(4th Meeting) 20th International Human Rights Summit Meetings & Events Date: 31 July 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/es/asset/k15/k15m6k7wsy?lang=en Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Announcer · Raúl Arias [30:59]: You can hear me? Okay. If you are, if you are a co-sponsor of the summit, Thank you. Speaker 2 [31:15]: Hello? Hello? Okay. Announcer · Raúl Arias [31:20]: We're about to start. Just a very quick announcement. If you are a co-sponsor of the summit, an organisation who is a co-sponsor of the summit, you can see them here, a co-sponsor. Speaker 4 [31:34]: Hello, sir. Announcer · Raúl Arias [31:36]: You can't hear me? Speaker 6 [31:37]: Okay. Announcer · Raúl Arias [31:39]: Do we have the— we have the mic? Okay. Thank you very much. Now you can hear me? Great. That's for him, for Greg. If you are a co-sponsor of the summit, one of these organizations, or if you are an organization that brought one or more speakers, co-sponsor of the summit, or an organization that brought one or more speakers, not every speaker, but the organization, one representative of the organization and one representative of the co-sponsor, there's going to be a point— yeah, only the organizations who spoke with a representative which are on the program. On the program, you will see the organization that spoke at some point in the program. They're going to call you. When you hear that, one representative of that organization come to this side, please. That was all I wanted to say. I'll take care of it. Okay. So thank you for your attention, and I'll leave it to the best MC we ever had in this summit, Ms. Demi Durrett. MC · Demi Durrett [32:50]: All right, everyone. I just wanted to make sure— can you hear me in the back? Speaker 9 [32:54]: No. No? Boo! MC · Demi Durrett [32:57]: Oh wait, Pete says yes. Can you guys hear me in the back now? Still no. Only Pete has good hearing. Okay. Okay, how are we doing now? Medium? Okay. All right, well, I don't want to keep you much longer, so we're going to get started with the program. I just wanted to make sure that everyone understood Raúl's announcement. that if you are from an organization with more than one speaker, one representative from your organization will come to the side when we call you to honor you. Does that make sense for everyone? Speaker 11 [33:36]: Got it? MC · Demi Durrett [33:36]: Okay, beautiful. Well, without further ado, welcome to the closing panel of the 20th Human Rights Summit held here at the UN. I am very excited to welcome a voice that we will look forward to seeing on stage soon. This is Dr. Vineet Kapoor. I'm sorry, I'll give you that again. Before we get started with Dr. Kapoor, we do have those videos from the morning. I promised that I would get them to you now. So we'll get those going, and then without further ado, we'll see Dr. Kapoor. Sound good? Speaker 13 [34:09]: Yes. MC · Demi Durrett [34:09]: All right. Speaker 15 [34:15]: Good morning. I'm here to read you your rights. My what? We are all free and equal. Don't discriminate. You have the right to life. You have the right to life and to live in freedom and safety. You have a right to education. You have a right to your own things. You have the right to Social Security. You have the right to play. You have the right to democracy. You have the right to asylum. You have the right to take responsibility, and no one— And nobody can take these rights and freedoms away from you. Why are you doing this? You have a right to know. United for Human Rights · South Asia Ambassador · Sheena Chauhan [35:37]: Hi, I'm Sheena Chauhan, and I've been South Asia Ambassador for United for Human Rights over the last decade. It's my honor to speak at the United Nations today. Last week in India, a woman called Rhea Ahar, armed only with a knowledge of the Indian Constitution and basic rights, stopped the police illegally detaining a van full of student protesters. When asked how she did it, she replied, I had read about my rights. By knowing the right to protest, the entire strength of the government and police were unable to stand against this one young girl. Speaker 17 [36:13]: Why? United for Human Rights · South Asia Ambassador · Sheena Chauhan [36:14]: Because she held in her hands India's greatest power, the Indian Constitution. Freedom of expression, the right to protest, the right to education, the right to equality, our democratic rights, and many more. One of the most inspiring aspects of this movement has been seeing women and the youth of the country step into the forefront. So my message today at the United Nations is: stand up, speak up, know your rights. Because only when you educate yourself and others about basic rights can you stop them from being violated. Over the last decade, I've worked with some of India's brightest artists and thought leaders, people I deeply admire, For using their voice to create positive change by raising awareness of basic rights and equality. Together, we have reached 120 million people. It's my great honor, as a part of our Read Me My Rights campaign at the United Nations today, to share their voices with you. And I'm talking about the most basic of human rights, the right to life, because this human I believe that the freedom of thought is critical for the dignity of humankind. Speaker 19 [37:34]: Freedom of expression is really important to me because it is the gateway to all of the freedoms. You need to be able to express yourself to get any of the freedom. The right to education is so important because it is the foundation of equality, dignity, and opportunity. It empowers every child regardless of where they come from to dream, to question and to shape their own future while strengthening the very fabric of our society. It's something worth fighting for, which every student in my country has shown with their strength, resilience, and sincerity in the last few days, and I salute them. United for Human Rights · South Asia Ambassador · Sheena Chauhan [38:07]: The right to don't discriminate is so important to me because that's what makes us human. That's what makes us compassionate. That's when we care about the world we live in. When we discriminate, we create the other. We become fearful of the other. We become unjust and we justify violence. The right to a fair and free world is important to me because being unaware of our own rights can stop us in achieving various things in life and at the same time can allow someone to take unfair advantage. As a society, in order to avoid exploitation of the very basic simple rights to life, we need to be aware of our rights. Speaker 21 [38:44]: The right to food and shelter is very important to me because I feel that everyone should be aware what they should get, what they should— how they should lead their life. United for Human Rights · South Asia Ambassador · Sheena Chauhan [38:55]: The right to play, which is the right to stall, take some rest and leisure, and engage in things that make us feel good, is as important as hustling and working hard. Speaker 23 [39:05]: Because I believe without social security, no individual can truly fulfill their potential. Workers' rights are extremely important for me because workers are the backbone of our society and they're the most exploited section of our society. The right to responsibility to me is a really important right because I think it's the mother of all rights. People usually run the other way when they hear the word, but I feel it's the most empowering right because it actually puts the onus of protecting and nurturing your own values into your hands. United for Human Rights · South Asia Ambassador · Sheena Chauhan [39:40]: And therefore, we can end up impacting society the way we think it would lend itself to create a better world for us and our future generations. Speaker 25 [39:51]: To learn more about your rights, log on to humanrights.com. Learn more about your rights at humanrights.com. United for Human Rights · South Asia Ambassador · Sheena Chauhan [39:58]: Learn more about your rights at humanrights.com. So let's together stand up, speak up, know our rights, because only when you educate yourself and others about basic rights can you stop them from being violated. Learn more about your rights at humanrights.com. Speaker 27 [40:15]: Jai Hind! MC · Demi Durrett [40:24]: How cool was that? Well, I think that's a great example too for us to use in promoting our own work. It's a great way to get your whole team involved in talking about each of the rights. So without further ado, I would like to invite to the stage Dr. Vineet Kapoor, Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Madhya Pradesh Police. Give him a hand. Madhya Pradesh Police · Deputy Inspector General of Police · Vineet Kapoor [40:54]: Good afternoon to all of you, all those sensitive people, all those committed people sitting here and deliberating on human rights. It's such an energetic moment of 2 days of celebration of human rights. All the distinguished guests here, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, I'm so thankful to you. to give me this opportunity and to unite all of us together on human rights. I'm very, very lucky today to be sitting here with Bertrand Ramcharan. His Excellency Ramcharanji is ideal for me. Why I say so? Because when he was High Commissioner for Human Rights, I was working as a UN peacekeeper in Kosovo, and the kind of vibes we used to get from the High Commission and the kind of work we could do in the conflict zone at that time bears a lot of good memories, a lot of strength which ignites our work today also. Having worked in the UN peacekeeping missions, And then with the police in India, I realized that the police education on human rights is the most important thing. Police is bereft of sometimes the education on human rights. It does a lot of training in many other fields, but sometimes this aspect remains wanting. And that's why I specialized in human rights training for the police. And through the human rights training and curriculum design, we could make a lot of changes into the whole system of policing in India. My preceding video, which we saw just now, had top artists from India speaking about human rights and India being the nation of Gandhi. We draw a lot of inspiration of human rights through him and his legacy. His legacy tells us not only in India, to the entire world, that be the change what you want to see in the world. And that is the main message for all the youth today which I want to give. Because if you don't start thinking about making a change, the change will never come. And we are very fortunate that Youth for Human Rights International and all the organizations sitting here are so committed and it's youth-oriented. The youth orientation makes a very big difference to the entire context of human rights mainstreaming. Through the police, when I had been working with it and doing the education in 2016, Mary gave us an opportunity to come to this august gathering here. Coming after 10 years in 2026, I see the level of discussion, the level of discourse going way ahead. Very high level of discourse going on right now. And this is a forum which is, I think, one of the most formidable forums in which we are discussing human rights internationally, because I see a lot of forums drying up and this forum still stands and stands very strong. So congratulations to YHRI for creating this forum and making us all participate here with full rigor. I'd like to share 2— I'd like to share, because my speech is long and there are a lot of things to do, I'll just share 2 stories of inspiration, and this is how you get to go where you go in human rights. I started my job in 1996, and I saw a complaint came to me, a weeping mother, a very poor woman came to me, saying her child had been held captive by a farm owner because she could not pay the debts, and he was a bonded laborer, 9-year-old boy. That day I browsed through the law and the Constitution of India, and there were so many provisions which we could have used for this. But the police station there did not know about it. So I registered the case, rescued the boy, and got the person who was doing the wrong to the court, and he got punished later on. But I realized that police needs a lot of education in human rights. So it's not only the civil and political rights, it's the economic, social, and cultural rights also. which need to be understood. Similarly, when I was in Kosovo, I encountered another similar issue. My landlady was a Serbian lady and she came crying one day and said that you stay here as our guest, but I have a small request to make. My activist friend is stranded in a village which is on all sides is like surrounded by other ethnicity and we can't move out and her house has been burnt, we need to save her. And I asked 4 