Addressing youth activists at the Model UN Opening Ceremony

Bill delivers an inspiring speech to young activists and future diplomats at a Model UN Ceremony in May, 2010:

Thank you, thank you. Mr. Secretary General of the conference, Mr. Ed Elor, President of the UNA USA, Mr. Bill Wy, Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks International, Mr. Fernando Alizondo, Director General of UNA USA, Mr. Andrew Rou, Chief of Staff of UNA USA, distinguished delegates, young ladies, and gentlemen.

Okay, is this an MTV crowd? Woo, this is definitely an MTV crowd. We're not used to being in this level of respect at MTV, so it's a particular pleasure for me to be here. We're not normally invited into these amazing halls, and you know the UN is making us cool, so we're happy with that. It's great to be here, and thank you, Hayes, for that nice introduction. What a great leader you are, Hayes, and congratulations for everything you've done.

Yes, it is a great honor to be here tonight and help open this year's conference. I was listening to the Secretary General, and how impressive is he? Ban Ki-moon, wow. As I was listening to him, I thought it's a bit daunting following him because he's quite an individual. But then I was reminded that U2 once opened for the Spice Girls, and I was also reminded that Jimi Hendrix once opened for the Monkees, and Nirvana once opened for Paula Abdul. The Secretary General is about as close as I can think to Bono and Nirvana, and I learned tonight that he is a tweeter, so he is definitely a cool cat.

Speaking of cool cats, I congratulate you all for being part of this impressive gathering. I congratulate the UN and UNA USA Global Classrooms for bringing it all together. All of you are well on your way to being global citizens, and I really mean that. You're dedicated to upholding the UN's great belief, which is to promote universal respect for and observance of human rights and freedom for all.

The combination of your youth activism and the UN is a powerful force. At MTV and Nickelodeon, we love brands, and we are in the heart here, in the General Assembly, of a very ambitious brand: the United Nations. I've always been intrigued by the power of the brand United Nations, uniting nations, or nations united. As challenging as it sounds, it is the highest of goals to unite, to bring nations and people together for the greater good. You're right, Ambassador Barton, it is a miracle, and miracles are part of the planning of the UN.

I have had the privilege of working with the UN for nearly 20 years now, from UN and AIDS to UNICEF all around the world. Many of our partners are here, Jimmy and Amir, great partners. I'm lucky enough to combine that with my job at MTV and Nickelodeon, all the time being surrounded by young people, creativity, and music. Hey, I get to listen to artists like Nas, who by the way is short for Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones. I get to listen to him sing or rap, and if the truth is told, the youth can grow, read more, learn more, change the globe.

I am here to say that is the first time rap has ever been done in the UN. When you bring youth activism to the UN and add a little music, better than I just did, you have an undeniable force to change and unite. Maybe it's even an alternate form of diplomacy or maybe it's an ultimate form of diplomacy. As I've traveled the world, I've seen what youth activism can do, and it is impressive. In Zambia, peer counselors unselfishly walk from village to village to fight HIV/AIDS through prevention and anti-stigma. In my travels in Africa, I am convinced that young people in Africa will lead the world in the fight against one of the worst epidemics in recorded history. You can see the determination in their faces. I wish everyone could see their faces.

In India, young people are teaching AIDS orphans to learn. In Vietnam, they're bringing clean water to villages. Just last month in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, they're using concerts to uncover the shadows of human trafficking. In Europe, they're creating on-air programming to help protect the environment and fight climate change. In Pakistan, they're bringing together artists from India and Pakistan for the first time, sharing the same stage to sing for earthquake relief.

Three months ago in New York, London, and Los Angeles, they gave artists a platform to raise money for the recent tragic earthquake in Haiti and introduced young Israelis and young Palestinians to Nelson Mandela to learn about forgiveness. Seeing how a small change at the grassroots level can bring a big impact has inspired our Staying Alive initiative to fight HIV/AIDS. We have Georgia Arnold here who heads up our Staying Alive campaign. Staying Alive is about, well, it's about staying alive. It's about saving lives, but more importantly, it's about living life positively with or without HIV. We are now up to 230 grants in over 50 countries, all to young people with no resources. Although some of our grantees have tragically fallen to this epidemic, their legacy and their work continue onward.

We're honored to hear in a few minutes from one of our grantees. His name is Tyler Spencer, and he will be here in just a few minutes. This youth activism has had a tremendous impact. Coming together is an irresistible force and can be a force for change. Whether it's for freedom, global health, or the environment, in my travels, I've seen the world has an amazing array of diversity. As U2 so aptly put it, we are one, but we are different. We are different, but we are one. At MTV, we have a unique ability to be seen and heard on a truly massive scale. We have 200 channels in 160 countries. Two billion people can watch us. We realized long ago that to truly connect with our audience, it was not about importing culture in; instead, it's about reflecting culture out. The flow of culture has become a two-way street, and it's a vehicle for cultural exchange, which brings us together, can break down barriers, and promotes understanding. Whether it's playing Urdu in India, bringing Kwaito pop from Kenya to the UK, or just having a call to prayer on our Muslim channels, it's about reflecting and respecting local culture.

We have also learned that media, even television, can actually be a force for good. It can educate, it can inform, and it can inspire. Yes, the world is a complicated place with what seems like an endless array of problems, but in the next few days, remember the power of youth activism. So be activists, try to make a difference, no matter how small it is. Do something, do anything. Never give up, persevere, all for the greater good.

Your agenda today, tomorrow, and Saturday deals with some very heavy issues: global health, economic breakdown, nuclear weapons, equality for women, the environment, food security and malnutrition, conflicts in Afghanistan and the Congo, just to name a few. That's just the first day. So I encourage you to be bold but thoughtful, be brave but sensitive, be creative, be innovative, fight injustice, champion equality. With that, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that your energy and hard work can make this world a better place.