On June 26, SEVENTEEN attended a nomination ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where they delivered an inspiring speech and officially assumed their role as UNESCO’s first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth.
SEVENTEEN emphasized the importance of the strong companionship that has brought them to where they are today and encouraged young people worldwide to pursue their dreams.
“We are grateful to be recognized for our consistent effort and longstanding passion to contribute to youth worldwide,” said JOSHUA, on behalf of SEVENTEEN
He continued, “As the Ambassador for Youth, we will spread the power of companionship and contribute to building supportive youth communities for the better future we envision.”
They also stated that SEVENTEEN’s dreams don’t stand alone, and now, to give back what they’ve received from their supporters, they are determined to use their voice to create a global youth community strengthened by mutual love and support.
“We know that our dreams don’t stand alone and now, to give back what we’ve received from all of you, we are determined to use our voice to create a global youth community made stronger through mutual love and support.”
As part of their ambassadorship, SEVENTEEN will donate 1 million USD to the joint Global Youth Grant Scheme with UNESCO, marking a new chapter in their ‘#GoingTogether’ global campaign. This joint initiative will fund youth-led projects aimed at building and supporting positive youth communities worldwide.
As Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth, the 13-member ensemble is committed to creating a lasting positive impact on young people worldwide, actively promoting and embodying UNESCO’s values and mission.
Read the full speech:
JOSHUA (English)
Ms Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Her Excellency Sang Mi Bak, His Excellency Jai Chul
Choi, distinguished guests, thank you for welcoming us.
I’m Joshua, speaking on behalf of the 13 members of SEVENTEEN today. We were here at the
UNESCO Youth Forum just last November, and it was an unforgettable experience. We always
wanted to come back. Thank you for inviting SEVENTEEN to this important occasion.\
Today, we are humbled and overwhelmed to stand before you for the first time as UNESCO’s
Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. It is a great honor to be representing today’s young people,
which is the priority group for UNESCO.
We are grateful to be recognized for our consistent effort and longstanding passion to contribute to youth worldwide. Looking back, this has been a long journey for us, taking one step at a time, until we could stand before you as the Ambassador for Youth.
Ever since we made our debut, our music has talked about our own experiences and genuine
emotions . For the past 9 years, in different stages of our youth, we have engaged with people
who love our music, or as we call them, CARATs. Thanks to their love, we have built a strong
bond and a sense of belonging with youth around the world.
Each of our members has gradually grown a sense of duty, to hopefully be able to speak on
behalf of youth, and to encourage them to pursue their dreams. With this growing sense of duty,
we began our donations to children’s organizations in 2017. In 2022, we partnered with the
Korean National Commission for UNESCO to launch a global youth education campaign titled
“Going Together”.
And last year, we took part in the Youth Forum, here at the UNESCO Headquarters. Meeting
with youth delegates from around the world was an eye-opening experience which got us
thinking about what more we could do for fellow young people. So when we received the
designation letter from Director-General Azoulay for the Ambassadorship, all of us were
surprised and honored. We really thought it was meant to be. So today we are truly thrilled to
announce that we are joining hands with UNESCO to take our “Going Together” campaign to
the next level.
Today, we would like to share our vision as the Ambassador for Youth, based on what we have
learned in our own lives.
First, we want to tell our fellow youth that every unique dream that you have is important. Every
single dream matters, whether it is big or small, loud or quiet, traditional or innovative, personal
or public. Never let anyone, including yourself, belittle your dream.
Second, when you pursue your dream, please know that you are not alone. Find companionship
with your fellow youth, and also give your support to them. As much as “hard work and drive are
important, a supportive community and strong companionship also play a huge role in pursuit of
our dreams.
We were not on a fast track to success as a K-pop band. And as a big group of 13 individuals,
each of us has a different story about our intense journey of 9 years. But one thing we all agree
on is that the strong companionship we’ve built along the way was the key.
We have sung a lot about love and hope that we have felt in our youth, hoping to spread
positive vibes to our fellow youth. But there were also tough times, when we sang together to
bury our sorrow, struggling to break through, and become heroes for ourselves. And in that
struggle, I cannot emphasize enough how much courage and inspiration we gained through
communicating closely with CARATs. This is what kept us going.
We could overcome the hardships with gratitude only because we had a supportive community
who helped us build our dreams together. In this supportive community that we built with our
fellow youth, not only did we share countless exhilarating moments, but we also stood by each
other through the greatest sorrows in life, including loss of loved ones. So from the bottom of
our hearts, we know that our dreams don’t stand alone. And now, to give back what we’ve
received from all of you, we are determined to use our voice to create a global youth community
made stronger through mutual love and support.
As the Ambassador for Youth, we will spread the power of companionship and contribute to
building supportive youth communities for the better future we envision. For the next chapter of
our “Going Together” campaign, SEVENTEEN will donate 1 million dollars to the joint Global
Youth Grant Scheme with UNESCO. We believe that youth have the most creative ideas and
the strongest determination to make the world a better place. By providing funds and supporting
those brilliant ideas, we hope this program will serve as a stepping stone for building positive
youth communities. The official announcement will be made in August, so please keep an eye
out for that, and in the meantime, spread the word!
We are emboldened to share this journey not only with the 13 members of SEVENTEEN but
also with youth worldwide. Let us all be one team and build a supportive community of global
youth.
In our song “Super,” we repeat “I Luv My Team I Luv My Crew,” shouting out in awe of the
companionship we feel around us. And we want to tell you, from today, all youth are “our” team
and “our” crew. Please know that you are not alone.
You are a part of us, and your dreams are also SEVENTEEN’s dreams.
Today I’m speaking on behalf of the group, but I want to reassure you that all of us share the
same vision. I would like to invite all the members of SEVENTEEN to join me in our message to
the world.
HOSHI (English)
Your dream is our dance.
THE 8 (Chinese)
Your dream shines upon us.
DK (Korean)
Your dream motivates us.
VERNON (English)
Your dream is what we cherish.
JEONGHAN (Japanese)
Your dream is more important than anything, even if the world ends tonight.
S.COUPS (Korean)
Your dream is the future for all of us.
JOSHUA (English)
For your dreams, SEVENTEEN will stand by your side. SEVENTEEN will be “going together” for
your dream.
Thank you.
Speech by PLEDIS Entertainment
