I Went to Rome Looking for Leaders. I Found a Generation Ready to Change the World.

When I came to Rome, I arrived with purpose.

I was here to build relationships, deepen partnerships, and continue advancing the mission of She Be The Change and our work connected to the Sustainable Development Goals.

I expected important meetings. I expected inspiration. I expected to learn.

What I did not fully expect was just how moved I would be by the people.

At the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Forum, I discovered something that felt bigger than a conference, bigger than an institution, and even bigger than a single event. I discovered how many young people are already showing up—curious, prepared, thoughtful, and ready to contribute to the future of our world.

That realization stayed with me.

For a long time, I have imagined building what I sometimes describe as an “army for peace,” though I now feel there may be a better phrase for it. What I mean is not a force of conflict, but a force of compassion. A global network of people equipped with ideas, courage, education, and a willingness to serve. After my time in Rome, I see more clearly than ever that this generation is already here.

Perhaps we are not building an army at all. Perhaps we are discovering and connecting a movement. A Generation Unity.

Throughout my time at FAO, I met young leaders from different countries, cultures, and communities. Some I met in formal sessions. Some I met while exploring exhibits. Some I met in conversation between events. Some I met over meals, laughter, and shared curiosity. Again and again, I was reminded that meaningful leadership does not always arrive with fanfare. Often, it arrives with humility, enthusiasm, and a genuine desire to make a difference.

That is what made Rome so special for me.

The World Food Forum helped me see even more clearly how interconnected our global challenges really are. Food is not just food. Agriculture is not just agriculture. Nutrition is not separate from education. Youth empowerment is not separate from peacebuilding. Innovation is not separate from community. Sport is not separate from health, belonging, and opportunity.

This is one reason the experience resonated so deeply with me.

In our work through She Be The Change, the Unity Ball, and Next Generation Leaders, we are committed to helping young people become catalysts for measurable, meaningful progress in their own communities. We believe in combining education, technology, culture, entrepreneurship, and inclusion in ways that create lasting impact. At FAO, I saw how naturally that vision can connect with global conversations already underway.

I was also touched by the diversity of the people I met.

There were young women and men from across regions of the world, each bringing their own perspective and passion. There were volunteers, delegates, innovators, and emerging leaders. There were moments of joy, moments of learning, and moments that reminded me that when people feel welcomed into a space of purpose, they rise.

One of the most beautiful discoveries of this journey was seeing how many people are already aligned with the spirit of what we hope to build.

We do not need to invent a generation of leaders from nothing. We need to recognize them, support them, connect them, and trust them with meaningful responsibility.

That may have been my greatest lesson in Rome.

I also loved seeing how FAO made room not only for dialogue but also for experience. Through exhibitions, conversations, cultural encounters, and moments of exchange, the environment felt alive. It was not only about policies and institutions; it was about people. It was about stories. It was about how food, culture, and innovation can become bridges between communities.

And, of course, it was about hope.

Hope in the next generation. Hope in collaboration. Hope in what becomes possible when people gather not simply to talk, but to imagine and build together.

As a woman, a mother, and a founder, I left Rome feeling encouraged.

I came looking for leaders. I found a generation.

I found warmth, intelligence, openness, and global friendship. I found people whose presence reminded me that peace is not passive. Peace must be built—through relationships, through shared work, through dignity, through opportunity, and through the courage to believe that unity is possible.

This chapter of my Rome journey is dedicated to the extraordinary young people, colleagues, volunteers, and fellow participants I had the privilege of meeting at FAO and the World Food Forum.

Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for your ideas. Thank you for your commitment to a better future.

You reminded me that the world is full of people ready to lead.

And for that, I leave Rome even more committed than before to helping connect this Generation Unity—one relationship, one idea, and one act of love at a time.

In Unity, Sarah Noet