or 5 friends of mine who were in police and this was off-duty time and they said that they would not go, only one agreed and we went there and we could save that lady and her belongings. The thought at that time was this, that why the human rights realization doesn't happen the way it must happen, and this is the education where everything falters, and that's why I'm committed to human rights education of the police for my entire life now. Similarly, for the youth, I encountered a lot of poor children poor youth not getting advantages, not getting opportunities as they should in their life, and they get succumbed to some harmful social practices. For example, in India, child marriages, domestic violence, domestic abuse, and also lack of education and to forced labor. This is where the community and the police need to come together. As was said by so many artists here, when we were seeing that the Constitution of India is based on Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and it was constituted between 1948 and 1950, exactly after the UDHR was made. And Professor Ramcharan, I would say professor because I see him as a very literate person writing many books. One of his books is on UDHR and the contribution of Asian continent, and within that he mentions that how individuals from Asia and their thought processes helped in drafting different dictates of the UDHR. So all these things have made a very big difference. to my life, and we have started now working with communities, with children, and Mary came last year and saw some of these children. Okay, yeah, this photograph is an iconic photograph for me. There are 500 children sitting here, all beneficiaries of our— these are all youth, and these are youth from disadvantaged communities, intersectionally disadvantaged communities. So we are working on SDGs and we are also working on human rights at the same time. We are working for bridging gap between the police and the community through the education. And thank you for all the support and all the opportunities. Speaker 30 [49:33]: Thank you. Madhya Pradesh Police · Deputy Inspector General of Police · Vineet Kapoor [49:35]: Just last thing I would like to say that one Sanskrit verse I would like to recite here. Just— this is for the world peace and it says, Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramaya, Sarve Bhadranipashyantu, Makash Dukh Bhagbhavet. That means, may all remain happy, may all remain free of illness, may all see good things in life, and may all of us rise together. Speaker 32 [50:07]: Thank you. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [50:14]: I think English needs to incorporate a few more Sanskrit phrases. All right, and next up we have another wonderful youth delegate, this time from Pakistan. Please welcome him to the stage. Pakistan · Youth delegate · Mohammad Atiq Khosti [50:35]: Good afternoon, Your Excellencies. distinguished guests, and fellow delegates. My name is Mohammad Atiq Khosti. Where do human rights begin? Not in the halls like this one. They begin in a village where a child has never seen a doctor, in a classroom where no one has a ever asked a young person, do you know what are your rights? I come from Balochistan, Pakistan. I'm a medical graduate, but before that, I was someone who could not look away. In remote communities across my region, I organized free medical camps for the families with no access to care. And in schools, colleges, and madrasas, I began asking that question, do you know your rights? The silence was our answer. That silence is what drives this work. Because rights that are unknown cannot be claimed. Rights that are unclaimed cannot protect anyone. So we started teaching. This year, I established a human rights chapter in Balochistan under United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International. A platform for education, advocacy, and outreach in the communities that need it most. The progress is gradual, but it is real. Young people are speaking up in the spaces where they were once invisible. That quiet shift is Our lasting change begins. A just world is not declared from institutions. It is built steadily, carefully, in the places that need it most. Youth are not the leaders of tomorrow. We are the contributors today. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [53:26]: And now we have our youth delegate from Colombia. Speaker 36 [53:48]: Okay. Colombia · Youth delegate [53:49]: Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for coming at this important event. Thank you, Dr. Mary. Ambassador, it's a pleasure for me. A doctor, mama, I appreciate it. Michael, bless you. Generally, the whole team of the organization is very important, this invitation. Okay, today I want— I will talk about my country. It's a pleasure to attend this invitation to talk about my country. Generally, I grew up in Colombia where I watched the violence and inequality which divide communities But it's important to mention this also awakens stronger the resilience of the people determined to building a better future. Generally, it's very common in Colombia to find a very special, a friendly people with the motivation to change the history. According this situation in Colombia, according to the violence at the social problems generally. I made one promise when I was a child to dedicate myself to service. In the first, in the one principal aspect, this was the education. The education is the way to transform the society and to work with education and the human rights and the human dignity. According to this experience in my profession around the 10 years, I incorporate the young programs and the volunteer work and the community with initiatives to work together. For one hand, the opportunity to work in education. For another hand, the opportunity for work in human rights. Because they both— they both is very important. Because thank you to human rights, it's a universal language, and education, and the people had the right to form minds, to attend the schools at the university. Today I am very happy because right now I'm working like an educator in one university in the United States, and my message is very simple. The engineer is important because this is my profession, but it's more important the formation for the human rights. This is my mission for all the students because it's important to understand the first is the formation of the education for the people. For more in this experience, I had the opportunity for more— for educate around 200 people in different courses. And always the most important is the Human rights and the peaceful in the education. The most important in this case is what the people can understand: the education is a one way to create the future, and also is necessary to send the message the human rights and education have the capacity to transform more to the world. Speaker 38 [57:08]: In Colombia. Colombia · Youth delegate [57:09]: The situation is complicated, but thank you for the education and the social problems of the human rights. And this opportunity to incentivize all the people to learn about the human rights is possible to change the future. My message for finish my speech is very easy. It's necessary the union or the mix between education and the human rights, because human rights is the lingual Universal language and the education is the way or the vehicle to transform the society. Thank you. That is the most important. MC · Demi Durrett [57:51]: And now we have our youth delegate from Thailand. Give her a warm welcome. Thailand · Youth delegate · Topaz Phinyuntam [58:05]: Good afternoon, Your Excellencies, honored dignitaries, and fellow youth delegates. Amid this year's theme of Education for Peace, I am reminded of a quote by Malala Yousafzai: One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. However, in the 21st century, we may add one more line into Malala's message: One child, one smartphone, one internet connection can change the world. The greatest challenge of our generation is no longer whether technology can become more powerful. It is whether we are educating people, especially the younger generation, to ensure that they use this power responsibly and do not use it as a means to harm other people. because the same rights that people have offline shall be protected online as well. This is guaranteed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Resolution 20/8. My name is Topaz Phinyuntam, and I am a senior law student from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, who is passionate about international law and human rights. Much of my work has focused on one question: how do we protect human rights in a world where more and more of our life exists online. This year, I had the opportunity to carry that sentence into the room where international law is shaped. I assisted the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence as a note-taker for the Government Legal Advisors Roundtable on national position on international law and cyber activities from Asia-Pacific perspectives. Building on that experience, I was invited as a speaker to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand's International Law Symposium, where I advocated for a stronger legal protection for digital human rights across ASEAN, emphasizing the strong need of each ASEAN nations to publish their national position on how they apply existing international law to the cyberspace context. Nevertheless, those experiences taught me something very important. Sometimes the greatest impact on human rights doesn't begin on a conference stage or in a symposium. It actually begins after what we choose to do when we leave the room. The knowledge I gained from those discussions on cybersecurity and emerging threats is only meaningful if I apply it and turn it into the actions that create the real change. That is why this year I will launch a community project to teach children their fundamental rights, the Sustainable Development Goals, and human rights in cyber aspects. I believe that a child who understands their rights and privacy becomes an informed adult who defends them later. I will start this project in Pai District in Mae Hong Son Province, which is a rural mountain, uh, and also a place where I spent a part of my childhood growing up there. I know what it feels like to grow up far from the country's major economic and academic centers where opportunities often seem out of reach. I know how difficult it can be to access the same educational experiences available to students in the larger cities. That's why I want to share my story with them, and I hope that it can encourage the younger generation who shared the same childhood as me. I was once afraid to speak at the conferences, but now I have the privilege of advocating for human rights at the United Nations headquarters in New York. If my journey proves anything, it is that where a child begins should never determine how far their voice can reach. Lastly, I hope that— thank you. I hope that my initiative will make a meaningful impact on my community. I choose education as a means of upholding human rights because people can only protect the rights they understand. Technology will continue to evolve. Artificial intelligence will become more powerful. The internet will become more connected. Yet none of these innovations on their own will guarantee a more powerful or peaceful world. Only education can do that. Because when people learn to understand both their human rights and their digital rights, we do not just create informed citizens, we create a future with with peace. Thank you. Speaker 42 [1:02:25]: Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. MC · Demi Durrett [1:02:33]: And next up, we have our youth delegate from Iraq. Iraq · Youth delegate · Asma [1:02:42]: Good afternoon, everyone, distinguished guests, ambassadors, and fellow advocates. This is Asma. Every human rights violation begins with silence. When someone thinks that their voice is too small, that doesn't matter. Every human rights actually begins the victory of it when that silence is broken. I know this because for many years I was told to stay quiet. I thought my voice is too small. I'm from Kurdistan, Iraq, the place that known hardship. I grew up watching young girls told that they have to stay quiet. Young people, they have been told that they are too inexperienced to lead, and communities, they thought that they have to deny all the opportunities to learn and thrive the community. I chose not to stay quiet. I founded She Learns Initiative. This is a program that empowers women and young girls to lead, to mentorship, to teach them leadership and education. Later, continuing that, I founded Glocal, Global Local Program. This initiative is a platform connecting local communities to the global ideas. And calls young