Dr. Djibril Diallo, President & Chief Executive Officer, African Renaissance and Diaspora Network Inc.

This past weekend, I had the honor of being the 2019 CUNY Youth Ambassador for the United Nations Winter Youth Assembly as a guest of UNESCO and Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. I represented CUNY, the largest public institution in the United States, as well as the Center for Advanced Study in Education (CASE) and I met so many powerful leaders. These leaders came in all ages, ranging from a 16 year old girl who was leading the New York Coalition fighting for gender equality, to someone who has been leading a department of the UN for over 30 years. These incredibly empowering people have truly taught me that “the youth is not the future, but rather the present”. Hearing Dr. Malvika Iyer discuss her success while being a bilateral amputee since the age 13 brought me to realize that there is truly nothing we cannot do. The youth define the majority of the planet’s population and our idea and movements are valuable. As youth, we often assume that we have no power. However, as the most educated generation and one of the more innovative generations, our abilities to overcome these barriers transcends our age. Nadya Okamoto realized that homeless women are disadvantaged due to their lack of feminine resources, and launched the non-profit organization PERIOD when she was 16.  We are accountable for being the change rather than waiting for it to happen. We are the #FriendshipGeneration, and we can build bridges, not walls.

Nadya Okamoto, Founder and Executive Director of PERIOD

Dr. Malvika Iyer, Bomb blast survivor, “Nari Shakti” National Awardee, Disability Rights Activist