On August 9, QUNO New York Programme Assistant, Sadhbh O’Driscoll, moderated a virtual discussion with youth activists from all around the world. QUNO is a member of The Global Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security where the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has a ‘Knowledge Café' initiative to create spaces for young people to come together. Within these spaces, attendees are encouraged to share their experiences with youth movements to learn how the Youth, Peace and Security agenda connects to their work. 

The inspirational panel conversation centered on the inclusion of diverse youth perspectives, education, and climate change. Speakers included Htwe Htwe Htet, an International Peace Fellow for the American Friends Service Committee, Cherinet Hariffo, an education and refugee advocate, and Amr Danyal Shamun, a fellow from the United Nations Office of the President of the General Assembly. All three speakers highlighted the importance of providing youth from all backgrounds equal and fair treatment within multilateral systems and discussions. The speakers' words carried a weight of wisdom, urging participants to act for change in our communities.

Furthermore, the discussion emphasized the transformative potential of youth-led initiatives, with each member of the discussion empowering one another to join in on efforts to safeguard the environment, and collectively work towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Young people are drivers of change, dismantling conventional barriers, and represent voices that are often excluded from policy-making spaces. This event provided an opportunity for young people around the world to come together and share experiences from their own activism and efforts, whether big or small, to create a more peaceful and just world.

Read the summary of the discussion here.