people into active citizenship. And here I'm trying to let the young people in my community to learn skills, to find the confidence, to know that the rights and the opportunities they have is merit-based, not opportunities and connections just only because of wasta or networking that they know someone. Human rights education It's not about memorizing articles and conventions. It teaches people that their dignity is not negotiable, that their voice matters. Their future should never be limited by the gender, the background, and the circumstance they are in. Today I stand here. I'm here for every girl who told to stay quiet, for all the young people that they told they are inexperienced and they cannot lead. So I want to say that peace is not built by institutions only. It's built by ordinary people when they start, even by one person, to choose courage over silence. And that choice starts with each of us. Speaker 45 [1:05:28]: Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [1:05:37]: And now we have youth from Afghanistan. Please welcome to the stage. Speaker 47 [1:05:42]: Good afternoon, everyone. Afghanistan · Youth delegate · Fatima [1:05:55]: My name is Fatima, and I have the honor to represent my country, Afghanistan. I stand before you today to speak for the women and girls of Afghanistan, millions whose voices have been silenced, whose dreams have been restricted, and whose fundamental human rights continue to be denied. Education is not a privilege. Work is not a privilege. Freedom of movement, dignity, and participation in public life are not a privilege. They are universal human rights. I urge the international community not to let Afghanistan women and girls become invisible. My hope— my hope is to turn what seems impossible into possible so that one day every Afghan girl can walk into a classroom, discover their rights, and build a future. And to every Afghan youth and every Afghan girl who is watching us from behind the screen, with fear, the world has not forgotten you. Your dreams matter, your voice matters, and your future matters. Thank you very much. MC · Demi Durrett [1:07:03]: And now, youth from Afghanistan. Please give her a warm welcome. Federation of Hezara Council of Australia · Youth delegate · Sharon Gul Shahzad [1:07:18]: Afghanistan must not be forgotten. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and defenders of human dignity, my name is Sharon Gul Shahzad. Before I begin, I would like to thank Dr. Mary Shuttleworth for her leadership and dedication to empowering young people and advancing human rights around the world. I am honored to participate in the 20th International Human Rights Summit as a youth delegate with the Federation of Hezara Council of Australia. Imagine a classroom filled with, with empty desks, not because girls do not want to learn, but because they have been forbidden to enter. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights promises that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 26 states that everyone has the right to education. Yet in Afghanistan, the promise has been taken away. Girls are pushed out of school after the 6th grade. Women are barred from universities, employment, and full participation in society. An entire generation is being told that its dream and talents do not matter simply because they were born female. Speaker 51 [1:09:04]: That's right. The Hazara— Federation of Hezara Council of Australia · Youth delegate · Sharon Gul Shahzad [1:09:08]: but the suffering does not end there. The Hazara people have endured generations of discrimination, forced displacement, targeted violence, and attacks on their schools, neighborhoods, hospitals, and places of worship. These crimes require international attention. Accountability and justice. Beyond Afghanistan's border, thousands of refugees and allies remain stranded in Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya, and other countries. Many are living in uncertainty. Facing delayed relocation, immigration restrictions, and the constant fear of forced deportation back to Taliban rule. The principle should be simple. No human being should be returned to a place where persecution, imprisonment, torture, or death may await them. Today— Speaker 53 [1:10:24]: thank you. Federation of Hezara Council of Australia · Youth delegate · Sharon Gul Shahzad [1:10:29]: Today, I ask the international community to do more than express concern. Protect the rights of the women and girls of Afghanistan. Recognize and investigate the persecution of the Hazara people. Create safe pathways for refugees and stop forced returns to Dandar. Speaker 55 [1:10:50]: Thank you. to danger. Federation of Hezara Council of Australia · Youth delegate · Sharon Gul Shahzad [1:10:56]: We as a young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, we are partners in creating changes today. Afghanistan's women are still waiting. The Hazara community is still mourning. Refugees are still in fear. The question is no longer whether we know what is happening. The question is whether we will act. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [1:11:38]: Thank you both for those very powerful messages. I'd now like to welcome to the floor Denise Hernandez, presenting on behalf of the F.W. de Klerk Foundation. F.W. de Klerk Foundation · Presenter · Denise Hernandez [1:11:58]: Dear Mary and esteemed delegates, partners, and friends of the International Human Summit, on behalf of the F.W. W. and Claire Foundation, and, and in my personal capacity, I extend our warmest congratulations on the occasion of the Summit 25 University. The remarkable milestone celebrates a quarter century of unwavering dedication to advancing human rights education, nurturing ethical leaderships, and promoting a more just, peaceful, and inclusive world. Over the years, the summit has empowered countless young people to become ambassadors for human dignity, tolerance, and social responsibility within their communities and beyond. The mission of the International Human Rights Summit closely aligns with the vision and work of the F.W. de Klerk Foundation since its establishment The foundation has been committed to promoting and defends the values ensuring in South Africa's constitutions, including human dignity, equality, no racism, no sexism, and the protection of human rights and freedom. We believe, as you do, that education remains one of the most powerful tools for building democratic societies and fostering a culture of respect, understanding, and peaceful coexistence. In a world increasingly changed by conflicts, polarization, discrimination, and inequality, initiatives such as the International Human Rights Summit play a critical role in inspiring future generations to become the principal leaders, and active citizens. Your works remind us that human rights are not merely legal principles, but live values that must be protected, promoted, and passed on from the generation to the next. Although I regret that I'm unable to attend this summer, I'm honored to join you in celebrating this important achievement. I commend all those who have contributed to the summits so successful over the past 20 years and thank you for your steadfast commitment in creating a more compassionate and peaceful world. May you, 2014, 5th anniversary, not only as a celebration of the past accomplishments, but also as the beginning of an even more impactful chapter in advancing human rights education globally. Congratulations once again, and my very best wishes for a successful successful and inspiring summit. Speaker 59 [1:15:13]: Thank you so much. MC · Demi Durrett [1:15:22]: It's now my pleasure to introduce Rector Viridiana Cerecedo, presenting for Universidad Atenas Querétaro. Let's give her a warm round of applause. She's got a longer walk from the stage, so let's keep it up. Universidad Atenas Querétaro · Rector · Viridiana Cerecedo [1:15:59]: Hi, hi everybody. This is Dr. Mary Sheryl Ward, ambassadors, academics, delegates, and Youth for Human Rights family. On behalf of Atenas University in Mexico, I would like to express our heartfelt congratulations of these 25 years of bringing hope to the world through human rights. 16 years ago, my mother and me— and I founded Atenas University in Mexico. with the mission of providing high-quality education, especially for people from priority attention groups. Today, Atenas University is recognized in our country as an inclusive university where students with hearing disabilities, intellectual disabilities, neurodivergent— I mean, with some different— kind of disabilities as autism and some others, learn along with people without any disability in our classroom where human diversity is not only recognized but valued. 80% of our students are women. Many of them are single mothers who also work to pay their students' education and who have found in Athenas an opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their families. Dear Mary, since we became part of this incredible, incredible movement, human rights have become fundamental part of the education that the University of Atenas provides. Our students have a deep sense of social responsibility, and they understand that promotion and protection both their and others' human rights is also their responsibility. Thank you, Mary, for sharing your dream. We love all of us, and you did it possible. Thanks to every delegate and volunteer, because like Mary, you are not only a dreamer. You are people who take— who take action to build the world we all wish. Speaker 62 [1:18:19]: Thank you. Universidad Atenas Querétaro · Rector · Viridiana Cerecedo [1:18:22]: Thank you, Maggie. Maggie Ibanez, thank you so much for inspiring everybody, everyone in Latin America— Woo! —to join forces and reminding us that every action has the power to change a life. Congratulations as well to every young person who has helped this beautiful movement grow over these 25 years. From Mexico, Atenas, La Universidad de Atenas, Atenas University, stands with you. To all young people here today, continue to be the protagonists of the change. Keep showing the world that hope has a young face and that you are the ones who build the future that we all dream of. Thank you so much. MC · Demi Durrett [1:19:23]: And now I have the pleasure to introduce the person who's been in your ear for the last 2 days. This is our wonderful translator. This is Mariana Santiago, presenting on behalf of Duarte Lobo de Penha, former Minister of Education for the Republic of Cabo Verde, and former judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cabo Verde. Please give her a very warm welcome. Translator · Mariana Santiago [1:19:55]: Good afternoon. So you must understand that since I'm your translator, there will be no translations available for a few minutes, right? Buenas tardes. Como saben, soy su traductora y espero puedan entender que habrá unos cuantos minutos sin traducción. en su oído, ¿de acuerdo? Okay. Dear Dr. Mary, agradezco con mucha profunda gratitud el amable convite que me fue dirigido por usted. Aunque me sea imposible estar físicamente presente, me es fácil llegar por este medio los votos de pleno éxito para este encuentro, que espero sea fecundo en la promoción y defensa de los derechos humanos a causa maior da humanidade. Foi durante a minha formação em Direito que a chama dos direitos humanos começou verdadeiramente a iluminar meu espírito. Nesse percurso, deparei-me com Antígona, de Sófocles, e fiquei deslumbrada pela força moral dessa mulher extraordinária que preferiu enfrentar a morte por empoderamento a renunciar à fidelidade à lei natural aos ditâmenes da sua consciência. Creio que foi nesse momento que nasceu em mim uma convicção invalável: a de me tornar uma defensora dos direitos humanos. Vejo neles mais fiéis reflexos do direito natural, porque exprimem aquilo que é inerente à própria condição humana: a igualdade, a liberdade, São valores que não dependem de fronteiras, credos ou regimes políticos. Pertencem a cada ser humano pelo simples fato de existir. Todos os seres humanos nascem iguais em dignidade e direitos, contundentes circunstâncias acidentais como o gênero, a raça, a origem, a condição social ou o lugar de nascimento, continuam, tragicamente, a servir de pretexto para discriminações, exclusões, racismos, xenofobias, feridas profundas que atentam contra a essência dos direitos humanos. Vivemos tempos marcados por conflitos, intolerância e discursos de ódio que ameaçam os alíxeires de convivência humana. Por isso, acredito que é urgente formar cidadãos capazes de resistir às seduções de violência a da indiferença, munidos de uma só cultura. Estou convicta que esta formação encontra no educação o seu terreno mais fértil, uma educação que vá além transmitindo conhecimentos que despertem consciências, cultivando o pensamento crítico, o