Ella Robertson McKay Reveals Why Skills, as Well as Passion, Are Desperately Needed in Activism

Ella Robertson McKay, managing director of One Young World, believes that combining skills with passion is crucial for effective activism. Her insights stem from years of experience working with fresh-faced up-and-comers from around the globe through One Young World, a premier global forum for blossoming talent.

Founded in 2009, One Young World has become a powerful force in nurturing budding pacesetters. The organization's first summit took place in 2010, bringing together delegates from over 190 countries. Since then, it’s grown exponentially, hosting annual summits in cities worldwide and building a network of more than 17,000 ambassadors.

“If we build, elevate, develop, and inspire the next generation of more ethical and effective young leaders, the world will be a better place with more responsible and sustainable leadership,” Robertson McKay explains.

Ella Robertson McKay's Approach to Activism

Robertson McKay emphasizes the importance of combining skills with passion in activism. She advises, "It's a case of using your skills — a respectful stay in your lane. Identify what you are good at and combine it with your passion, so if your passion is women's health care, but your skill set is journalism, combine those because movements desperately need skilled people.”

This approach allows activists to contribute effectively to causes they care about while leveraging their unique talents. By focusing on their strengths, individuals can make meaningful contributions to movements and organizations.

Joining Existing Movements

Robertson McKay also advocates for joining existing movements rather than starting new ones from scratch. She points out, "In the U.K., 5,000 charities are founded every year, give or take, but a similar number close, which says to me that a lot of people experience something personally go off and set up an initiative, but actually there was probably something or some organization or somebody doing something similar that you could have joined in community with and contributed to."

By aligning with established organizations, activists can benefit from existing resources, networks, and experience. This approach can lead to more significant results and sustainability in the long run.

Building Inclusive Communities

Diversity and inclusion are central to Robertson McKay's vision of effective activism. She stresses, "I really believe that movements that aren't inclusive of every race, gender, nationality, disability, religion will not be strong movements."

Furthermore, she encourages activists to look beyond their immediate circles: "Look at the people who you might not like. Who's in power groups that are seemingly working against you, because actually those might be the people you really need to persuade in order to make a change."

This inclusive approach allows for broader perspectives and more comprehensive solutions to complex global issues.

Avoiding the ‘Deadly Sins’ of Activism

Ella Robertson McKay identifies three "deadly sins" of activism that can hinder progress. The first, she says, is “slacktivism.”

“Sharing a social justice story on Instagram,  you get the dopamine hit, you get the likes, you get the comments,” she notes. “But ultimately,  you've put some pixels out into the ether. You have not done anything.”

She cites “pure think” as the next problem.

“It’s a bit like group think, but more worrying,” she explains. “Saying, ‘We will only work with these kinds of people who take this particular approach, who are these kinds of folks.’ You need to be reaching out to people who aren't like you.”

She describes the third potential problem with activism as counterproductive disruption, which involves engaging in attention-grabbing tactics that may alienate potential allies rather than persuade them.

She advises, “There are so many aspects of activism movements. Disruption and controversy has a role to play, but there are so many movements right now that are alienating allies by being annoying, by being ridiculous, and by being egocentric rather than serving the mission.

“Personally I think if you are risking damaging priceless art that future generations deserve to see, you are not convincing anyone on climate change. You might be getting a ‘right on’ from other climate allies, but people who are in the middle going, ‘Should I buy an electric car or not?’ are not being persuaded by you. They're getting annoyed.”

One Young World's Impact

One Young World's approach to developing emerging go-getters has yielded significant results. Robertson McKay reports, "The last year's [impact report] showed that we'd impacted more than 50 million lives through the projects that we've analyzed.”

These outcomes range from providing education and health care to supporting the next generation running for office in countries where youth participation in politics is often discouraged.

The organization's annual summit serves as a catalyst for change, introducing developing groundbreakers with established figures from various sectors. Ella Robertson McKay notes, "We offer them the platform of our global summit where they meet each other, where they have the opportunity to speak on a global stage, for some of them where they meet current world leaders. They meet business leaders, politicians, athletes, a really, really inspiring group of people."

Looking to the Future

One Young World continues to expand its reach and influence. The organization has announced plans to increase the number of fully funded scholarships for summit attendees, aiming to have 50% of participants on scholarships by 2030.

Ella Robertson McKay emphasizes the year-round nature of One Young World's work: "We know that One Young World is not just four days, but that programmatically we are offering things to young leaders all year-round."

Initiatives include a Global Leadership Program, which draws on diverse cultural concepts of leadership, and an Action Accelerator Program to help turn ideas into concrete actions.

Call to Action

For those aspiring to make a difference, Robertson McKay's message is clear: Combine your skills with your passion, join existing movements where possible, and focus on inclusive, strategic activism that prioritizes real-world impact over social media visibility.

She encourages potential changemakers to engage with One Young World: "If you are a young person and you are doing something exciting in the world, apply to come to One Young World. We have got hundreds of scholarship spots available and often young people say, 'Gosh, I applied. I never thought I'd get it, but I did.' And our team is amazing at looking for potential and uncovering hidden gems."