Obama to host global summit in Chicago

Former President Barack Obama announced in a new video Wednesday that he will gather together civic leaders from around the world next month to take part in the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit.

The summit in Chicago will allow young leaders to exchange ideas and learn from one another, Obama said in a video released Wednesday.

“We want to inspire and empower people to change the world,” Obama says at the end of his video message. “And we hope you’ll be a part of it.”

{mosads}The summit will take place in the city that will host Obama’s presidential library and his presidential center. 

Obama left office in January and since then has seen President Trump take aim at many of his policies. 

Trump sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act, has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement and just last week started to wind down Obama’s program allowing people who entered the country illegally as minors to remain and work here.

Obama has spoken out against many of Trump’s moves as they have happened. 

When he left office, Obama said in the video that he has asked people to “believe not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.”

With the summit, Obama said he and his wife Michelle Obama want to “hear directly from the future leaders we want to cultivate.”

“And what makes me so hopeful, so optimistic, is that so many of you have shown up, dived in and embraced the kind of active citizenship that makes our democracy work,” he said.