thank you hello my name is Leon and I’m
a 14 year old British Yemeni let me tell
you about that video you just saw it’s
me four years ago giving a speech at my
school speaking competition when I was
living in sana the capital of Yemen it
was a very competitive and joyful day
for me and my friends as we were all
competing against each other we had
worked so hard to this competition and
we also had a big math exam coming up I
spent a whole day worrying about this
test as I had probably not prepared as
much as I should have we kept thinking
all we have to do was pass this test
finish high school and I’m like all
teenagers get Cena versity and achieve
our dreams but little did we know that
we would never make it to the exam the
next day and our lives were about to
change forever it was 3 a.m. when I woke
up and my father’s arms as he ran down
to the basement the place in our family
home which we’d hoped would keep us safe
I remember the house shaking as the air
shocks were happening my name is
screaming and yelling I especially
remember the windows breaking on the top
floor of our home immediately
my parents turned on the TV to watch the
news and understand what was going on
but I still had no idea what was
happening around me as we were all
gathered around the TV I began to text
my friends to see if they could hear
what I was hearing even though none of
us knew I was going gone we had all been
affected we later learned that a
coalition of 10 countries led by Saudi
Arabia had bombed our city and the worst
of it it was only a short distance from
my home at that moment I realized our
exams and actually our dreams of the
future were now put on hold my talk
today isn’t about the consequences of
the conflict or what happened next
because I’m sure people your age have
access to news platforms and news
mediums where you can learn about them
but I’m actually here today to tell you
how important it is to talk to the
younger generation even about the even
about difficult topics like conflict
politics and generally real-life
situations no matter how complicated
they may be as is us the younger
generation who will end up taking up
responsibility and hopefully making
change in the future will happen next
after the horrible evening was me and my
family were lucky to be evacuated
since we are all so British
we left behind my friends and also my
family we came to the UK and I joined a
new school I remember on my first day at
my new school one of my new friends
asked me how come you moved countries so
I began to explain my story telling her
about was the worst time of my life as I
was telling her my story I was surprised
by the amount of questions that she had
it was really because she had never
heard of Yemen’s war over time I came to
realize how could she have known Obama’s
forgotten war when I myself I’m still
confused about what led to the war that
changed my life forever and the answer
was quite simple there are no news
platforms aimed at the younger
generation and those that do exist on
originals
in the UK today 99% of 12 to 15 year
olds have their own access to the
Internet in a world where over half of
the world’s population is under 25 and
have never known a world without
Internet the internet social media is
the go-to communicating system on top of
that I noticed a most adults were
discussing these topics amongst
themselves rather than discussing them
with younger people when was the last
time you spoke to younger person about a
serious conflict and ask them about
their views on it did you brush off the
conversation were you worried you might
say the wrong thing well actually in
order for younger people to feel engaged
and empowered to understand what’s going
on in the world we need you and news
platforms to talk to us use language
that we understand and take the time to
explain themselves also also talking to
my friend in school and explaining why I
had to leave Yemen I saw real change in
her I mean I can keep up with all her
questions and actually struggle to
probably explain some of them a few days
later I saw an advert on the train about
donating to support children in Yemen so
I told my friends about it it started
conversation about my experience for the
first time I can see how when my friends
understood my story they could relate
and really wanted to help this was a
powerful experience of how better
understanding can empower and encourage
younger people to want to help this
example of the true value of
peer-to-peer conversation really showed
me how better understanding can empower
and encourage younger people to want to
help in a global unloading
internet-based society social media
platforms need better supports and
promotes fit sphere conversation this
can empower younger generations by
connection
I hope today I have shown you that by
connecting the next generation we can
empower future global citizens and
global leaders now let’s take so even
being worried about saying the wrong
thing what I am here today to say is
that you can empower by connection not
only here or globally action and
awareness is also empowering and raises
hope of people back in Yemen
I hope whenever anybody sing let’s talk
again in the future it is no longer the
Forgotten War and my friends dreams are
no longer on hold thank you [Applause]
