80 years ago, faced with the dark and evil forces of fascism, people of different countries, nationalities, social systems and ideologies united and made great sacrifices for the victory of justice and peace, thus opening the prelude to mankind’s reconstruction of the post-war order and pursuit of lasting peace.
Over the past 80 years, under the theme of peace and development and driven by the wave of scientific and technological innovation, human material civilization has flourished unprecedentedly, the level of global connectivity has deepened unprecedentedly, and humanity has increasingly become a community with a shared future, sharing weal and woe.
Today, 80 years later, the century-long changes are accelerating, and changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. Humanity is once again at the crossroads of unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum.
As representatives of youth from around the world, we are deeply aware of the value of peace and the responsibilities of the younger generation. Only by cherishing peace and upholding unity can humanity have a bright future. To this end, we solemnly issue the “World Youth Peace Initiative,” calling on young people around the world to unite to safeguard peace, promote development, and create a better future.
We call on young people to be defenders of world peace. History cannot be tampered with, justice must be upheld, and peace must be maintained. Young people of all countries should draw wisdom from history, cherish and defend peace through concrete actions, oppose all wars and violence, and oppose all unilateralism, hegemonism, and protectionism. They should jointly safeguard the victory of the Second World War, jointly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, practice true multilateralism, and contribute their youthful strength to safeguarding world peace.
We call on young people to be pioneers in promoting mutual learning among civilizations. Maintaining world peace requires, first and foremost, building a strong ideological foundation. Young people from all countries should uphold a vision of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. They should transcend barriers between civilizations through exchanges, transcend conflicts through mutual learning, and transcend superiority through coexistence. They should contribute their youthful wisdom to the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations and mutual understanding and friendship among peoples of all countries.
We call on young people to be advocates for win-win cooperation. Development is the cornerstone of peace. Young people from all countries should uphold the principles of win-win cooperation and common development, leverage multilateral and bilateral mechanisms and regional platforms to deepen and expand youth cooperation, and actively participate in the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the outcomes of future summits. This will inject youthful energy into bridging the global development deficit and achieving more inclusive and beneficial global development.
We call on young people to take action to address climate change. Climate change threatens our shared home, Earth. Young people from all countries should embrace the spirit of “working together as one” and actively participate in global climate change initiatives. They should demonstrate their youthful responsibility in innovative solutions to global climate issues, improve global ecological governance, and jointly address global challenges.
We call on young people to be promoters of technology for good. While scientific and technological progress brings opportunities for world peace, it also presents challenges. Young people from all countries should bravely take the lead and shoulder responsibilities in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence. They should promote the benefits of scientific and technological achievements for all humanity and the inclusive development of digital technology. They should also provide youthful solutions for improving global science and technology governance and building an inclusive, just, and sustainable global future.
Eighty years ago, our ancestors illuminated the darkness with unity; 80 years later, it is up to the youth to define the future with action. We will take the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations as a new starting point, “Together for Peace,” and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind!
