over the past few years is that they have forced us to adapt and think about how education must evolve to meet uncertainty. Often those evolutions were ideas which had been under discussion for a while.
With education’s role in flux, we’ve had to struggle with its inherent inflexibility and think carefully about what needs to be next. The result? Educators and advocates have been forced to consider and reconsider education in a fundamental way—from processes to functions and assessments to, ultimately, its purpose in our evolving societies.
At the start of the Covid pandemic I wrote about how the crisis was forcing certain elements of education to the fore. These included the rise of learning communities, increased focus on student agency, the changing of the guard from ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘guide on the side’, renewed focus on learning to learn, and recentering of wellbeing at the core of education. All of these have been under discussion for years or even decades but without commitment. The pandemic gave us the necessary push to commit.
The pressures we are experiencing today, especially from AI, are increasing both the amount and the speed of change. We learned from Covid; these changes bring with them the potential to dramatically improve the ultimate outcomes. That remains true only if we are open to change and ready to reframe the educational processes.
Our ability to grow through change comes down to how we view and react to change. The rapidity of change makes this more challenging, but we must learn to adapt to grow. We must become more open to uncertainty. We must be more comfortable with not knowing everything—both literally as educators but also as leaders. The benefits of change will only become apparent through collective agency,
PRESSURES ON EDUCATION TODAY ARE INCREASING BOTH THE AMOUNT AND SPEED OF CHANGE. THESE CHANGES ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT IF WE LEARN TO PRODUCTIVELY EMBRACE DISCOMFORT, THEY CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE EDUCATION OUTCOMES.
experimentation, and broad curiosity. The only way we nurture those characteristics is by admitting our own uncertainty from the start.
In the past, we made decisions when we’d learned all there was to know about the problem, when we had a sense of certainty. The near future will instead empower those who are comfortable with not knowing everything and be willing to discover solutions.
Such a change in our own psyche will be a necessity to tackle any new crises, challenges, or changes we encounter as an individual, group, or community. Or as an education sector. We can learn a lot about how to help our education systems meet the future from our response to the pandemic. It comes down to flexibility, responsiveness, and the ability to be comfortable with a certain level of discomfort and uncertainty when we make our decisions.
Education’s future is in our hands, and if we are prepared to step outside our own comfort zones, its potential is great.
About the author: Sean Slade is the head of BTS Spark, North America, and a member of World in 2050’s TEN.
Question of education’s purpose more relevant than ever
By Euan Wilmshurst
The question of education’s purpose has never felt more relevant. Or more urgent. For decades, most systems have focused on two goals: preparing young people for the labor market and shaping them into good citizens. But in a world shaped by climate breakdown, conflict, displacement, and rapid technological shifts, these aims feel increasingly out of step with reality.
Learning doesn’t begin in the classroom. It begins at birth, arguably even before. The science is clear. The early years are where the foundations for learning, wellbeing, and development are laid. Yet many systems still treat early childhood education as an optional add–on rather than the essential starting point.
That has to change. If we’re serious about transforming education, we need to begin by supporting the adults who shape a child’s earliest experiences— parents, caregivers, and early years professionals.
Children today are growing up in turbulent times. The tools and methods we still rely on—memorizing facts and standardized testing—don’t prepare them for a world where AI can generate information in seconds, and where navigating misinformation and polarization is part of daily life.
So we need to ask better questions. Not just how we educate, but why. Education must help learners make sense of the world and their place in it. That includes nurturing skills not traditionally thought within the realm of education: empathy, curiosity, critical thinking, and the confidence to imagine and shape better futures. These aren’t soft skills. Today, they’re essential.
We also need to rethink what counts as core learning. Literacy and numeracy matter. But so do climate literacy, digital awareness, emotional understanding, and media discernment.
AS WE RETHINK EDUCATION’S PURPOSE AMID GROWING, OVERLAPPING PRESSURES, WE MUST BEGIN BY BETTER SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S EARLIEST LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND THE ADULTS WHO SHAPE THEM.
And we must value how children learn. Learning through play builds the creativity, problem–solving, and social connection that young people need to thrive. It’s not a luxury. It’s the most natural and effective way to learn.
If education is to meet this moment, we must return to purpose—and put children, families, and humanity at the center of everything we build.
About the author: Euan Wilmshurst is the founder of KW Strategy, and a member of World in 2050’s Brain Trust.
To transform education, stop confusing readiness with compliance
By Vongai Nyahunzvi
Photo by Emilio Garcia via Unsplash.
Traditional approaches to education have for too long conditioned learners to conform to systems that were never designed with their individuality in mind. It has prized memorization over meaning, standardized performance over genuine purpose, and compliance over curiosity.
This model has not just failed individual students. It has excluded entire histories, worldviews, and ways of knowing. From underfunded schools to elite institutions, too many learners are still being trained to fit into systems rather than being equipped to reshape them.
Beyond just better content, we need a reset of intention. Today’s global context—marked by ecological collapse, digital disruption, and inequality— demands a transformation in how we define success, whose voices shape learning, and what kind of world education prepares us to co–create.
