(CNN) Former President Barack Obama will sit side-by-side with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday in the first event of what will eventually become his worldwide program to inspire young people to create change.

Obama will join Merkel at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to highlight his foundation's new global effort to inspire and support young people active in narrowing inequality, combating climate change, working on public health, empowering women and girls and boosting young entrepreneurs.

"He and Mrs. Obama have been pretty clear that the foundation will have a global reach. They want to be really involved in programing throughout the world," an Obama Foundation official said.

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The program will draw on Obama's own heritage as a grassroots organizer who built a campaign from the bottom up and eventually created a political movement with his 2008 election victory. Obama also held events during almost every foreign tour he made as President, talking to young people about their aspirations and ideas. But his new venture won't be confined to politics.

"When they're talking about young leaders they are not just talking about politicians, they are talking about who is the person, let's say, in the Brazilian rainforest who is working on really amazing renewable energy ideas," the foundation official said.

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