We are on a countdown. The clock is ticking.
103 days until 2025, a decade since the first Youth Declaration. Ten years ago, we stood before you, diverse voices united by a shared dream for peace. This is not just a date on the calendar; It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
In the last declaration, we demanded to be heard.
Today, at the 19th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, as youth delegates we represent 1.2 billion young people who are wondering what we need to do to make change.
Do we beg? Do we plead?
No, we lead.
As youth, we lead with compassion, love, and unity. We represent the voices of our communities. Find your voice. Take this step with us. The clock is ticking but this fight for peace is not just the responsibility of your generation or our generation.
We see you. We hear you. We lead by example. But, we lead together.
Issue 1; High-Quality and Integral Education
We recognize that education is the foundation of a solid and prosperous society, it is time for us to take collective responsibility for its development to ensure that it is accessible to everyone, comprehensive, of high quality and up to the challenges of today’s world.
We are aware that this depends on the correct teaching, understanding and application of the United Nations ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, as this will ensure personal integrity and respect for cultures to live in a society ruled by ethics, love and peace.
Only in this way, we will “transform consciousness into action and then into impact”, because an informed society is an empowered and prosperous community.
Issue 2; World Leader’s Lack of Awareness
World leaders’ apathy to inherited issues threatens peace and instigates instability.
As young leaders of the world, we do not have the privilege of standing by and doing nothing. The future is under attack because of current challenges and the inaction of past generations. There is a divide between the vulnerable populations affected by climate change, needless conflict, poverty, and other preventable issues and the decision-makers who hold power within existing institutions.
Leaders have been waiting for a later date to address these issues; we are living with the consequences of their actions, particularly their refusal to compromise on global issues.
It is not enough to hold space for our grievances and problems – action is required.
Without transparency around the interests that influence leaders’ decisions, there is no clear traceability, making it impossible to hold them responsible for the outcomes.
Despite centuries of speeches filled with promises of peace and progress, the lack of concrete action reveals their true priorities. The persistent gap between rhetoric and reality exposes a system more focused on self-interest than global good.
Politicians, chief executives, and others in positions of power cannot act only when it is easy or expedient; it is up to us as young people to take a seat at the table and plan out the future we want to see.
Issue 3: Uniting Generations: Key to Sustainable Peace and Global Progress.
We, the youth gathered at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, call on the world’s leaders to prioritize intergenerational reconciliation, including children and youth in diversity, as a key strategy for building lasting peace. The systemic bias entrenched in our political and social structures has widened the gap between generations, further exacerbated by technology and social inequalities, preventing meaningful dialogue and collective action on global challenges. We urge governments to dismantle these biases and genuinely include youth and children in decision-making processes, creating authentic spaces for intergenerational collaboration at all levels—from governance to education and economic development.
We recognize that technology, which can reinforce these divisions, can instead be a powerful tool for uniting generations. We demand that global leaders work with digital platforms and media to design algorithms that actively challenge these biases and foster understanding and cooperation between the young, the old, and children. Peace cannot be achieved if we remain isolated in generational silos, perpetuated by a system that marginalizes both youth and children’s voices. We call for public policies that confront these systemic barriers and promote the integration of different generations, combining the wisdom of elders with the creativity of youth and the future potential of children to build an inclusive and equitable future for all.
Issue 4: Shaping a Responsible Future for Artificial Intelligence: A Call for Innovation
“While technology is important, it’s what we do with it that truly matters” Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Artificial intelligence has been growing exponentially since the pandemic. Nowadays it has become an integral part of our everyday lives, and it intertwines with us without even realizing the implications of it. Today’s youth fervently dream of a world where there is worldwide regulation to protect and preserve the human rights that have been violated by this tool.
Global institutions must invest in positive uses of Artificial Intelligence, which can drive change and advancement in areas including cultural exchange, inclusive education, healthcare efficiency and accuracy, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
However, we as youth recognize the possible dangers that could develop from this, recognizing the necessity for a consensus where technology or AI experts and ethics professors create global regulations on the use of artificial intelligence that can determine the laws necessary to regulate it, respecting personal image, human work in an efficient, ordered and ethical way.
Conclusion
In closing, we, the youth of the world, stand united in the face of global challenges that threaten our future and the well-being of all life on Earth. We reaffirm that the Earth is not a gift from our ancestors, but a loan from our children. We refuse to accept that our land is exploited without regard for future generations.
High-quality education is the foundation of this vision, empowering individuals and communities to rise together and address urgent issues like climate change, racism, discrimination against people with disabilities, women and LGBTQ+ rights.
Through intergenerational reconciliation, we aim to blend the wisdom of experience and the innovation of youth to create a just and inclusive future.
We demand responsible leadership that prioritizes people over power, We demand systems that serve everyone, not just the privileged. We refuse to accept a world where indigenous voices are silenced, made invisible, where the vulnerable are left behind.
Our ancestors are here with us today.
We commit to challenge those who threaten through violence, wars and genocide the peace of our planet and the magic of life.
Thank you. Gracias. Feltxan Mañun. Sign language.
Drafted by:
Brenda Mikaelly Mendes Ferreira Mota (Brazil)
Guilherme de Rosso Manços (Brazil)
Seba Oyarzo Hernandez (Chile)
Alejandra Lievano (Colombia)
Erika Cortes Acosta, (Colombia)
Isabella Castañeda Rodríguez (Colombia)
Maria Batlle Manukyan (Dominican Republic)
Esther Suncin (El Salvador)
Inés Girón (Guatemala)
Luis Gabriel Sáenz Contreras (México)
Jannelly Mardelly Pérez Gálvez (Guatemala)
Jake Shapiro (Israel)
Maya Andrea Mejía López (Mexico)
Marian Torres Paulin (Mexico)
Ana Valeria Becerril Pino (Mexico)
Valeria Hernández León (Mexico)
Alaia Montiel (Mexico)
Melany Leal Rios (Mexico)
Adnan Jabar (Palestine)
Rosakebia Liliana (Peru)
Simona Letizia (Singapore)
Fay Pretty (UK)
Jannat Butt (USA)
Queen Balina (USA)
Vanessa Toscano (Mexico)
Mario Nájera (Mexico)
Alejandra Meza (Mexico)
Itsel Martinez (Mexico)
Carlos Madrigal (Mexico)
Melany Leal (Mexico)