While AI and digital tools are reshaping access to information, these technologies must be rooted in deeper literacies: power literacy, historical literacy, ecological intelligence, and ethical discernment. The future does not belong to those who can merely code but to those who can connect with people, question assumptions, and reimagine systems.
Let’s stop confusing readiness with compliance. Being “future–ready” is not about fitting into the next wave of jobs; it’s about knowing who you are, how the world works, and having the courage to change it. It’s about teaching children not just to read, but to read between the lines of history, power, and possibility.
Let us stop calling only one kind of knowledge “real.” Our communities, especially across the Global South, have always held knowledge through story, song, soil, and silence. Recognizing these epistemologies is essential for building inclusive, future–fit learning ecosystems.
EDUCATION MODELS CONDITIONING LEARNERS TO CONFORM TO SYSTEMS HAVE FAILED INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS AND ENTIRE HISTORIES, WORLDVIEWS, AND WAYS OF KNOWING. WE NEED NOT JUST BETTER CONTENT, BUT BETTER INTENTION WITH EDUCATION.
Education should not be about building workers for an unjust world; it should be about raising builders of a new one. We need learning systems that are digitally fluent and democratically grounded, where identity, justice, and interdependence are treated as foundational.
This is not a system tweak, it is about confronting the roots. The future will not be shaped by polished résumés but by people with clarity, moral imagination, and the courage to unlearn and rebuild. That’s the purpose of education we must now pursue.
About the author: Vongai Nyahunzvi is the Chief Network Officer at Teach For All.
Rebuilding education for better, not just smarter, humans
By Jahnavi Kumari Mewar
Traditional education models, which prioritize standardized testing and rigid curricula, produce high achievers who can follow instructions, but who often lack tools for leading, relating, and reflecting. If we want a better future, we must ask more of our schools and more of what education is
meant to do. Beyond simply preparing them for jobs, education should prepare students for life: socially, emotionally, ethically, and intellectually. Intentionally designed education systems let us cultivate traits we value in our citizens: ethical decision makers, socially responsible citizens, compassionate leaders. We cannot do this with academics
Photo by Andre Hunter via Unsplash.
alone. Students must learn to manage complexity, practice empathy, and navigate ambiguity. This requires recentering education’s focus on real–world application, emotional intelligence, and ethical thinking.
Merging Real World and Academic Excellence
Students often ask: “When will I ever use this?” This question exposes a major flaw in how we teach. Too often education operates in abstraction, disconnected from lived experience. That must stop.
This means designing assignments around real challenges from managing budgets to contributing to local community and civic life. Students should write for an audience that matters, analyze real data, and design solutions with real stakes. This can all take place within a feedback loop that creates a textured learning program. When learning becomes action–oriented and relevant, motivation becomes intrinsic.
But we must also preserve rigor, not in the form of rote memorization, but as intellectual depth. Grappling with hard questions, respectfully defending your perspective, and learning how to think across disciplines, ideologies, philosophies. It requires teachers who guide inquiry, encourage iteration, and reward process as much as outcome. Here are some key elements of improved future education systems.
Academic and vocational skills must coexist. From coding and carpentry to economics and ethics, these are interconnected skillsets that prepare students for a multidimensional future that won’t belong to one–track minds.
Scaling social and emotional consciousness. Emotional literacy, social awareness, and ethical grounding are as important as numeracy and literacy. Like math and reading, these skills must be taught, practiced, and assessed.
Emotional management. From kindergarten, students should learn about emotional management, deep listening, conflict
TRADITIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS PRODUCE HIGH ACHIEVERS WHO CAN FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS BUT OFTEN LACK TOOLS FOR LEADING, RELATING AND REFLECTING.
IMPROVING INTELLECTUAL
DEPTH
REQUIRES DESIGNING EDUCATION TO BETTER REFLECT REAL WORLD CHALLENGES.
resolution, and internal bias recognition. Classrooms must become spaces for emotional risk taking and honest dialogue.
Teach systemic understanding. Students should learn how to recognize privilege, question power, and work toward equity and inclusion on merit. These aren’t “extra” lessons, they’re the foundation of responsible leadership and citizenship.
Teachers must practice what they teach. That means investing in adult emotional development, not just pedagogy. We cannot expect emotionally intelligent students if their educators haven’t done that work themselves.
It’s time to stop designing schools like factories and start designing them like ecosystems. We’re not producing standardized products; we’re growing complex, compassionate, creative humans. If we want a future filled with ethical leaders and empathetic citizens, not just experts and executives, we need to reengineer education now.
About the author: Princess Jahnavi Kumari Mewar is the Executive Director, JPM Capital.
Image via Adobe Stock.
2. Innovating to Survive, Thrive Amid Insecurity
The case for more open–source AI
By Louisa Tomar
As AI rapidly reshapes the global economy and society, open–source AI has emerged as a potential catalyst for making our future infrastructure, economies and societies better off—from inclusive innovation to economic opportunity, increased
privacy, and decentralized technology governance. Why? Among other things, open–source AI allows for interoperability, open weights, and smaller economies, start–ups, civil society, and academia to inspect, iterate, and build upon foundational models.
Image via Adobe Stock.
Ideally, open–source AI will enable individual users and communities across the globe to shape their digital and economic future. By offering increased transparency and adaptability, these models can be used to build locally driven innovation that reduces dependency on gatekeepers and authoritarian technologies.
For example, China’s DeepSeek took the AI world by storm in early 2025, but it also revealed the pitfalls of open–source models developed under censorship laws and surveillance regimes that require data sharing with the Chinese Communist Party. Open–source AI under democratic standards and international collaboration provides a means of inclusion and a counterbalance to state–controlled innovation.
Closed–source models invariably consolidate control and reduce competition in the marketplace. While this approach is often framed as a security measure against malicious actors (often backed by malign states), such groups will inevitably find access points, regardless of whether the broader AI ecosystem is open or closed. What centralized control does effectively limit, however, is the global community’s ability to leverage, audit and fix flaws in new models and localize the potential of the AI economy. After all, AI models are built upon our collective digital footprint.
Advanced open–source models are already widely accessible. Attempts to restrict distribution through overregulation or export controls are simply impractical. We should instead focus on offering better alternatives—from models and safeguards to partnerships and governance approaches.
Here are some things we can do to bring about those better alternatives.
Support open access. Promote opensource AI initiatives that incentivize education and skilling, inclusivity, transparency, and ethical design.
AS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES CONTINUE TO RESHAPE OUR ECONOMIES AND SOCIETIES, OPEN–SOURCE AI IS EMERGING AS ONE WAY TO MITIGATE MANY POTENTIAL ILLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FUTURE OF AI.
Establish guardrails. Develop frameworks for safety evaluations, use restrictions, and responsible release of model weights.
Enable global participation. Partner with emerging economies, start–up clusters, academia, and civil society to support local AI development capacity.
Promote AI governance. Create balanced, flexible standards and sandboxes that encourage innovative new entrants and consumer trust while mitigating harms and dependency on authoritarian technology.
Open–source AI is already reshaping the digital landscape in ways big and small. Inclusion requires more AI diffusion with collaboration across democratic governments, industry, and the public to build trust and leverage this technology locally, maximally and securely
About the author: Louisa Tomar is Director of the Center for Digital Economy and Governance, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), and a member of World in 2050’s Brain Trust.
Reimagine digital diplomacy, infrastructure for human flourishing
By Nikos Acuña
Image by Dietmar from Pixabay.
The $3 trillion extracted annually from our digital lives represents both humanity’s greatest challenge and opportunity. As traditional diplomacy struggles with borderless AI and tech giants, we must pioneer a new diplomatic framework centered on universal data sovereignty—one that transforms extraction into empowerment.
Modern diplomacy must evolve beyond state–to–state negotiations to broker a new social contract between individuals, corporations, and governments. By establishing international data governance standards that recognize personal data as a personal and sovereign asset, diplomacy can shift from protecting territorial boundaries to safeguarding digital rights. This requires multilateral treaties that ensure data portability across borders while maintaining individual control— creating a diplomatic architecture for the digital age.
Universal data sovereignty democratizes the digital economy by treating personal data as an asset that generates dividends for its creators. Through dual–sector data commons, anonymized data can fuel public good initiatives while commercial use requires consent and compensation. This model creates new wealth-building pathways for the billions currently excluded from tech prosperity, transforming digital labor from unpaid extraction to recognized contribution. By enabling individuals to pool data cooperatively, we can create community–owned data trusts that negotiate collectively with tech platforms.
Democratized data ownership accelerates climate solutions by aligning incentives. When individuals control their consumption data, they can choose to share it with researchers developing sustainable technologies or pool it to negotiate better terms with green energy providers. Public data commons can accelerate climate modeling and solution development, while personal
TRADITIONAL
DIPLOMACY
IS STRUGGLING WITH BORDERLESS AI AND TECH GIANTS. FOR A FUTURE OF HUMAN RESILIENCE AND FLOURISHING, WE NEED A NEW DIPLOMATIC FRAMEWORK, ONE CENTERED ON UNIVERSAL DATA SOVEREIGNTY TO TRANSFORM
EXTRACTION INTO EMPOWERMENT.
data sovereignty ensures that climate transition benefits flow to communities rather than concentrating in tech monopolies.
This framework addresses the mental health crisis perpetuated by manipulative algorithms by giving individuals control over their digital experiences. When people own their attention data, platforms must compete on value creation rather than addiction. By strengthening democratic resilience through transparent data governance and enabling ethical AI development through diverse, consensual datasets, we create conditions for genuine human flourishing.
The moment demands audacious action. By establishing universal data sovereignty, we transform the digital economy from an extractive force into humanity’s greatest tool for shared prosperity, climate resilience, and democratic renewal.
About the author: Nikos Acuña is the Founder and CEO of Aion Labs, and a World in 2050 Senior Fellow.
Powering diplomacy, equity, and climate action in a digital age
By Cheri–Leigh Erasmus and Khadijah Chang
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Technological innovation is reshaping how we build security and resilience across the diplomatic, economic, and climate spheres. Its role in diplomacy is becoming more pronounced as tools emerge that make governance more transparent and participatory. For example, Know Your Parliamentarian, developed through Accountability Lab’s HackCorruption project, provides citizens in Nepal with a centralized platform to access information about elected officials. This kind of data transparency enables civic actors to hold leaders accountable and strengthens democratic processes. At a global level, AI models trained on legislative records can help spot patterns and risks, supporting more responsive and informed diplomacy.
Emerging technologies also enhance decision making and risk response. AI–powered tools can detect and map complex threats, from geopolitical tensions to environmental disruptions. One such tool—the Tumaini app, which predicts crop diseases in real time—illustrates how AI can help communities take preventative action. Similarly, digital platforms have transformed public engagement. Movements like #EndSARS demonstrate how grassroots advocacy can shape domestic and international discourse, influencing state behavior. Technology is increasingly a tool of both diplomacy and activism.
Economically, AI is transforming industries and labor markets, but the key question is: whose vision is driving this change? Inclusion must go beyond access. While the number of people with smartphones or otherwise able to access the internet is growing, the deeper challenge lies in who builds these systems, who sets the rules, and who governs the outcomes. We need local agency to shape how technologies are developed and used. Without inclusive infrastructure and digital literacy, economic inequality will deepen. Building future economies that are truly inclusive requires ethical design, public investment, and shared governance of these tools.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ARE RESHAPING DIPLOMACY, ECONOMICS, AND CLIMATE. TOOLS ARE EMERGING TO MAKE THESE INTERACTIONS MORE TRANSPARENT, PARTICIPATORY, AND EFFECTIVE, BUT RESILIENCE ULTIMATELY REQUIRES MORE THAN TECH SOLUTIONS.
In the climate space, emerging technologies hold promise for both adaptation and mitigation. AI models can help smallholder farmers analyze soil conditions, weather trends, and pests, supporting smarter agricultural decisions and better food security. However, these tools must be rooted in local knowledge and tailored to context. Technology is not neutral—it has an environmental footprint. The energy and water consumption associated with AI, along with mounting e–waste, must be responsibly managed.
Ultimately, building resilience in the face of global challenges requires more than technological solutions. It demands inclusive governance, ethical frameworks, and sustained investment in infrastructure and education. When thoughtfully deployed, emerging technologies can help bridge divides, amplify citizen agency, and support more secure, adaptable, and just systems.
About the authors: Cheri–Leigh Erasmus is Co–CEO and Chief Innovation and Operations Officer, Accountability Lab. Khadijah Chang is the Senior Program Officer, Accountability Lab.
Preserving privacy, building trust in digital identity ecosystems
By Przemek Praszczalek
Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay.
Biometrics seems to be everywhere today. Not only at the airports, checkout counters, and entertainment venues, but also at the refugee camps in the Middle East, service centers in South Asia, and voting booths throughout Africa. This means that a lot of sensitive data about private individuals, residents of or travelers to a country, is managed by third parties: primarily governments, NGOs, and private companies.
The options to protect biometrics appear to be limited. We can apply increasingly complex and expensive ways to encrypt highly sensitive images and biometric templates, or we can forgo the use of biometrics altogether. Neither option is particularly appealing in the long term, and the data is only as secure as the weakest link. You can change your PIN or your password, but—unfortunately—you cannot change your biometrics if it is ever compromised.
For organizations providing services to most vulnerable populations, biometrics represents both an opportunity to manage limited resources and a liability endangering the “Do No Harm” principle. Individuals without smartphones do not have any options to store passkeys or protect their biometrics today and rarely influence how biometric programs are implemented. Yet, for millions without official ID documents, biometrics is often the only way to establish trust with service providers, including governments.
What if we were able to remove the most sensitive personal data from digital identity ecosystems? What if we could prevent the misuse of biometric data by rogue actors, AI bots, and authoritarian regimes? If we can do this, we can build a world where individuals can safely demonstrate “I exist, I am here, and I am the same person.” Privacy–preserving biometric tokenization can be the answer. Tokenization has already proven to be highly secure and effective in the financial services world. Whether shopping with a credit card, Apple Pay, or auto pay, unique tokens are used for each payment. Then all transactions show up
BIOMETRICS ARE EVERYWHERE TODAY, AND INDISPENSABLE, BUT RESULTS IN A LOT OF SENSITIVE DATA BEING MANAGED BY THIRD PARTIES. TODAY, INNOVATIONS IN BIOMETRIC TOKENIZATION MEAN WE CAN REMOVE THE MOST SENSITIVE PERSONAL DATA FROM DIGITAL IDENTITY AND COMMERCIAL ECOSYSTEMS.
in one place on your banking statement, linked to one another. If your payment credential is ever compromised, you can simply revoke it and get a new one.
The same concept can work very well for biometrics. Through this innovative, privacy–first, and inclusive technology we can pioneer a new approach to trusted interactions. We can empower individuals to create and manage their own biometric identity tokens—reducing reliance on third–party data stewards. Biometrics like palm prints can also be tokenized, creating a more effective ‘proof of humanity’ and defense against deep fakes and AI bots, given our faces are public (harvestable) and easily spoofable but our palms are not.
