At a moment of decisive change in world leadership the Young Foundation, on Wednesday night launched a major new programme, UpRising, to develop new leaders, with a keynote lecture from Rosabeth Moss Kanter, probably the world's most respected thinker on leadership and the dynamics of change.

The programme has won the endorsement of the three main party leaders:

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Prime Minister said

"I was watching one of the Make Poverty History videos made for Live 8 the other day. It showed pictures of abolitionist rallies, but it panned past the leader speaking from the pulpit and zoomed into the face of someone anonymous in the pews. Then it showed pictures of the votes for women campaign and it went past the Pankursts to a close up of the people demonstrating beside them. Then some shots of Martin Luther King's march on Washington but beyond him and on to the people following his lead. The point was the great changes of history are made by the people we haven't heard of just as much as by the people we have. Nobody shown in the film was a spectator - everyone was active in shaping their own destiny and that of their society.

I am delighted that UpRising exists to ensure a whole new generation can join them - whether by becoming famous movement leaders or local school governors, whether we make the headlines or just make the time, we can all make a difference. I am delighted by the innovative work that the UpRising leadership programme is doing to find and unlock the talent of future leaders that otherwise risks being wasted. I hope that we'll soon see UpRising working in communities right across the country helping a whole new generation of people to find the courage to make the change. I know that your first wave of programme participants will include the MPs, business executives, charity chairs and community leaders of the future. I wish you all the very best of luck in making history."

Rt Hon David Cameron MP

"I was most interested to read about this exciting programme, which really does look like a very worthwhile and interesting idea. I would, therefore, be delighted to become a Patron of UpRising. I would also love to engage further with this exciting project.....I do hope that the three-year pilot programme is successful and wish everyone involved in the programme the very best of luck."

Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP

"I would be delighted to become a Patron of The Young Foundation's new organisation, UpRising. I wholeheartedly share your ambition to engage more young people from marginalized communities in politics and public decision making. The UpRising initiative is an exciting means of doing this and has my full support."

UpRising, set up by the Young Foundation with three year funding and the support of v, the youth volunteering organisation, is a leadership programme developed to support and train a new generation of public leaders. UpRising is being piloted with young people ages 19 to 25 in the East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets and aims to address this issue and create opportunities for young people to form strong ties and work together to serve their communities.

Read the full press release.

Read the headline piece in Society Guardian on Rosabeth Moss Kanter and the UpRising launch

Comment is Free piece in the Guardian, Monday 17 November 2008.