Delegates: Ms. Samantha O’Brien O’Reilly, Mr. Colm O’Rourke, (25 years)
53. Ms. O’Reilly (Ireland), speaking as a youth delegate, said that young Irish people felt marginalized and discriminated against. The solution was education and integration. Social, political and civic education should be made compulsory, and education should not be segregated on any grounds, including religion or gender. Humanity must focus on that which united it, not that which divided it. Young women should not have to anticipate futures in which they were likely to be paid less than their male colleagues, and more likely to experience sexual assault than men. A just and sustainable future world could not be achieved by excluding sectors of society. A future that left no one behind should be built not just for everyone, but by everyone.
54. Mr. O’Rourke (Ireland), speaking as a youth delegate, said that he had consulted young people across Ireland concerning what those in power should prioritize, and youth participation had emerged as a common theme. Young Irish people had also expressed fears about what the future would hold for them as Europeans and about political extremism fracturing the bonds that united society. Youth participation, through such initiatives as the 2030 Agenda and Global Citizenship Education, could help to counter extremism. Young people could provide the fresh perspectives needed to solve age-old problems; therefore they should be supported to become agents for change: educational institutions should have student councils and should award academic credit for civic engagement, youth organizations should be run by young people, and regional youth councils should be established and strengthened. Young people trusted in society, but society needed to place more trust in them.
UN Doc.: A/C.3/71/SR.3
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.3/71/SR.3, 5 October 2016, p. 7, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/ireland-2016/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-192927-0.