Next time someone asks for your biometrics, you should answer: “Yes, but only if you tokenize it.” My data, my choice, my voice.
About the author: Przemek Praszczalek is an Affiliate Professor of Emerging Tech & Innovation at College of William & Mary.
The diplomacy of emerging tech and cross–border data sharing
By Stacey Rolland
Image via Adobe Stock.
As nations confront a growing array of global challenges— from national security threats and cyber attacks to illicit finance and tax evasion— cross–border information sharing has become an indispensable tool to facilitate policymaking and diplomacy. The cross–country exchange of data today is transforming diplomacy, security, and commerce. This transformation brings with it both remarkable benefits and complex risks.
The borderless nature of data and increasing decentralization of emerging technologies introduce new complexities. Countries must navigate the delicate balance between harmonizing global regulatory regimes—so as not to create a patchwork of conflicting laws—and respecting national sovereignty and privacy.
The burden of ethically and securely collecting, storing, and sharing sensitive personal information of individual citizens falls not just on governments but also on private companies. For example, data collection requirements imposed on traditional financial institutions may not neatly fit within increasingly decentralized financial systems. Businesses, especially those for whom data collection is not core to their mission, may struggle to comply with data collection regulations like stringent Know Your Customer requirements. Imposing such rules on decentralized systems—where no single entity has full visibility into personal or transactional data—highlights the challenge of adapting legacy regulatory frameworks to a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Moreover, expanded data collection raises legitimate concerns about government surveillance and the exposure of proprietary business information. The privacy rights and interests of citizens and companies alike must be considered in new efforts to protect national security or ensure tax compliance, all while encouraging responsible innovation.
CROSS–BORDER INFORMATION SHARING HAS BECOME A CRITICAL TOOL IN FACILITATING POLICYMAKING AND DIPLOMACY AMID
POLYCRISIS
CHALLENGES.
YET IT CARRIES WITH IT COMPLEX ETHICAL AND SECURITY RISKS.
Ultimately, cross–border information reporting is a double–edged sword. While it promotes transparency, accountability, and global cooperation, it also raises serious questions about privacy, sovereignty, and the potential chilling effect on innovation. Policymakers must strike a careful balance of mitigating risks without imposing undue compliance burdens on companies or infringing on individual rights.
The path forward demands nuanced, modern solutions—ones that balance the global benefits of information sharing with the realities of an increasingly decentralized, digital world while safeguarding the fundamental values of privacy, innovation, and national autonomy.
About the author: Stacey Rolland is a leading expert in emerging technology policy and strategy in Washington, DC, and a member of World in 2050’s Brain Trust.
Image by Miguel Bruna via Unsplash..
3. The Next Phase for Women’s Economic Empowerment
It’s time to retire the strongmen
By Lesley–Anne Long
It shouldn’t be lost on anyone that the most influential and destructive political leaders right now are old men. Their leadership has led to a dramatic escalation of authoritarianism and hyper–masculine power. It defies
democratic ideals and inclusive governance, everywhere.
The elevation of “strongman” narratives, together with the ongoing marginalization of women’s voices are systematically
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.
undermining any prospect for collective resilience, pluralism, and stability.
That’s why today’s cliched model of leadership must be reinvented.
Women leaders have, in the main, demonstrated that they offer an alternative approach. One that is more often rooted in empathy and emotional intelligence and directly counters the current dominant paradigm of command–and–control authority.
Yet although there has been extraordinary progress by women in many fields, the facts remain stark. Statistically, women are vastly underrepresented at the highest echelons of leadership. Less than 10% of CEOs in the world’s top 100 companies are women. Fewer than 30 countries are led by a woman head of state. And those who make it to the top too often are the targets of levels of hostility and abuse that can endanger their lives.
Where women are forging leadership pathways, it’s often via informal routes, such as social movements and civic networks. These arenas frequently operate outside the reach of authoritarian oversight. They cultivate wise leadership rooted in collaboration and are informed by empathy and relational power. Women leaders arising from this experience are bright spots. But the reality is that they do not typically have the standing to change narratives, paradigms or lives at the scale needed to meet this moment.
Our problem is not about men vs. women. Merely replacing men with women will not resolve the leadership crisis. It’s about redefining leadership itself.
Addressing today’s complex and multifaceted global emergencies requires nuanced, inclusive and thoughtful responses. As authoritarian regimes cleave to masculinity and strength as symbols of power, we need investment in leaders who lead with emotional intelligence. Leaders
THE PREVALENCE AND ELEVATION OF “STRONGMAN” NARRATIVES IN AND AROUND GEOPOLITICS PROVES THE CLICHED MODEL OF LEADERSHIP NEEDS REINVENTING. WOMEN LEADERS HAVE,
BY AND
LARGE, DEMONSTRATED AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH ROOTED IN EMPATHY AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
who value empathy, collaboration, and resilience over dominance, division and the cultivation of fear.
