Malick Lingani
Burkina Faso – BEOG NEERE (A better future)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_yPw4icKvg&w=500&]
How will you ensure that youth are in the core of combating hate speech and youth radicalization? What do think is the most urgent thing to do to recover peace the “Vivre ensemble (Live together)”?
Ms. Helen Clark’s answer
In my vision statement I put special emphasis on youth and the need to pivot the UN toward the largest generation of young people the world has ever known. Young people need positive opportunities if they are to be resistant to the lure of hate speech and extremist ideologies. They need a way to connect with each other and hope for the future. The UN can help in some countries through its focus on development and poverty eradication. In others it can help by encouraging young people to understand each other’s culture and religion, to develop tolerance and acceptance of diversity.
Mr. Miroslav Lajčák’s answer
Half of the world’s population is under the age of 25. In some regions 60 per cent of population is youth. Governments need to invest in young people to unlock their potential as citizens and engage them as partners in development and peace and security. Given how massively the youth has been affected in recent years by radicalization and violent extremism, the next UNSG must make prevention of violent extremism one of his/her highest priorities. It is essential to work through the United Nations Envoy for Youth to prioritize the issue throughout the whole UN system. Also, the UN must become a better forum for us to talk to young people as well as for young people to talk to each other. We also must address the issue of exploitation of technologies for recruitment and incitement of young people. I support and encourage further the UN engagement with the youth on all levels. We shall give them hope and opportunities and they will give us a better future.
Dr. Igor Lukšić’s answer
In order to really reflect all the challenges young people are facing, I propose to establish an Office for the Youth in the UN Secretariat. The UN should not be detached from young people, whose potential should be used in driving the UN’s vast agenda forward, thus building more prosperous and peaceful world for future generations. I want to reach out to the all too often disillusioned youth who see UN as a last resort. Almost 50% of the world population is under 25 and they are interested about their economic, social, cultural rights. They are the biggest asset the world has. UN should be there to work to build back optimism for them.
We have seen many great achievements in recent years and decades, but there are huge challenges. In addressing these challenges, we must ensure full participation and inclusion of youth. We must focus on youth and their empowerment, particularly through employment and education, thus ensuring their inclusion in all spheres of life and preventing their disintegration and eliminating risk of running into radicalization. We have to invest in young people in order to fulfill their potential and help bring about peace and security. Young people can make important contribution in preventing and countering violent extremism. We need to realize it is about their future and they have crucial stake in it. Finally, true pursuit of principles of inclusiveness, responsibility and engagement implies so.
Dr. Danilo Türk’s answer
Youth have to be given a much higher prominence in the work of the UN. The establishment of the Secretary – General’s Special Representative on Youth has been a welcome innovation. Now, it is important to define the proper role for the young in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. Decent work for the young is a central concern for the entire future development. Decent work for the young also represents the surest way to prevent social disintegration that breeds youth radicalization and hate speech. In addition to this general orientation there will have to be specific, targeted activities, in particular in education and in the media. Referring to freedom of expression many years ago, the then Secretary General of the UN Dag Hammarskjöld emphasized that “freedom is not license”. The media must be aware of their responsibilities while giving the freedom of expression the widest possible space. That space has to be used to counter hate speech. As Secretary – General I would establish a fund for young artists to develop narratives that give specific expression to the idea of “Vivre ensemble” (Living together) and thus counter the narratives of hate.