SEVENTEEN's Joshua Inspires Youth at UNESCO Event in Paris

Joshua Represents SEVENTEEN at UNESCO Ceremony

On June 26 (KST), Joshua from SEVENTEEN made a significant appearance at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris for the event titled 'UNESCO x SEVENTEEN: Celebrating Youth, Creativity and Well-Being Together.' As the first Youth Goodwill Ambassadors appointed by UNESCO, the group reiterated their dedication to empowering youth globally. In his address, Joshua motivated young individuals to pursue their dreams, stressing the importance of their aspirations in making a difference in the world. While Joshua was present at the event, the other members participated via a special video message, congratulating the participants of the UNESCO x SEVENTEEN global youth grant initiative and celebrating their accomplishments.

Joshua's Inspiring Speech at UNESCO

Joshua began his speech by introducing himself on behalf of all 13 SEVENTEEN members, expressing their desire to attend the event together. He conveyed, "Before anything else, I want to share that all our members truly wish they could be here today. They are sending all their love and support to everyone in this room." Reflecting on SEVENTEEN's journey with UNESCO, he described the headquarters as a place of great significance. He reminisced about their involvement in the 2023 Youth Forum and their appointment as UNESCO's inaugural Youth Goodwill Ambassadors in 2024. He also highlighted the 'Going Together: For Youth Creativity and Well-Being' initiative, which aims to provide young people with resources, mentorship, and platforms to transform their ideas into impactful actions.

Further commending the impact of youth-led projects, Joshua remarked, "Supporting this journey has been deeply valuable to all of us. We are incredibly proud of everything they have accomplished." He encouraged the audience to recognize the young leaders and emphasized that the true success of the initiative lies not in statistics but in the stories of youth utilizing "music and dance for healing, art for mental well-being, and sports to build confidence." Joshua also shared what impressed SEVENTEEN the most about the initiative, stating, "Young people already have the answers to change the world. They just need someone to believe in them," highlighting how participants collaborated as teams to find solutions, understanding their community challenges better than anyone else.

Joshua Reflects on Shared Dreams

Drawing parallels with SEVENTEEN's own journey, Joshua expressed, "As 13 individuals sharing one dream for over a decade, we faced our own uncertainties, having to reinvent ourselves, embrace challenges, and push beyond our limits." He added that the group's growth has always been rooted in trust and internal coordination, even as members pursued independent activities, which ultimately strengthened SEVENTEEN. In closing, Joshua urged young changemakers to continue following their unique paths while collaborating for a brighter future. "Through the journey of the global youth grant scheme, we realized that there are dreams everywhere. I think they just need a gentle nudge, a small voice that says, 'We believe in you.' We want to be that small voice," he stated.

Meanwhile, the other members shared a video message celebrating the achievement of the UNESCO x SEVENTEEN global youth grant scheme, congratulating all 100 teams and the 10 selected Scale-up teams.

Since their appointment as UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassadors, SEVENTEEN has reinforced its commitment to youth empowerment by contributing $1 million to initiate the Global Youth Grant Scheme, which supports youth-led initiatives in various fields including arts, culture, sports, community development, and mental health.