How do we get from here to there? Here are four immediate steps.
First, challenge the deeply ingrained norms that equate authority with dominance.
Second, demand that our leaders model inclusive behaviors.
Third, create mentorship programs that elevate emotionally intelligent women and men into leadership positions.
And fourth, drive the expectations of our education systems and corporate cultures to prioritize emotional literacy as a strategic strength.
About the author: Lesley–Anne is chief strategist at Wonderfuture and a member of the World in 2050 Brain Trust.
Women rising in a changing world, from access to agency
By Jamila–Aisha P. Sanguila
Image by Andrea from Pixabay.
The world is on the brink of profound transformation and progress. Women’s empowerment—forged through decades of activism, policy shifts, and quiet acts of resistance—faces a dual challenge: accelerating momentum while adapting to a rapidly changing world. Meeting this dual challenge requires that we move beyond access for women and center instead on agency.
Today, empowerment means equipping women with the tools and support to thrive. Women today have gained ground in accumulating wealth, leading organizations, and impacting communities. But true empowerment demands more than a seat at the table; it requires broader inclusion, especially in historically excluded areas of global discourse.
Women in conflict–affected and structurally vulnerable regions in particular need interventions to help them build financial literacy and leadership skills, and benefit from mentoring that is trauma–informed. Tools like this empower women to develop the agency not only in their own lives but also in the lives of their families and communities.
Technology is reshaping this landscape further. Emerging technologies offer vast potential to support women leaders. Women–led digital platforms and virtual peer networks are already bridging gaps across geography, culture, and circumstance. But the power of technology has also empowered misogyny, opening women—especially leaders gaining online visibility—to digital harassment, surveillance, and cyberattacks.
The weight borne by women leaders on their mental health and wellbeing can be extraordinary. Supporting these leaders in today’s context requires we redefine mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing support practices as more than just useful, they are critical. Support systems—peer care circles, trauma recovery practices, and opportunities for healing—must
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT TODAY FACES A DUAL CHALLENGE: ACCELERATING MOMENTUM WHILE ADAPTING TO A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. MEETING THIS CHALLENGE REQUIRES THAT WE MOVE BEYOND ACCESS FOR WOMEN AND CENTER INSTEAD ON AGENCY.
be integrated into nurturing women’s leadership from the ground up.
The future belongs to women who lead not despite challenges but because they possess the tools to face them with courage and clarity. In this pivotal moment of global reflection, our focus must extend beyond creating opportunities for women to ensuring those opportunities are meaningful, safeguarded, and sustainable. We must open doors, build bridges, and create safe spaces and paths that support women to walk with dignity and strength.
About the author: Jamila–Aisha P. Sanguila is a local peacebuilder and the founder of Women Empowered to Act (WE Act) for Dialogue and Peace in Mindanao, Philippines. Jamila is a member of World in 2050’s TEN.
Making tech work for all women means looking to margins
By Bebel DeMoura Nilo
Image via Adobe Stock.
As technological advancements powering AI increase, the chorus of warnings from women of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities continues to grow louder. From the denunciations of gender–based violence to irreversible environmental damage harming their communities, it’s worth asking this. Who are the women benefiting from today’s innovations, and why?
While some women are reaping the benefits of the ongoing expansion of sophisticated technologies, for many women these technologies bring with them painful and even life–threatening implications. Studies have shown that the opposite ends of this spectrum of disadvantage and privilege are deeply tied to the intersections of these women’s identity. With the social order maintaining wealthy, white, cisgender, and heterosexual people at the top of the hierarchy, the further a woman’s identity is from this ideal, the more dangerous the outcomes of technological advances.
For Indigenous women leaders throughout the world, the ongoing extraction of natural resources from their communities is a direct threat to their very existence and the land itself. In the case of Brazil, the continued deforestation in the Amazon and ongoing issues after the 2015 Brumadinho dam collapse has come with various forms of gender–based violence, loss of food and water sources, and the loss of human, plant, and animal life. Similarly, the case of Apple vs. The Democratic Republic of Congo highlights the ways in which the disparities between white women of the Global North and Indigenous women in the Global South could not be more evident. While the wealthy, white women leaders at Apple receive accolades and generous salaries, Congolese women and girls who mine the cobalt needed for Apples devices are forced to endure the “rape capital of the world,” reproductive
AMID CONVERSATION ABOUT MAKING SURE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WORK FOR RATHER THAN AGAINST WOMEN, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WOMEN WHO ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF OTHER DISADVANTAGED GROUPS ARE IN GREAT DANGER OF BEING IGNORED AND LEFT BEHIND.
health issues, brutal child labor, and in many cases, death itself.
As we contemplate the ways in which we can mitigate the dangers of technological innovation aimed specifically at women and women leaders, acknowledging and addressing the longstanding inequalities among them is essential. Avoiding the redistribution of wealth, resources, and power from the Global North to the Global South will only further widen the gaps of inequity and access and exacerbate disasters and crises caused by climate change.
About the author: Bebel DeMoura Nilo is a scholar, storyteller, and cultural–heritage worker, and a member of World in 2050’s TEN.
4. Longevity and the Future of Aging
Image by Rod Long via Unsplash.
Designing an urban future for the “longevity society”
By Sheng–Hung Lee
As we enter an era shaped by disruptive demographic change, people are not only living longer but striving to live better. Economist and
longevity expert Andrew Scott argues that we are shifting from an “aging society” to a “longevity society,” where the focus is no longer on decline but on the possibilities of extended, healthier life stages. MIT
Photo by Robs on Unsplash.
AgeLab director Joseph F. Coughlin further describes this transformation as an evolution from a service–based economy to a “longevity economy,” one centered on meeting the needs of a society that spans multiple generations. Meanwhile, Peter Attia, physician and author of Outlive, explores the science and art of living longer and better, emphasizing a scientific approach to health.
These expert perspectives and academic research reveal a broader truth: longevity is not solely about living longer, but about living well across physical, financial, emotional, and social dimensions. Supporting this shift demands more than advances in healthcare or policy—it requires a rethinking of our social infrastructure. We need to address often–overlooked dimensions such as social wellbeing, intergenerational relationships, and a sense of community belonging. We can understand the essence of longevity tech— technology extending both lifespan and healthspan—as a holistic approach and attitude to designing systems and services that empower individuals to thrive at various stages of life. This vision can extend into our city and urban planning.
What might a LongevityTech City look like?
While the answers are multifaceted, two critical concepts—slow data and the soft city—can offer compelling starting points. Urban futurist Anthony Townsend introduced the concept of slow data, which he contrasts with the more familiar concept of big data. While big data helps optimize systems and reduce inefficiencies, slow data—gathered intentionally, not opportunistically—invites reflection. Townsend writes, “Big data may make us lean and mean. Slow data will speak our souls.” By capturing nuanced, qualitative insights into how people live, slow data enables us to navigate the social trade–offs and behavioral shifts essential for designing age–inclusive urban environments.
Architect and urbanist David Sim advances the notion of the soft city. This is a city
AS WE SHIFT FROM AN “AGING SOCIETY” TO A “LONGEVITY SOCIETY,” OUR FOCUS IS SHIFTING FROM DECLINE TO THE POSSIBILITIES OF
EXTENDED, HEALTHIER
LIFE STAGES. SYSTEMS AND
SERVICE
DESIGN TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT LIFE CAN EXTEND INTO OUR CITY AND URBAN PLANNING.
shaped by human–scale design, rich in density, diversity, and delight— considering people, places, and planet. As societies become increasingly multigenerational, cities and the environment must accommodate a broader spectrum of needs. That means designing public spaces, transportation systems, and services that are intuitive, accessible, and respectful across all ages. It means seeing age not just as a number, but as a reflection of varied life stages and evolving aspirations to impact and change people’s behavior and interactions in the LongevityTech City.
Building a LongevityTech City is not simply a technological challenge—it is a cultural, ethical, and design imperative. By combining the precision of big data with the empathy of slow data and blending hard infrastructure with the soft textures of people’s daily life, we can shape urban futures that are not only smart but deeply human.
About the author: Sheng–Hung Lee, PhD is a researcher and designer at MIT AgeLab.
Let the market help us age well
By Lisa Gable
Photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash.
As we age, we often hear, “I don’t move as well as I used to.” The reasons vary—muscle loss, neurological damage, a past sports injury, or a fall. These changes can limit how we live. Travel, work, and even daily routines become harder. Life gets smaller, and so does our drive to keep going.
How do we help older adults stay safe, healthy, independent, and engaged? One answer is cost–effective, innovative technology. Both in the home and, sometimes, implanted in the body, emerging technologies have begun reshaping what aging looks like.
Baby boomers may remember The Six–Million Dollar Man, a TV show about an astronaut rebuilt with machines after a crash. What once seemed like science fiction is quickly becoming science fact. Take joint replacements, for example. A few decades ago, a hip or knee replacement meant a lengthy hospital stay and months of recovery. Today, many patients go home the same day and return to their lives in just 10–to–12 weeks. These procedures don’t just relieve pain; they restore freedom and prevent further decline.
Emerging tools like homecare robots hold the promise to lift heavy boxes, reach high shelves, or remind someone to take medicine. While many of these technologies are still in development or of limited use, their potential to ease daily life, prevent injuries, and reduce reliance on costly outside help is rapidly becoming real.
More importantly, smart deployment of assistive robotics and implantable medical devices can also support mental health. Studies show that older adults who experience frequent falls are nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression. When mobility fades, so does independence— and with it, the connection to purpose and community.
Even simple tasks can become dangerous for people with degenerative conditions
BOTH AT THE HOME AND INSIDE THE BODY, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS ARE HELPING OLDER ADULTS STAY SAFE, HEALTHY, INDEPENDENT AND ENGAGED. BUT ACCESS TO THESE TOOLS SHOULD NOT BE A LUXURY.
or failing health. A single misstep or injury from a fall can force someone into economically unsustainable 24/7 nursing support. That’s where more widely available smart home technology could step in: voice controls, motion sensors, and ergonomic design solutions to help people stay safer and longer.
Access to these tools shouldn’t be a luxury. To bring prices down and scale adoption, we must embrace competition and cut regulatory barriers that increase the cost of production. The public sector’s role is to clear the path for discovery and production, not control the process.
Innovation doesn’t need mandates. It needs momentum. If we want smart aging, we must incentivize affordable aging—and let the free market deliver.
About the author: Ambassador Lisa Gable is the Chairperson of World in 2050.
Use harm reduction to support Africa’s longevity future
By Imane Kendili
Photo by J. Balla Photography on Unsplash.
Aging is no longer an issue for tomorrow. The “over–60” population group is growing faster than any other age group, globally. In Africa, the size of this demographic is expected to triple by 2050. While often seen as a public health success, this shift brings complex challenges—straining healthcare systems, exposing deep inequalities, and highlighting the limitations of current care models.
Traditional approaches have focused on biomedical solutions such as more screenings, better diets, and advanced treatments. While powerful, these often overlook the social realities in lower–income regions. In Africa, aging is shaped more by cultural and community factors than access to high–tech care.
Harm reduction offers a new lens. Adapted from drug and HIV interventions, it promotes practical, gradual improvements rather than idealized outcomes. When applied to aging, it focuses on supporting independence and improving quality of life based on real–world conditions.
This philosophy is already in action. In rural Kenya, health workers monitor seniors for chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension through existing outreach. Rwanda uses text reminders to help older adults stay consistent with medications. Moroccan cities are adding age–friendly features—benches, ramps, shaded walkways—to public spaces.
Grassroots initiatives are also tackling emotional and cognitive decline, which often escapes official health data. In Nigeria, religious groups provide food and companionship to isolated elders. In Senegal, intergenerational storytelling strengthens mental wellbeing and social connection. These efforts are affordable, culturally grounded, and easily scalable.
For African nations, adopting harm reduction as a policy for aging is both sensible and transformative. It reframes
IN AFRICA,
THE “OVER–60”
DEMOGRAPHIC IS EXPECTED TO TRIPLE BY 2050. TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO SUPPORTING AGING POPULATIONS AREN’T AS EFFECTIVE IN AFRICA, WHERE AGING IS SHAPED MORE BY CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY FACTORS THAN ACCESS TO HIGH–TECH CARE.
aging not as a problem to solve, but as a meaningful life stage that deserves thoughtful, empathetic support.
As the world races to extend life expectancy, Africa may offer a more holistic approach—one where longevity is nurtured not just by medicine, but by community, tradition, and collective care.
About the author: Dr. Imane Kendili is the President and Founder of African Global Health and a member of World in 2050’s TEN.
Advancing aging women’s social connections in the digital age
By Yasmeen Long
Image via Adobe Stock.
In today’s digital age, handheld devices and social platforms offer new avenues for connection. While technology holds promise for fostering engagement and supporting both mental and physical health, it has yet to fully deliver on this potential. This is especially true for older adults. Instead of reducing social isolation, tech–driven interactions sometimes fall short of addressing the deeper human need for connection. Decades of research link social interaction with healthier aging. Loneliness and isolation negatively affect physical health, mental wellbeing, and life expectancy. In some countries, up to one in three older adults report feeling lonely. Women, particularly those who are divorced, widowed, or unmarried, face elevated risks.
Technology can help bridge this gap, but only if used effectively. Digital innovations, when equitably designed and accessible, can play a key role in reducing isolation among aging populations. Tools like neighborhood GIS data and digital service platforms can identify social needs and connect individuals to support systems. Equally important is the role of health professionals, who can recommend social engagement as actively as they do exercise or nutrition.
Aging is not uniform—older adults vary widely in physical ability, mental acuity, interests, and access to resources. Yet their contributions remain significant. They are caregivers, volunteers, and community anchors. Society must recognize this value and invest in systems that promote inclusive wellbeing. That includes public–private partnerships, support for geriatric specialists, and a focus on literacy and accessibility in digital solutions. More than simple niceties, promoting social connection may be a biological necessity that is particularly important as we age. Hormones like oxytocin and endorphins, activated through nurturing and bonding activities, support immune function and reduce stress. Maintaining active social networks may be as crucial to longevity
LONELINESS AND ISOLATION NEGATIVELY AFFECT OUR WELLBEING, PARTICULARLY AS WE AGE, WHILE SOCIAL INTERACTION IS LINKED WITH HEALTHIER AGING. PARTICULARLY IN THE DIGITAL AGE, WHEN
INNOVATION CAN BE DEEPLY ISOLATING OR EMPOWERING, FOSTERING HEALTHY AGING IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.
as managing blood pressure or staying physically active.
Ultimately, fostering healthy aging is a shared responsibility. We must empower older adults to engage meaningfully in society—through work, volunteering, and community life—and ensure they have the tools and support to do so. Doing this requires cross–sector collaboration, a cultural understanding of aging, and a deep respect for the longevity journey.
About the author: Yasmeen Long is a consultant at Tigerlily Foundation and a member of World in 2050’s TEN.
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