In the grand tapestry of global youth movements, few threads weave together as unexpectedly as the connection between Pope Francis’ Fratelli tutti initiative and One Young World, co-founded by Kate Robertson and David Jones. At the heart of their alignment lies a profound truth — the essential unity of humankind transcends borders, beliefs, and backgrounds.

Fratelli tutti — translated as “all brothers” — is a letter Pope Francis wrote in 2020, urging everyone to live as one big human family. Its main message is about treating others with kindness, respect, and fairness, regardless of differences in culture, religion, or nationality.

Pope Francis emphasized love, especially in helping the poor, sick, and marginalized. He called for building bridges instead of walls and working together for peace, justice, and unity.

“Fratelli tutti itself is brotherhood of all, which is exactly what One World is for,” Kate Robertson explains. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what you are, what you believe, where you live. You need to understand that you are my sister, you are my brother.”

Through an extraordinary series of events, One Young World has found itself at the intersection of papal vision and youth activism. “We’ve been twice now to the gathering, invited by the pope himself, of all of the Nobel laureates,” Robertson shares. The organization’s selection came through Noble Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, positioning One Young World as “the representative organization for something that might carry this particular value,” Robertson explains.

The partnership arrives at a crucial moment in global affairs. Kate Robertson’s work demonstrates how young voices can carry forward the Pope’s message of universal brotherhood. “The values held are universal,” she observes. “The values are the same and the values are worth a fight and worth a thought. Those are the things that carry everybody through.”

Youth power in action

The impact of combining papal wisdom with youthful energy manifests in tangible ways. “The direct impact and measurable outcomes — those are what I always want to highlight,” Robertson affirms. Her methodology focuses on practical results rather than theoretical discussions.

Robertson’s approach aligns perfectly with Pope Francis’ vision of nurturing a narrative of peace and acceptance across generations and cultures. “We’re here to develop young leaders responsible for shaping the future of our world,” Robertson states. “Part of that responsibility includes being alive to the reality of genocides and violence that is unfolding and understanding the role and importance of the international community.”

The power of possibility

At the core of both Fratelli tutti and One Young World lies an unwavering belief in human potential. “We have to keep in our hearts and live in our example as so many of you do every day by telling the leaders of the world: Peace is possible,” said Kate Robertson.

For the past two years, One Young World has had the honor of being invited to the Vatican to join a meeting on human fraternity. 

“Human fraternity or brotherhood, sisterhood is everything that One Young World embraces,” said Robertson. “It’s not a religious movement but it is Pope Francis that invited all of the Nobel laureates, both individuals and organizations, that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, to these meetings to work toward peace and brotherhood. So we were pleased to accept this invitation and honored because we are not a Nobel laureate organization.”

At this year’s sessions, Kate Robertson said she had the chance to address the laureates on behalf of One Young World. She also got to speak about “One Young World’s 14-year history in trying to promote peace.”

Creating lasting change

The partnership between One Young World and the Vatican initiative represents more than symbolic unity. “The work we are doing to deliver living demonstration, that peace is possible, that there are people in the world working on it,” Robertson explains, highlighting the practical applications of their shared values.

The future of this unique collaboration holds tremendous promise. Kate Robertson sees the partnership as essential for addressing global challenges. “The most important thing about this is this understanding among all these young people that for all the differences of geography and language, and all those things,” she adds. “Those physically obvious things, the values held are universal.”

A global movement takes shape

During One Young World’s Montreal Summit this past September, Kate Robertson and One Young World co-founder David Jones led a peace panel titled “Fratelli Tutti/Peace Is Possible — Engaging Young Leaders in a Global Movement for Peace.”

The discussion brought together Nobel Peace Prize laureates Maria Ressa and Tawakkol Karman to comment on engaging young leaders in this global movement for peace.

During the panel, his Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, who was named chair of the Fratelli Tutti Vatican Foundation by the Pope, appeared in a video to explain some of the goals of the foundation he spearheads. 

“Pope Francis wrote that fraternity has something positive to offer to freedom and equality. When we encounter a brother, we see a face, not a number — a human being who sings, desires, loves and hopes not something to be used, exploited or discarded,” Gambetti said in a video during the peace plenary at One Young World’s Montreal Summit.

“Today, unfortunately, we have forgotten all of these. We are lost. Our initiative aims to create a global alliance among all those who want to reverse this paradigm and spread a new culture of fraternity across the world.”

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