a 14 year old British Yemeni let me tell
you about that video you just saw it’s
me four years ago giving a speech at my
school speaking competition when I was
living in sana the capital of Yemen it
was a very competitive and joyful day
for me and my friends as we were all
competing against each other we had
worked so hard to this competition and
we also had a big math exam coming up I
spent a whole day worrying about this
test as I had probably not prepared as
much as I should have we kept thinking
all we have to do was pass this test
finish high school and I’m like all
teenagers get Cena versity and achieve
our dreams but little did we know that
we would never make it to the exam the
next day and our lives were about to
change forever it was 3 a.m. when I woke
up and my father’s arms as he ran down
to the basement the place in our family
home which we’d hoped would keep us safe
I remember the house shaking as the air
shocks were happening my name is
screaming and yelling I especially
remember the windows breaking on the top
floor of our home immediately
my parents turned on the TV to watch the
news and understand what was going on
but I still had no idea what was
happening around me as we were all
gathered around the TV I began to text
my friends to see if they could hear
what I was hearing even though none of
us knew I was going gone we had all been
affected we later learned that a
coalition of 10 countries led by Saudi
Arabia had bombed our city and the worst
of it it was only a short distance from
my home at that moment I realized our
exams and actually our dreams of the
future were now put on hold my talk
today isn’t about the consequences of
the conflict or what happened next
because I’m sure people your age have
access to news platforms and news
mediums where you can learn about them
but I’m actually here today to tell you
how important it is to talk to the
younger generation even about the even
about difficult topics like conflict
politics and generally real-life
situations no matter how complicated
they may be as is us the younger
generation who will end up taking up
responsibility and hopefully making
change in the future will happen next
after the horrible evening was me and my
family were lucky to be evacuated
since we are all so British
we left behind my friends and also my
family we came to the UK and I joined a
new school I remember on my first day at
my new school one of my new friends
asked me how come you moved countries so
I began to explain my story telling her
about was the worst time of my life as I
was telling her my story I was surprised
by the amount of questions that she had
it was really because she had never
heard of Yemen’s war over time I came to
realize how could she have known Obama’s
forgotten war when I myself I’m still
confused about what led to the war that
changed my life forever and the answer
was quite simple there are no news
platforms aimed at the younger
generation and those that do exist on
originals
in the UK today 99% of 12 to 15 year
olds have their own access to the
Internet in a world where over half of
the world’s population is under 25 and
have never known a world without
Internet the internet social media is
the go-to communicating system on top of
that I noticed a most adults were
discussing these topics amongst
themselves rather than discussing them
with younger people when was the last
time you spoke to younger person about a
serious conflict and ask them about
their views on it did you brush off the
conversation were you worried you might
say the wrong thing well actually in
order for younger people to feel engaged
and empowered to understand what’s going
on in the world we need you and news
platforms to talk to us use language
that we understand and take the time to
explain themselves also also talking to
my friend in school and explaining why I
had to leave Yemen I saw real change in
her I mean I can keep up with all her
questions and actually struggle to
probably explain some of them a few days
later I saw an advert on the train about
donating to support children in Yemen so
I told my friends about it it started
conversation about my experience for the
first time I can see how when my friends
understood my story they could relate
and really wanted to help this was a
powerful experience of how better
understanding can empower and encourage
younger people to want to help this
example of the true value of
peer-to-peer conversation really showed
me how better understanding can empower
and encourage younger people to want to
help in a global unloading
internet-based society social media
platforms need better supports and
promotes fit sphere conversation this
can empower younger generations by
connection
I hope today I have shown you that by
connecting the next generation we can
empower future global citizens and
global leaders now let’s take so even
being worried about saying the wrong
thing what I am here today to say is
that you can empower by connection not
only here or globally action and
awareness is also empowering and raises
hope of people back in Yemen
I hope whenever anybody sing let’s talk
again in the future it is no longer the
Forgotten War and my friends dreams are
no longer on hold thank you [Applause]
Please follow and like us: