Start Thinking Globally World’s Youth Must Take Action To Be Heard
For too long, we - the youth of the world - have descended into apathy as the problems around us continue to increase. We can no longer afford this luxury.
It is time for the youth voice to be heard in all corners of the globe. It is time for us to ask ourselves, “How do I want this world to be?” Not only for us, but for the generations that will follow. We’re called the “generation of tomorrow” but, in truth, we are the generation of today.
Every decision made in the world today will affect us tomorrow. Adult leaders in every country are constantly making decisions, the ramifications of which will not be felt for many years. We will inherit their legacy. Therefore it is imperative that we have a voice in these decisions, that we stand up and tell the adult leaders what we want. That was the essence of the Global Youth Summit.
The second Global Youth Summit was held in San Francisco from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1. It brought together 32 youths from 28 countries to focus on the fundamental challenges and opportunities confronting humanity as we enter the next century.
I was selected as the Australian delegate. It was a massive responsibility and not one I took lightly. The GYS brought together the most amazing group of people I have met in my 16 years, each willing to share their knowledge and to learn from others. We joined together, from many diverse cultures, to let our collective voice be heard.
Lending credibility to our summit was the State of the World Forum, held concurrently with the youth gathering, which assembled adult leaders to articulate a global mission. The Mikhail Gorbachev Foundation organized the forum, which joined 500 of the most important, thoughtful, inspirational and influential individuals in the world.
Gorbachev was there, as well as Margaret Thatcher, George Bush, Deepak Chopra, Carl Sagan, Ted Turner and many other political leaders, scientists, environmentalists and spiritualists. They came from every continent on the Earth, the number of countries represented by the 50 to 60 flags behind the podium.
It was in this environment of intense discussions and constant media scrutiny that the GYS convened. Our first assignment was to introduce ourselves to the group and explain what we thought we could bring to the summit. As we went around the circle I studied each of the faces and marveled at the strength, determination and - most of all - the hope in the delegates’ eyes.
The responses were as diverse as the delegates themselves. One said they brought love, others brought hope, determination or the will to help the Earth. I spoke of Australia’s multiculturalism. I said Australia was a country built on many cultures, each one keeping its own identity while influencing the greater culture and country as a whole. Therefore I brought a world view. I would not ask what I could do to help just my city or my country, I would ask what I could do to help the world.
Everyone nodded in agreement. They knew just as I did that the problems that face our planet are no longer regional, they are global. The destruction of the Amazon rain forest isn’t just a problem for Brazil, it is a problem for the world. It is only through communication and cooperation that problems can be solved.
The GYS is a step on the road to greater communication and understanding between all people. Remember, the road of 1,000 miles starts with just one step.
Our journey began as we separated into five groups, studying the environment; youth and the United Nations; leadership for the 21st century; economics in the 21st century; and the crisis of spirit and the search for meaning.
I chose the environment. In order to create solutions to the problems, it was instantly obvious that we would first have to define the problem. We all contributed ideas and finally arrived at the major problems. We all agreed that two of the most important problems with our environment were the increase in the world’s population and climate change. As Lester Brown, president of the World Watch Institute, said to us, “If we don’t slow population growth and stop climate change, there is not an ecosystem on Earth we can save.”
We then put our vision, our “preferred state,” into words. We saw a world “in which people live together with each other and with nature.” We saw “communication and understanding between all people.” We agreed that nuclear power and fossil fuels have to be replaced with renewable energy sources and that nuclear power must be abolished. We wrote that human culture and society must find its place in nature’s ecosystem.
This may all seem like a dream, but if all hearts dream the same dream then that dream can become a reality. We then linked the two statements with “action steps” - things that youth can do to help solve problems and bring us closer to the vision. Each of these steps are small ones, seemingly insignificant, but there are 2 billion youths on Earth and 2 billion tiny steps make one huge leap.
We published our finding, along with the findings of other groups, in “Agenda 21,” a guide for youth action in the 21st century. We then launched the document in a news conference. Agenda 21 is also being distributed to many schools and institutions worldwide.
Too many young people feel that they cannot do anything to make a difference. That attitude is wrong and detrimental. Edmund Burke has said, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” We must all pledge to do something, however small, to conserve, protect and restore the Earth.
One of the highlights of the week was a trust-building seminar that brought us closer together than I would have thought possible. After we had completed trust falls and scaled “the wall,” we talked about what we had learned.
“I learned that no matter what risk is, be as intense as possible,” said Patrick Campbell of the United States. “Because it’s when you’re not thinking it’s a big thing that you slip and fall.”
I said that “divided we are weak, united we are strong.” Not one of us could have achieved our goal of climbing the wall alone; it was only through teamwork and communication that we were able to prevail.
I have never in my life felt so close to a group of people in such a short period of time. Already I miss everyone and think of them often. Of Ayesha, the delegate from Ghana, who was kind and gentle and passionately hated violence. Of Glen from the United Kingdom, who never stopped telling jokes and kept us all laughing. Of Anja from Finland, who will always be a ray of hope and hated cruelty to animals.
Of Melanie from Trinidad and Tobago. As a 16-year-old, she had given the keynote address at the last GYS in Rio. She gave two speeches to the adult delegates in San Francisco. She is the most inspirational person I have ever met. She says what we all wished we could say. She always spoke straight from her heart and summed up what was in ours.
She once said to me, “It only takes a drop of water to start a waterfall and the waterfall will come from us.”
Staff illustration by Molly Quinn
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: EDITOR’S NOTE: Tom Dawkins is an Australian exchange student living in Spokane. He represented his country in the Global Youth Summit last month.