sentido da responsabilidade e o compromisso com a cidadania. Só assim os cidadãos estarão preparados para exigir dos poderes públicos o cumprimento dos direitos consagrados nos instrumentos jurídicos internacionalmente aprovados e para defender com coragem os valores democráticos. É por essa razão que defendo a introdução, desde o ensino básico até o ensino secundário, de uma disciplina de educação para a cidadania, concebida como um espaço privilegiado para a formação integral dos estudantes. Preparando-nos para serem cidadães livres, responsáveis, solidários e conscientes dos seus direitos e deveres. Permitam-me, por isso, dirigir uma palavra especial aos jovens aqui presentes. Sejam construtores de pontes e nunca de muros. Sejam guardiões da paz, da liberdade e da dignidade humana. Façam da educação para a cidadania A vossa bússola, os direitos humanos, o horizonte permanente das vossas ações. Que nunca vos falte o coragem de erguer a voz contra a injustiça, nem a esperança de acreditar que um mundo mais fraterno, mais justo e mais humano é possível. Porque os direitos humanos não são apenas um conjunto de normas, são a expressão mais elevada de nossa humanidade em comum. É o legado mais precioso que podemos transmitir às gerações futuras. Parabéns, Doutora Mary. Atentamente, Vera Duarte. MC · Demi Durrett [1:24:29]: I'd now like to welcome Yvonne Andrea Moreira Macias, presenting for the Council of Monavie. Council of Manabí · Presenter · Yvonne Andrea Moreira Macias [1:24:44]: Buenas tardes, distinguidos invitados, embajadores y compañeros defensores. Estimada y muy admirada doctora Mary, en nombre de los niños, niñas, adolescentes y familias de nuestra provincia, quiero expresarle mi más ferviente felicitación por el rotundo éxito de esta cumbre Internacional de Jóvenes por los Derechos Humanos. Ver a jóvenes delegados de todo el planeta alzar la voz en el foro más importante del mundo es la prueba viva de que su incansable liderazgo no solo educa, sino que enciende antorchas de dignidad y paz en los rincones donde más se necesita. Gracias por inspirar y por recordarnos que los derechos humanos son el único camino para salvar la humanidad. Asimismo, quiero expresarle mis más sinceros agradecimientos por el invalorable material educativo que nos han enviado. Cada folleto sobre la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos ha llegado a nuestras manos como una semilla de transformación. Estos insumos están siendo desplegados con amor y rigor en nuestros eventos territoriales de promoción de los derechos humanos. MC · Demi Durrett [1:25:59]: Time. Translator · Mariana Santiago [1:26:01]: By doing so, raising awareness of life and other trainings. In Manabí, we chose to embark upon a historical moment to inspire our struggles into domestic political initiatives. What we want is a local governance that can motivate others in our community to promote universal rights by reaching different universities And by traveling with different rural communities, urban communities, and by understanding the focus of every entity of our production, we want Manabí to be the lightning strike of public policy on human dignity, human rights, and peace culture. Our culture, it's not achieved exclusively through violence or state violence, but rather it tackles structural troubles through social election and human rights protection. Building a county moment for human rights will give Manabí A wise instrument to be shared. Mary, in Guanabí, we don't want to be spectators and bystanders of history. You have shed the light in our pedagogical truth, and now we have political will and land will. With our hearts in our hand, please continue to walk by our side, and please continue to be a part of our purpose with your backup and the work we have been conducting thus Far with Dr. Raúl Arias and Colonel Montenegro, we add Manabí to our yearlands. We know that this would be an undeniable truth, that when we teach them with passion and conviction and defend it with courage, peace is not only possible, but rather it becomes undeniable. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [1:28:20]: All right. I am very, very proud to introduce this next panel, which is something very close to my heart. These are actually all senior delegates, people who have put the program into use and are coming back now to further inspire you. So for the next panel, I'd like to call up our moderator, Mr. Swapen Roy of Bangladesh, and his fellow panelists. to talk about— this panel's topic will be Human Rights Education: Empowering the Next Generation. So please welcome them on stage. Speaker 71 [1:28:54]: Thank you. Nice. Go down, guys. Okay. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:30:10]: Good evening, everyone. It is an incredible start yesterday, and we are keeping that momentum going on today as Youth for Human Rights celebrates 25 years of impact. Today's discussion is not about looking back, it's about looking forward. I am Shapun Roy from Bangladesh, and I work at BRAC Migration Program for migrants and returnees. We are promoting safe migration and helping Bangladeshis to come back with dignity I am honored to be here in this panel as a moderator, and we have 8 incredible leaders today in our panel. We have Irving Uriel Hernandez Gomez from Mexico, Stephen Singh from Guyana, Samir Gomez Elias from Argentina, Fabiola Thomas from Haiti, Yanira Trejo Avila from Guatemala, Subi Siwe from South Africa, Ibamsi Mambosa from Congo, and Mary Apollo from South Sudan. So let's start. So I would like to ask a question to the panel. So Youth for Human Rights have been Doing this work for 25 years, in 25 more years, what do you want to be able to say your generation changed? So the first speaker would be Irving Uriel Hernandez Gomez from Mexico. Speaker 73 [1:32:09]: Antes que nada. Before I go on, I would like to thank— before I go on, I would like to thank Dr. Mary for opening this space for Indigenous communities and Afro-descendants in Mexico, because I'm not here on a personal basis. With me, history is walking by as an Indigenous man, dignity from the original towns and peoples who have a lot to bring to the table. So thank you. Good afternoon, and it is my true pleasure to be here today. I want to tell you that I come from a country whose plurality is also expressed in its indigenous voices. A few years ago, when I was barely 19 years old, on a regular working day, I ended up behind bars. In April 2013, in my town, we were forbidden to do pamphlets and hand-holding pamphlets, and I was detained. And my crime was to sell chocolate, mole, and traditional Mexican food. But in that far dark corner of my country, I heard that somebody said, you are violating the rights his human rights. Even though back then I had no idea of what was happening and I didn't know what did they mean. And when I finally got my freedom back, I also understood that there were other ways to be in jail, which is by not knowing your own rights. A while back, looking at my family facing this profound injustice, I chose to take all of these experiences into service. Now, you must understand that in Mexico we have over 68 linguistic variants and 364 of everything that we have acknowledged as official languages in our country. And I belong to the Denditsa, which is the people who have the word given from the sky and the clouds. And yet this richness can also be a sign of exclusion. Now let's all think of the following. Picture a very— a real case that has been documented by the Intercultural Promoters of Oaxaca, of a woman that was taken aback. She was 87 years old. She was in home incarceration without understanding what her process was just because she couldn't speak Spanish. This was just not a procedural clerical error. Is one linguistic barrier to have access to true justice, which is why from our Indigenous communities we have the dream to have an initiative that has been supported by international power, which is to bring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Indigenous tongues in Mexico through official translations and professional interpretations in community service. They were also has to be accompanied by materials through regular study. And I respectfully would like to say, world leaders in the room today, please let me share with you the spirit of Article Number 1 of our Human Rights Declaration in my Zapotec tongue. And here it is. Today I bring these words To you, and your first right is the right to be, because everyone is born equally, because God provided thought to the people of Earth, because the world would live and it will love very much. Dr. Mary. Translator · Mariana Santiago [1:36:38]: Thank you. Thank you for proving that education, it's in fact a peacebuilding mechanism. Through these new years, I can see that this is open to new generations, because to the many towns that have been coated in their own identity, their memory, and their dignity, we would like to make sure that someone from the agricultural end of it, a farmer, an indigenous migrant, Can face a courtroom and know their human rights in their own tongue. And in order to do so, dear friends, I would like to invite you to make a reality out of this initiative, because freedom begins when one single individual can acknowledge their own dignity. So that no one has to hear for the very first time exclusion, or the words human rights from a jail cell. So that no one has to hear their rights in a language that they just don't speak. So that they can embrace them as their own within the voice that they learned to talk, to think, and to name what is relevant to them. I come from Oaxaca, town of working people, of community and solidarity, solidarity economy, a town of people who dream and wish for peace. You are all welcome. and I hope to see you back in my town, San Pablo Viga de Mitla, in Oaxaca, Mexico. Thank you very much. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:38:51]: Thank you, Uriel. Now I would like to invite Stephen Singh from Guyana. Guyana · Panelist · Stephen Singh [1:38:59]: Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Are you able to? It's here though. What about now? Perfect. Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and honored guests here, it is a pleasure to be here once again. I started coming to this conference in the year 2016, so after 10 years I've been coming here, and I am extremely honored to be here today. In the interest of time, I'll make my answers Very short. I will answer this question in 2 parts. The first part will be specific to my country, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and the second part of my answer will be inclusive of you, the young people in this room. So in 25 years, what would I want for the next generation to say that my generation did? What changes did my generation effect in Guyana? In 25 years, I would want for it to be said that my generation played its part in ensuring that Guyana becomes a regional leader in human rights where every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or economic background, has equal opportunities to success in our country. I would further want I want for generations to come to say that my generation played its part in ensuring that Guyana is known not just for its natural resources, of which we have many, but I want for Guyana— and I'm very, very sincere about these following words— I want for Guyana to be known as a nation that placed people, dignity, human rights at the center of its development. If you've been following Guyana, Guyana is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, but what's the point of having development if your people are not at the center of your development? So I would want for my generation to be the champion of this aspect of development in my country. Further, the second part of my answer involves us in this room, and we've had many speakers today who've spoken so many things, who have encouraged us, who have implored us to be, you know, better young people, to champion the cause that we've set out for. And I want to speak specifically to my generation here, and I want to speak to the millennials here and to the Gen Z present in the room. 25 years from now, when young people look back, what would they say? We would want for them to say that our generation was not the generation that just sat down and waited for change, but we became the change that we wanted to see. We championed that change. Per the late Mahatma Gandhi, let us be the change that we want to see in the world. We just heard yesterday from Dr. Ash that it takes just one generation to change the world. I implore you today, let us be that generation. I am confident that we have what it takes. Present in this room, represented from every country, is the capacity to create the change that we are looking for. Let us be that change today. We've heard from the Queen Mother this morning, and those 3 words struck a chord with me. Peace, be still. I want us all to take those words with us when we leave the summit. Peace, be still. Let us be the champion of peace. Education— what is it? Education for peace. Education can be a catalyst. It is a strong tool that we have for peace. Let us use it. We have been equipped with the tool. We've been equipped with it. Let us Use it. I know we live in a world today, we turn the TV on and we see things that trigger hopelessness. We see things that trigger worry and we see things that trigger uncertainty. But somebody mentioned yesterday and it was reiterated this morning, let us act, let us continue to do what we do from a place of hope. And I say to you today, as long as we are breathing, As long as there is life, there is still hope. Thank you. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:43:47]: Thank you, Steven. That was amazing. Now the next speaker will be Samir Gomez Elias from Argentina. Argentina · Panelist · Samir Gomez Elias [1:43:58]: Buenas tardes. Excellencies, distinguished invitados, compañeros delegados, Doctora Mary. Translator · Mariana Santiago [1:44:13]: I would like to thank you, first of all, for giving me the opportunity to share the room with the youth who have been nothing short of inspiring in every single speech that I have heard thus far. I'm a lawyer. And I'm a teacher in Argentina. In order to tell you how would I see myself within the next 25 years, we want to know what exactly is it that we're doing. And my teaching is focused in rural countries, in different communities where, at the end of the day, they just don't have enough pathways to have access to education. Speaker 80 [1:44:55]: Thank you. Translator · Mariana Santiago [1:44:55]: For the past 7 years, I've been a volunteer for Youth for Human Rights International, and this is where I have found the way in which I believe I can change the world. I feel a true commitment that continues to be built on a daily basis, and that this is built through inspiration and by listening to other youth changing in their own countries. When I run into the path of those who have the materials where they are flooded, where they just can't have running water, where there are no highways, no bridges, no paths, and they have no means to have cultural expression or even their sexual orientation, and when I see their faces, we can see the different challenges and a lot of vulnerability within their own human rights. That path in which we work side by side with my mother and with the entire Argentinian team by sharing educational material, school supplies, clothes, and everything that they could potentially need, even food. Argentina · Panelist · Samir Gomez Elias [1:46:12]: Compromiso está en el día a día. Translator · Mariana Santiago [1:46:15]: We know that our commitment must be steady on a single day, and what we can do can actually change the world. So in 25 years, I would like to say that our generation indeed did change, that managed to make sure that human rights were no longer just a term but rather a fact, that makes sure that human rights were no longer in books but they actually became our daily life operation for every single one of us. I would like to share that we also learn from our history and from ancestors and from different cultures. But also, we also learn to understand that you need to work with empathy, with responsibility, and not just from governments, but it really depends to bring to the table the work that we need to have so that the world can actually change. We were able to listen. I want our generation to be aware that we could teach, act, learn, but most importantly, to reach the outskirts where nobody else would go because we wanted to re— to teach something as valuable as human rights. Of course, there are places where difficulties are on the rise. But this particular type of places, and with the summits like this, we can understand a comparison standpoint that of course there are lack of opportunities. But this is what we are trying to have in the right way to manage that change. I would like to say that our generation managed to have education to schools, to communities, specifically to the rural communities. To the different vulnerable sectors, to the Indigenous communities, and for all of those that were in the world in need for it. Knowing their rights, it's something basic. It's what needs to be done differently between the communities that we had 1,500 years ago or 100 years ago mourning for wars, and that we continue to have that particular struggle. In 25 years, I want to look back and affirmatively say that because of the work that we have done thus far, we were able to build a more empathetic society, a fairer and more human world, a society in which differences are not the source of discrimination but rather an opportunity to learn and enrich each other from it. That would be the best change for our generation. Not only having spoken about human rights in a beautiful auditorium, but rather living by my own principle to walk the talk and to inspire the next generation and achieve a positive change in action. Thank you. Speaker 84 [1:49:09]: Thank you. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:49:13]: Now the next speaker is Fabiola Thomas from Haiti. YHRI · Volunteer · Sebastian Campbell [1:49:24]: It's actually— it's me. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:49:25]: I'm sorry. Okay, so— YHRI · Volunteer · Sebastian Campbell [1:49:28]: So, good afternoon, Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and honored guests. My name is Sebastian Campbell, and I'm a volunteer with Youth for Human Rights in Sacramento, California. My work is not glamorous. It is booklets handed out one at a time, classroom presentations, conversations with students, and just as often with their teachers. That last part matters. Because here is what I discovered doing this work. It is not only the young people who have never been taught their rights. Many adults, even educators, cannot name the 30 human rights we all hold. We assume the knowledge is everywhere. It is not. The simple fact that our world lacks a universal understanding of human rights tells us how much educational work remains undone. Every generation that grows up without this knowledge passes the gap on to the next. Someone has to break the cycle. So I work at the ground level. Distributing materials, helping my local Youth for Human Rights director organize campaigns, educating anyone willing to listen about the rights they have carried unknowingly their whole lives. Peace and prosperity will not come from knowing the Universal Declaration exists. They come from applying it in schools, in neighborhoods, In daily choices, application requires understanding. Understanding requires education, and education requires people willing to show up and teach. And although I am one person looking around this room, I know I am not alone. And to answer the question asked by our moderator, in the next 25 years, I would like to see that the 30 human rights that we all know and cherish are known and applied by all peoples of Earth. And to be— Speaker 89 [1:52:16]: Thank you. Yeah. Yes. That's right. YHRI · Volunteer · Sebastian Campbell [1:52:21]: And to be clear, that means each human across this planet knows and applies these human rights to themselves, because only then, only then, will we have achieved the aims of human rights as directed and supervised by the late Eleanor Roosevelt. Only then, when every single person knows their human rights, every person on this planet. That's actually what we need to do. It's very— it's what we need to do. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work. But to get that done will guarantee the survival of our species and future generations for ages to come. Thank you. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:53:12]: Inspiring. Great. Thank you so much. Now, Yanira Trejo Avila from Guatemala. Guatemala · Panelist · Yanira Trejo Avila [1:53:32]: Good afternoon, dear Mary. Dear guests and fellow delegates, when I hear the word 25 years, it's the blink of an eye if you really think about it. If you look back through the lenses of the history of human rights, we can tell that 25 years is actually really, really short if we compare it to its history, but yet it stands for hope, for change in the future. So in 25 years, I would love to be able to say that my generation left a legacy of deep change, not only in my country, but in the world. That little actions, that the ones we are performing today, all of us gathered in this summit, triggered the beginning of a true transformation. That this gathering made some of these moments that actually triggered change for the youth and for the future adults. And that those adults that are now children will now continue to build what we once told was tomorrow. And hopefully, I hope that every single one of us can be proud to have belonged to this change throughout history Major transformations have been made possible because of people who decided to take action, even when change seemed very long away. And because of today, we have the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document stands for an idea for all humanity, but a reality for very few. But the future tells me that this reality is not far away. Hopefully in 25 years we would be way closer to actually getting our target done, to make sure that we never hear the words slavery, discrimination, violence, or any type of human rights violations ever again, that these stories continue to fade away and to be the exception rather than the norm. That potentially what we now will call future generations can look back and say, thank you. Thank you for those who stood there 25 years ago. Thank you for those who chose action over indifference. Today we are working in a more united and respectful world for dignity of all. I think that would be what they want to say in 25 years, and that would be our legacy. And if we manage to do that, every single effort and every sacrifice would have been worth it. Thank you. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [1:56:20]: Thank you, Betty. Now, Jama from South Africa. South Africa · Panelist · Jama [1:56:30]: Good afternoon, everybody. Good afternoon. How's everyone? Speaker 95 [1:56:37]: Good. South Africa · Panelist · Jama [1:56:38]: I think the consensus around human rights is that it really sits at policy level, in theories, dressed in suits and conferences like these. And to be honest, ladies and gentlemen, if we want to see this work greater than 25 years We need practical actions. 25 years is a long time, right? Speaker 97 [1:57:09]: Yeah. South Africa · Panelist · Jama [1:57:12]: I'm sure many of us youth delegates, we ask, where do we start? Mary, you always say, I'm a teacher. It's the first thing you always say. Mary Shuttleworth, the passion for human rights was born from a belief in transformative power of education. Her commitment to ensuring equal opportunities reminds us that the right to education is the one of the most powerful human rights we can protect. The question now, as the next generation, how do we ensure that work continues long after us? The answer is simple. We must champion human rights through the things we practice, the careers we pursue, the passions we love. Human rights shouldn't be something we talk about. It should be something we live. For my team, the passion became a project called Ibala. We take discarded PVC material, this material here, and we turn that into schoolbags, which we donate to underprivileged communities in our country. Speaker 99 [1:58:40]: Thank you. South Africa · Panelist · Jama [1:58:44]: I'm sure many of you are asking, what does making schoolbags have to do with human rights? To us, it has everything to do with human rights. Every child deserves the dignity of going to school with a bag that they can be proud of. Every bag that we produce represents access to education. Environmental responsibility, and the belief that no learner should be left behind simply because of their circumstances. I have fused what is a career, which is advertising, with humanitarian work, proving that the skills that we develop professionally can be used to restore dignity and create opportunity. That is my challenge to our generation. Whether your passion is social media, technology, business, music, arts, use that platform. Make a difference. Use your gifts to amplify the voices of others and solve real problems. Build societies where human rights are not just protected in law but demonstrated in our everyday actions. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [2:00:26]: Thank you, Jama. Now, Imam Sy Mambosa from Congo. Congo · Panelist · Imam Sy Mambosa [2:00:35]: Hello. Mbote. I'd like to start by saying mbote, which means bonjour, hello, in Lingala. Sorry. Okay, so I come from Brazzaville, and it's been 10 years that I'm in the United States, and a year after I met Peter, Regina, who introduced me to this wonderful platform, United for Human Rights. So yeah, since 2017, I've been coming here, and Mary, I've met you. You have transformed my life. I came here as an immigrant with no dreams. I mean, I had dreams, but it was blurry. I didn't have a clear picture what to do, but that first day of me stepping into this room, that changed my perspective. I was immersed and emotionally connected with all those young changemakers from around the world that came in this place with their stories and also challenges that we all share. but also dreams. So to answer these wonderful questions that our moderator just asked us, in 20 years, that's the future, but we can't see the future if we cannot recognize what we have done in the past. So, Mary, you have done an amazing job with us, with my life at least. And today, from those inspirational moments that I had from in 2017 in this room, I met Pete. We started a project, Project Peace Lights, which aims to accelerate peace education in a lot of countries in Africa. Today we are present in 30 countries. I also co-founded African Youth Architects, which also aims to empower the young people in Africa and also give them the proper mentorship that they need. Because I myself, I was lacking mentorship, and that's why being in, in places like this, it changed perspectives. So now let's come back to this question. I just I don't want that in the next 25 years all those conversations remain in books and drafts or summaries or just even in policies drafted at the UN General Council or anything like that. Let us look into each other. Let us look at one another, see what is our potential, what we can do for one another to change lives. Those conversations often make us feel like the youth are the victims of either the— or either the beneficiary of the policies or the victims of the reality that we live. But now, in the next 25 years, instead of just being the victims or the beneficiary, let's become actors. Let's change it. Speaker 103 [2:03:56]: Thank you. Congo · Panelist · Imam Sy Mambosa [2:04:00]: One of the things I always think about the UN is that most of the time the Declaration of Human Rights is just like statements that maybe just like a little reminder there for policymakers and decision-takers, but it has to be more than that. It has to mean so much for us. It has to be a driver. for change, for systemic change, starting at the grassroots level. Yes, you and I— I'm still young, I'm 33, but I look even younger, I know. But yes, we need to start locally in our communities. A lot of young people as me, we are passionate about changing the world. Why do you want to change the world if you cannot change your area, your streets? Start locally in your hoods. Yes, let's thank you. Let's start locally, transform the change, use our platform, and in the next 25 years, AI will be taking you know control. And with all those tools that we now have, we are blessed to have those tools. I believe Mary back then they didn't have those. A lot of resources, but today we have those resources and let's use those resources to better our communities and also to drive change, to provide education. It's not just about having access to internet. It has to be also included as a human right. What about those communities that don't even have access to even energy, electricity? Let's think about those. And also my recommendation for the next 25 years, we'd like to see more indigenous groups here represented. Yes. From the forest, from the forest of Basin of Congo or in Malaysia, India, or in the Amazonia, we want to see, to have them also represented. so that we can hear what the youth are thinking about and what are their concerns as well. Thank you so much. I appreciate you, and thank you, moderator. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [2:06:29]: You are welcome. Now we have Mary Apollo from South Sudan. South Sudan · Panelist · Mary Apollo [2:06:36]: Hello. Good afternoon, distinguished guests, Ambassador, and fellow advocate. My name is Mary Apollo. I'm from South Sudan, the newborn country that has known a lot about war, and a lot of children and women know little about education. So, 8 years ago, I attended the first summit with you for human rights, And then I became inspired. I got the inspiration. I became a founder of a nonprofit called Four Directions, where we teach young people and women about education. It's a passion that I had earlier in life, but I believe that platform like international platform has strengthened my awareness and helped me discover myself more, and I became a founder to solve problems in the community. So we started a project in the refugee camp where we support young women, pay their school fee, uniform, registration fee, and books. And that sounds like something is small, but it's not. For those girls, it's changing their life. and the difference between their future they choose and what happened to them. 25 years ago, I think that would have been impossible for somebody to find solution easily and act. And I'm a young person, and 25 years ago also, it would have been difficult to find mentorship, to find an elder person that I can talk to, that I can guide with— guide me, because from the culture, from the society where we come from, things are different. So 25 years from now, I wanted things to be differently. We provide human rights education for everybody. People from different backgrounds, not looking to their color, race, gender, age, which is very important. And also, we want to have more aware— moving from action to awareness and building institutions, because I believe that there is 2 main things we need to solve in our generation or the upcoming generation, which is changing the scenario of ourselves as young people, as countries, and provide resources to build these institutions that we are dreaming of to serve others. We will have sustainable resources that can strengthen and building our institution. Then we will have leadership, leadership, and then sustainable also development and peace in our countries. And right now, with the technology and AI, we are learning. A lot of us, we are learning. We are lucky that we are in a country where everything is open, resources are available. We are learning to advance our skills, strengthen our ability to lead, so we want to use it responsibly to expand the education of human rights and teach others. And also building— a lot of us now, young people, are building this platform of storytelling where we are changing the scenario in the mindset of other people. And 25 years from now, people will come and witness and say that we have done work in the history. I remember when I was young, my mother used to tell me, I want you to be educated to keep your dignity. One day when you become elder, you will say, oh, she let me go to school so I can keep my dignity. So that is what— that's the message I'm sending today. The girls in this refugee camp, we are supporting the group of people we are leading, this conference room. We want— we change our self-storytelling, and we are changing life of others. And this is what the greater impact is. Thank you. Speaker 107 [2:11:30]: Thank you. BRAC · Moderator · Shapun Roy [2:11:34]: Wow, amazing. So we are almost at the end of the panel, and I would like to, uh, just— how Imam Sy told how, like, Mary changed his life. So it's not just him, actually. This conference changed many of the delegates' lives. So I saw, I went back with motivation. I worked on myself, and I see— I saw other delegates, they worked on themselves, they got good scholarship, went and they shared their story, and now they are here. So I think we all should like go back with a great motivation. These are the senior delegates. Let's get connected, let's stay connected, and let's go back and Let's make human rights a reality. Thank you. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [2:13:04]: Okay, well, I was not asked what my wish would be in 25 years, but my answer was I hope we'll be back here in 25 years and we'll actually just be celebrating that we all made human rights a reality. So cheers to that. All right. I'd now like to ask Sandra Velasco, she is the General of Chaplaincy for Conoce Chaplains International, to come to the stage. Conoce Chaplains International · General of Chaplaincy · Sandra Velasco [2:13:39]: Muy buenas tardes. Translator · Mariana Santiago [2:13:42]: Good afternoon, everyone, guests and honored guests. Conoce Chaplán International is extremely grateful for this 25-year anniversary that you have had with the programs of Youth for Human Rights International. Your educational work has been dedicated to raise awareness and to promote human dignity. This has strengthened our spiritual mission. To accompany, serve, and to uplift communities across the 5 continents which— where we have presence. Under the leadership of General Commander Carlos Arroba Gaybor, our International President, our chaplains work every day to bring comfort, guidance, and hope to those facing challenges, reminding us That peace begins in the heart of every person. Participating in the 20th edition of the International Human Rights Summit, it's a true honor that confirms our commitment to the defense of human rights and the building of peace through faith, compassion, and humanitarian service. We celebrate the 25-year legacy of Youth for Human Rights International, and we also would like to celebrate Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, whose impact has transformed lives and inspired generations to recognize their worth, their freedom, and their responsibility in creating a fairer world. Dr. Mary, we would like to reiterate our firm commitment to this Alliance and to every single effort of what you promote with dignity, respect, and lasting peace. We can manage through this together. Thank you very much. MC · Demi Durrett [2:15:48]: Well, I would really like to bring someone special to the stage now. This is the part of the program where we're turning to our 25th anniversary legacy celebration. And it's an honor for me to welcome Maggie Ibañez Chernbull, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights Latin America, to present the recognition of longtime mentors and volunteers. Please welcome her to the stage. Youth for Human Rights Latin America · Executive Director · Maggie Ibañez Chernbull [2:16:14]: Thank you very much, Demi. Well, 25 years of results will never have been possible without the passion, the commitment of the youth delegates who have grown alongside us. Our senior delegates are those who have remained active and have joined us to 2 or more international summits. Thank you, Joanne. Okay, I'm gonna say it again. 25 years of results will never have been possible without the commitment of the youth delegates who have grown alongside us. Our senior delegates are those who have remained active and have joined us at 2 or more international summits. Their continuity, discipline, and long-term commitment have shaped The history of this movement. This summit, everything we have experienced in these days and everything that is, that is going to be in the next days, has also been possible thanks to volunteers who have worked really hard. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Volunteers who have stayed focused and shown full commitment Whether on-site or supporting from a distance, different roles, different locations, one shared determination to make this summit a reality and a big success. It is my privilege to introduce both our senior delegates and our fellow volunteers, the people whose work, passion, and conviction made this summit a reality. Please join us. Please, please. Come, come, come, come, come. Speaker 114 [2:18:18]: Go, go, go. Youth for Human Rights Latin America · Executive Director · Maggie Ibañez Chernbull [2:18:19]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, done. Speaker 116 [2:18:28]: Yeah. Youth for Human Rights Latin America · Executive Director · Maggie Ibañez Chernbull [2:18:30]: See, see, we are going to We are going to take a photo. Raúl? MC · Demi Durrett [2:18:40]: Raúl? Youth for Human Rights Latin America · Executive Director · Maggie Ibañez Chernbull [2:18:43]: Sorry. MC · Demi Durrett [2:20:25]: All right. Well, that was a special treat for all of us. As a volunteer for this long, I know on behalf of all of my team, we do this for you, and we're very grateful for you being here and for all of— more importantly, the action that you'll take upon going home. So thank you again. And next up, I am proud to welcome Mr. Enzo Di Taranto, former United Nations Secretary-General campaign manager and the president of ExZen Technologies, who will present the recognition of our co-sponsoring organizations. Welcome, Enzo, to the stage. ExZen Technologies · President · Enzo Di Taranto [2:21:12]: Good morning, everybody. Okay, this is the cycle of day and night. So we are just— yes, is that— that video is ready? Okay, all right. So that's, uh, that's the power of influencing, uh, day and night cycles with our mind. But anyway, um, yes, good afternoon, uh, everybody, especially Dr. Shuttleworth. Congratulations again for celebrating this 25th anniversary of Youth for Human Rights, and I was honored to accompany you since the beginning, really long, long time ago. And so I would like to ask everybody A round of applause to Dr. Shuttleworth. Yes, without her, we wouldn't be here today. Okay, after celebrating the power of volunteering, we are now going to celebrate the power of collaboration, the power of synergy, the power of working in the ecosystem. That means that isolation is a weakness and collective action is a strength, and this platform symbolizes this strength. So I'm going to give you rapidly 3 examples that explain why working collectively is much more powerful than working in isolation. The first example is the lecture that Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave when he received the Peace Nobel. I think it was 2001, if I remember well, and he mentioned a very interesting concept called the butterfly effect, according to which the movement of the wings of a butterfly, say, in the Amazon forest, can generate a hurricane in the opposite side of the globe. So we all live in an ecosystem where each action generates a strong impact somewhere else, even beyond our comprehension. The second example is simply our body. So we have about 300 trillion cells, if I recall well the number. Speaker 122 [2:24:37]: Yes. ExZen Technologies · President · Enzo Di Taranto [2:24:37]: But anyway, trillions of cells. And we have hundreds of bones, nerves, joints, and organs. And yet, one sick cell can sicken the whole body. So we are ourselves a holographic system like the planet is itself an ecosystem. The third example is Youth for Human Rights. Why? Because during these 25 years, Youth for Human Rights has managed to mobilize and engage thousands of organizations and certainly millions, if not billions of people have received a sort of influence or impact from the work of Youth for Human Rights, and so this multitude of actors, instead of operating in isolation, in fragmentation, thanks to Youth for Human Rights, have been able to work in an ecosystem. And today you can see this visually. If you look around, you see all these people represent an entity, an organization, and certainly millions, if not billions, of good actions all over the world. So having said that, I'm honored to acknowledge on behalf of Dr. Shatterworth and Youth for Human Rights, the work of this multitude of organizations, just taking as an example a few that are in this room today. So with your permission, I'm going to mention just them one by one, and if you could please, the representatives, coming over here so that— Speaker 124 [2:26:48]: Thank you. ExZen Technologies · President · Enzo Di Taranto [2:26:49]: everybody can also honor you. Is that okay? Yes, wherever you want. Okay, so the first one is, um, the National Sports Commission of Mexico, uh, the POP movement, Protect Our Planet. Speaker 126 [2:27:08]: Yes. ExZen Technologies · President · Enzo Di Taranto [2:27:14]: to mention one by one. Is that okay? That's okay. Yeah, 34. Excuse me. I think we should mention. Yes, yes. I will rapidly mention one by one. Speaker 128 [2:27:27]: Just read the names. ExZen Technologies · President · Enzo Di Taranto [2:27:28]: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And this is, again, this is just a small fraction. Yes. This is just a small fraction of the thousands of organizations that have been supporting and have engaged with Youth for Human Rights globally over these 25 years of activity. So, I repeat, I'm going to go as fast as I can. So, National Sports Commission of Mexico, POP, Protect Our Planet movement, the National Affairs Office, of the Church of Scientology International, welcome. Brave Hearts Multimedia, Federal Oral Criminal Court of Buenos Aires, Ministry of Education of Mexico, Il Veliero Parlante from Italy, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, York Regional Police of Canada, Youth for Human Rights Latin America, Sustainable Development Council, Diritti e Umanità e Tolleranza from Italy, ASRAD from Mali, the Municipal Government of Pátzcuaro, International Youth Forum, Nobel Peace Center for Education, The Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Albert Schweitzer Institute, State Congress of Michoacán, University César Vallejo, Peru, Asociación Jóvenes por los Derechos Humanos de Costa Rica, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Canadian Caribbean Indian Cultural Collective, USIDHR from Quebec, United Religions Initiative, African Women's Foundation USA, Hawaii Institute for Human Rights, University of Hawaii, Madhya Pradesh Police, Universidad Atenas Querétaro, Mexico; Cantonal Council for the Protection of Rights, Ecuador; Republic of Cabo Verde; Supreme Court of Justice of Cabo Verde; International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Use for Human Rights Latin America; and Exent Technologies Inc. And that's all just as an example. Speaker 130 [2:30:32]: Okay, we really want to see your faces, so if you would be single file, single file, please, single file. Announcer · Raúl Arias [2:31:38]: I will— one second. I just want that Fiorella is on the picture. Speaker 132 [2:31:42]: You can come here. Fiorella goes here. Here. ExZen Technologies · President · Enzo Di Taranto [2:31:46]: What is better? Fiorella, here? Okay. Here. Speaker 134 [2:31:50]: There you go. Thank you. That's what I wanted. Okay. Perfecto. Okay. Okay, and we have to do this very fast for the program, please. Yes, one more. Announcer · Raúl Arias [2:32:14]: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [2:32:23]: Please make your way down the middle of the stage. Thank you. Down the middle row is where you're gonna exit. Down the middle I'll have you go down the middle. Head down the middle row. Okay, and if you just exited from that panel, please do make sure that you head down the middle. We have something in the back for you. Queen Mother [2:32:51]: Mary, come. Before you leave This has really been a party for 25 years. We are celebrating a party, and you young people know how to celebrate a party. I want everyone that is here to give either today or tomorrow Mary a gift. Something that is very special to you, you want her to have it. So what Queen Mother is going to do, give her gift today for her 25 years of work. Blessing and everyone else must give her a precious gift. Give her a precious gift of something you share and love yourselves. Blessings to all of you and to Mary's special of 25 years of great work. MC · Demi Durrett [2:34:11]: Okay, and I actually have a gift, which is to let you guys know that next up We have Maestro— I'll give you that again— Gonzalo Taio Silva of the Maestro Gotassi, founder of Chromatic Periodism. So let's give him a round of applause. Chromatic Periodism · Founder · Gonzalo Taio Silva [2:34:34]: Good afternoon. Are you doing okay? All right. I am extremely excited. I'm very excited to be here with you today, to be representing, representing my beautiful country, which is Ecuador. I'm very happy to be here today, and here's what I would like to say. I've been blessed by God. From all of the painters in the world, he chose— she chose Gotasi to unveil an amazing painting for the 25 years anniversary of this gift, and we did it with so much love, and we unveiled it with Mary on Wednesday, and she was moved to tears because of its exciting— and I would like to introduce somebody with a very special— which is my daughter Sophia. Please come to stage. She is the artist of the future, and she is delving a new movement. The name is Almorism, from soul and love in English, and she represents all of the boys and girls in the world that human rights are attainable. So thank you, Sophia, and say hi. And now, because I have very little time, I want to tell you, dear youth, you are not just the leaders of tomorrow, you are already the main characters of today, and you have to help us achieve universal love. Thank you, Mary, for allowing my family and my daughter express herself through this message, through painting, music, and creativity. In this very special creativity, and I would like to also share my family, my mother, my brother from logistics of my part of pyramidal organization who is a sponsor of this event. Thank you, Lisette, and thank you, Edison. Dear Merit, from Europe, We tell you that we are here to serve you all, advocates of human rights and warriors for human rights from Europe. And from the Gotas organization, we can promote José Domínguez, José Arroyo Ceballos in Europe, who are members of the Critical Arts Association of Arts in Europe. Let's all stand to please honor in these 25 years Dr. Mary. So let's all just stand and honor Mary on this anniversary. Because I want to make sure that we can all vibe really high today, because today is a special day. All right, so let's change our vibes today. MC · Demi Durrett [2:37:30]: I like the— Viva Mary! It is my distinct honor to welcome back to the stage the incredible Emma Ashton Sims. She's the Executive Director of United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International, to lead us in our closing ceremony. Please give her a very warm welcome back. YHRI · Executive Director · Emma Ashton Sims [2:38:08]: Thank you very much. Distinguished guests, youth delegates, colleagues, and friends. Over these 2 days, people from many nations and fields have shared their experiences. Most importantly, our youth delegates have stood at the edge— have not stood at the edge of this summit. You have been at its center, bringing both the challenges facing your countries and the determination to address them. As we mark the 25th anniversary of Youth for Human Rights International, this is not only a time to celebrate, What has been accomplished, but to build on it. And to our youth delegates, don't wait for someone to call you a leader. Choose one right, one audience, and one action. Teach it, organize around it, and inspire others to join. Tomorrow, we take the summit into the community, focusing on human rights education. That move from this United Nations chamber into the community is exactly what should happen after every summit. Human rights education must reach the places where people live, study, and work, and they make decisions. Before you leave New York, decide on what you will do. I thank Ambassador Suarez for welcoming us to the United Nations, Dr. Shuttleworth for the vision that brought us together, and everyone who made these 2 days possible. Let us leave this room not simply encouraged, but committed to making education for peace visible through our actions. Thank you, and now I turn the program over to Demi. MC · Demi Durrett [2:39:53]: Well, I think that's very true. It should be every summit that you end and go back to your community, and that's the next day ready to be, you know, fired up and make some change. So I'm very excited to announce now we'd like to acknowledge again from Timor-Leste His Excellency Ambassador Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares. Please give him a round of applause for all of his mission's efforts. We really appreciate their partnership, and it is an honor to be hosted by the Mission of Timor-Leste. And finally, I think it's only fitting that we close with the woman who started this movement. I'd like to welcome to the stage Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, President of United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International. Speaker 143 [2:40:44]: Thank you. Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [2:41:08]: Let's give a few more claps out here. For Ambassador Suarez and Dr. Shuttleworth. Ambassador Suarez, the floor is yours. Timor-Leste · Ambassador · Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares [2:42:07]: Madam Mary Shuttleworth, Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear young leaders, as we gather for this closing ceremony, allow me to begin by extending my heartfelt congratulations to each one of you. Over these past 2 days, you have delivered remarkable speeches, shared inspiring personal stories, and engaging meaningful discussions on human rights and education for peace. You have demonstrated not only knowledge and conviction, but also empathy, respect, and a genuine commitment to building a better future. Your contributions have reminded us that human rights are not merely principles, written in international declarations. They are lived every day through our actions and our choices. I had the privilege of witnessing many of your interventions and viewing them from 2 perspectives. The first captured your expressions, your gestures, and the sincerity with which you spoke from your own experiences. Those moments reveal the human side of leadership, the passion and compassion that inspire others. The second highlighted your evidence-based presentations showcasing the concrete initiatives that you and your organization, your communities, your centers have undertaken to promote education as a human right. These presentations demonstrated careful preparation, measurable results, and a clear commitment to making a lasting impact. Together, these 2 perspectives teach us an important lesson: effective leadership requires both heart and minds. It requires compassion guided by evidence, and conviction supported by action. Real and lasting change is achieved when our values are matched by our commitments to deliver results. Today, we also pay tribute to Madame Mary Shuttleworth and her team and the entire team of Youth for Human Rights International. Through their vision and unwavering dedication, they have inspired thousands of young people around the world to understand, promote, and defend human rights. Their work reminds us that educating people about their rights is one of the most powerful ways to prevent conflict, strengthen communities, and build a more peaceful world. For this extraordinary contribution, they deserve our deepest respect and gratitude. My dear friends, this conference has also reaffirmed a fundamental truth: education is not simply a pathway to opportunity. It is a fundamental human right. It empowers people to think critically, embrace diversity, reject discrimination, and become active citizens. History has shown us that societies that invest in education become stronger, more inclusive, and more powerful. Education transforms lives because it gives every person the ability to shape their own future while respecting the dignity of others. Tomorrow, your learning continues beyond this conference hall. Together with Madame Shuttleworth and the Youth for Human Rights International, you will participate in activities that prepare you to bring these lessons into your communities. That is where education truly fulfills its purpose, when learning becomes action and knowledge becomes service. As you return home, I encourage you to carry forward 5 simple but meaningful commitments. Continue to strengthen youth led initiatives. Document your work with evidence and integrity. Build partnerships with your commitment— communities and institutions. Promote human rights literacy wherever you go. And lastly, continue cultivating peace through dialogue, empathy, and mutual respect. These are not merely tasks to complete. They are responsibilities that define leadership. Every workshop you organize, every young person you inspire, every community you engage, and every act of kindness you demonstrate contributes to a culture of peace. I truly believe, from my deepest heart, I have no doubt that these 2 days will remain with you for many years to come. The friendships you have built, the ideas you have exchanged, and the commitments you have made will continue to guide your journey. Peace does not begin in conference rooms such as these or in international institutions. It begins within each of us. With respect for one another, with compassion, and with the courage to stand up for human dignity. When peace begins in our hearts, it naturally extends to our families, our schools, our communities, our nations, and ultimately our world. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for organizing this. Speaker 146 [2:48:47]: Thank you. Timor-Leste · Ambassador · Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares [2:48:47]: Thank you for your enthusiasm and your courage. Thank you for making these 2 days meaningful and unforgettable. I wish every— I wish— I mean, I wish each of you every success as you continue to use education as a force for human rights dignity, and lasting peace. Obrigado, Barack. Thank you very much. Speaker 148 [2:49:14]: Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [2:49:32]: Thank you, Ambassador. And now I'd like to call Dr. Shuttleworth to the stage. YHRI · President · Mary Shuttleworth [2:49:46]: Yes, 14 when she got started. Give her a hand. And Demi, if we're looking at you now, I can only Imagine the next 25 years for you. And one person we were not able to acknowledge throughout this session is our incredible translator who has been talking nonstop for 2 days, Mariana. Distinguished ambassadors, excellencies, honored guests, colleagues, and dear friends, as we bring this remarkable summit to a close, I hope each one of us leaves inspired not only by what we have heard, but what we have experienced together. And for what you will do next. Speaker 151 [2:50:54]: 25 years. YHRI · President · Mary Shuttleworth [2:50:57]: Over these next— over these past few days, we have learned from extraordinary educators, law enforcement professionals, government officials, youth leaders, diplomats, amazing Queen Mother, and human rights advocates from around the world. We have shared ideas, celebrated achievements, strengthened friendships, and built new partnerships. At that point in time, I'm going to— I'm a teacher, so I need to leave you with something new. Now Joy and I, we already talked about this last year, but for most of you this will be new. Most people at conferences like this come and say, oh, thank you. Excuse me. We have a new word, don't we, Joy? It's called thank we. So these new partnerships from now on, I want you to not only say thank you to somebody who's doing good, but thank we. Why? Because we are together. We are doing this together. We are going to build this together. And talking about together, just because, well, I'm me and I'm a teacher and I have to do this. This morning, one beautiful little girl, young girl, child— I'm a grandmother, I can call them babies. Anyway, she came and she said, can I take a photo? It's my 33rd birthday today. Can I have a photo please? So I would like to know if that beautiful young lady is still with us this afternoon. Raise your hand. Stand up. Is she here? There you go. I want us all to sing her happy birthday. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear friend, happy birthday to you. So joy in the spirit of thank we. Can you imagine a 33-year-old 33-year-old. 33! This is a baby, you know? Birthdays are important. For me, it's like, okay, it was just another day. But for 33, it's a big day, and she spent this whole day with us. So thank we! So most importantly, we have been reminded that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. 25 years ago, Enzo, you remember, we started with nothing. We were babies. We were babies then. But we began with a simple belief— I'm a teacher— that when people know their human rights, they are better prepared not only to protect them, but to respect the rights of others. Thank we. Today, that belief has become a global movement because of you. Because of your dedication, millions of people have learned about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Schools, universities, universities, police academies, government institutions, community organizations, and the media now use human rights education to help build safer, stronger, and more compassionate communities. Before we conclude, I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Permanent Missions whose partnership has made this international human rights possible. On behalf of Youth for Human Rights International, we sincerely thank the Permanent Missions of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Denmark, the Republic of Moldova, and Saint Kitts and Nevis for their valued co-sponsorship, and the Permanent Missions of Mexico and Namibia— I was just there last month, for their participation and support. Your partnerships reflect our shared commitment to advancing human dignity through human rights education and inspires the next generation of global leaders. Please join me in expressing our appreciation to those distinguished Permanent Missions. I would also like to offer our deepest gratitude to the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste. Sir, for your exceptional leadership and generous sponsorship, not only of this summit but several— was it 3? 3 summits to date. Let's give him a hand. You are truly part of our global human rights family. Now finally, we extend our profound gratitude To someone I deeply admire, His Excellency President José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate and President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. His lifelong dedication to peace, reconciliation, and human dignity has inspired people around the world. His unwavering belief of the transformative power of human rights education, and his enduring support of Youth for Human Rights International has helped make gatherings like these possible. We are only in this room because of Timor-Leste and the amazing President Ramos-Horta. Please give them a hand. Speaker 153 [2:57:41]: Thank you. YHRI · President · Mary Shuttleworth [2:57:51]: President Ramos-Horta reminds us that lasting peace is achieved not only by ending conflict, which he did, but by educating each generation— each generation, this cannot end, people— each generation respect the rights and dignity of human beings. It is a true inspiration to us all. As we celebrate our first 25 years— I don't know where they went— let us remember that this anniversary is not the finish line. It is a starting line. For the next 25 at least. And where we started with nothing but a dream, look at us now. Can you imagine 25 years from now with these amazing delegates? When you return home, I hope you will carry with you renewed determination. Every lesson you teach, every young person you inspire, every educator you train, and every community you reach creates a ripple like those butterflies whose impact will be felt for generations. History reminds us that lasting change begins when ordinary people are courageous and decide to do extraordinary things. No matter where we start. That is who you are. You are the educators who open minds. You are the leaders who build the future and build bridges. You are the volunteers who refuse to accept that injustice is Inevitable? You are the reason this movement has flourished for 25 years. On behalf of Youth for Human Rights International, I want to thank each and every one of you for your friendship, your leadership, your generosity, your unwavering commitment to building a more peaceful world. May you leave New York united in one purpose, that together we will continue until every child everywhere knows their 30 human rights and respects the rights of others and, like you, becomes a champion for peace. Together, let us begin the next 25 years We are one big global human rights family united by a common purpose and a shared hope for a more peaceful world. But you see, family never really says goodbye. You know that about me. Because we always simply look forward to the next reunion. My friends, This is not goodbye. It is simply until we meet again. Safe travels. Safe travels, and thank you for helping us write the first 25 years of remarkable history. Let us set our sights sky-high and dream boldly and together build the next 25 years of human rights education, hope, and peace for generations to come. And I leave you reminding you of the lesson I just taught you. What was it that I just taught you at the beginning? I'm a teacher, I'm allowed to ask questions. What was the word I taught you? Speaker 155 [3:02:04]: Thank we. YHRI · President · Mary Shuttleworth [3:02:05]: Thank we. Let's say it aloud. Thank we. Thank we. So as you go out there, why don't you join a community, a group, family that instead of saying thank you, which we mean, but we say thank we. Why? Because we are a family on a similar communication. Joy, thank we. MC · Demi Durrett [3:02:57]: With that, we come to a close. And that brings us to a close on the end of the 20th International Human Rights Summit. And I really want to thank WE, and I want to remind us also of something that Mary just said, which is, we'll see you later, but we'll see you soon, okay? So we look forward to seeing you back next year very, very soon. And I'll have you guys give yourselves another round of applause. Speaker 158 [3:03:24]: Thank you. MC · Demi Durrett [3:03:25]: And we'll have you exit right on out. Thank you for being here. Speaker 160 [3:03:28]: Thank you.