MANILA – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) appointed the 13 members of K-pop group SEVENTEEN as its first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth.
In a news release, UNESCO Director-General Audry Azoulay, together with the new ambassadors, announced the launching of “Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being”, an ambitious grant programme for youth projects around the world.
SEVENTEEN will contribute USD 1 million to finance the initiative, according to UNESCO.
“This group has become a symbol for millions of young people around the world, to whom we transmit positive energy and the spirit of leadership. UNESCO, as the United Nations organization for Culture and Education, is delighted to join forces with SEVENTEEN to give young people the means to express themselves and to take action to rise to this century’s major challenges,” Azoulay enthused.
For their part, SEVENTEEN expressed their appreciation for the recognition UNESCO has given them for the “consistent effort and longstanding passion” to contribute to youth worldwide.
“We know that our dreams don’t stand alone and now, to give back what we’ve received from all of you, we are determined to use our voice to create a global youth community made stronger through mutual love and support,” Joshua, one of the members on behalf of SEVENTEEN said.
According to UNESCO, the Global Youth Grant Scheme will support youth-led initiatives worldwide to address challenges affecting the well-being and development of young people and their communities, in particular through music, arts and sports.
“To this end, it will support project leaders aged from 18 to 30 years old, from different backgrounds and regions,” UNESCO added.
As part of their ambassadorship, SEVENTEEN will also take part in UNESCO’s awareness campaigns and events, and will promote its values and actions during their performances, UNESCO revealed.
In November 2023, the group participated in the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum, delivering a speech and doing their very first live performance in France, with an online audience exceeding 40 million video views.
The UNESCO Youth Forum serves as a direct line of communication between young people and the leaders of its 194 Member States.
UNESCO reiterated its mandate for education, sciences and culture through the implementation of numerous youth-led initiatives and supported youth networks to tackle the major challenges of the century, the release stated.
