UN Delegates at age 17 to promote youth involvement

Becoming a UN Delegate at 17: A Transformative Experience

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This year, becoming a UN delegate at 17 was unexpected. Yet, it has become an experience we will never forget. We were honored to participate in the United Nations High-Level Meeting commemorating 30 years of the World Programme of Action for Youth. We carried with us the voices and visions of young leaders from around the globe.

Read our full statements and the powerful country statements from the United Nations General Assembly meeting. The Perception Foundation's complete remarks can be found under the first civil society!

https://lnkd.in/eZAF6cjs!

Our Statement: Youth Matter

We measure youth by the years we’ve lived. That is a lie. Youth are not waiting. Youth are alive. Youth are necessary. Every day, we look them in the eye and tell them they do not matter. Their voices do not count. Their futures can wait.

Only 16% of young people are invited to make real decisions. Seventy-five percent are desperate to shape the world—climate, mental health, inclusion—and we shut them out.

We are not the leaders of tomorrow. We are the leaders of now. You do not empower us by inviting us to be seen. You empower us by trusting us, by giving us resources, and by letting us lead today.

The Power of Youth Leadership

At The Perception Foundation, we refuse to stay silent. Entirely youth-led, with over 90 branches across 20 countries, we empower thousands of young people. We focus on the 25% who often feel invisible. We uplift leaders from all walks of life and across the neurodiversity spectrum to lead, act, and be seen.

We provide mentorship. We show youth how to start social initiatives, gain funding, advocate, and engage communities. We pioneer solutions: cost-efficient sensory rooms under $500, mobile sensory carts, and a national curriculum on emotional regulation, inclusion, and neurodiversity. We even discovered a novel biomarker for neurodevelopmental disorders—all while being told our futures could wait.

The Urgency of Youth Participation

Full, effective, meaningful youth participation is not optional. It is survival. It is about giving every young person, even those who doubt themselves, the mentorship, tools, and platforms to lead.

You must not just invite us to the table. You must make space for us to build our own. Deny our voices, our spaces, our right to lead, and history will not just remember that you failed. It will remember that you chose to.

A Call to Action

We are here. We are bold. We will not be ignored. It’s time to recognize the potential of youth. It’s time to act. Together, we can create a new normal where individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders thrive.

Let’s expand access to sensory-friendly spaces globally. Let’s lead advocacy efforts as the largest youth-led non-profit in this field. Together, we can make a difference.

Conclusion: The Future is Now

As we reflect on our experience at the UN, we know that the future is now. We are not waiting for permission to lead. We are taking action. We are here to stay.

Join us in this movement. Together, we can empower youth and create a brighter future for all.