Empowering the Next Generation: Youth Leadership for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity

Speech at at the Model United Nations (MUN) Conference in Afghanistan

Keypoints: 

• Youth Leadership: Role of youth in shaping Afghanistan’s future.
• Peace and Stability: Commitment to a peaceful, stable nation.
• Innovation: Encourage creativity and problem-solving.
• Unity and Equality: Promote cohesion and equal opportunity.
• Teamwork: Collaboration for collective progress.
• Merit-Based Service: Competence and dedication in public service.
• National Pride: Link past achievements to present aspirations.
• Responsibility: Inspire youth to lead governance and development.

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Welcome!

To the new generation, the leaders of peace, stability, and prosperity for Afghanistan; the leadership of the Model United Nations Conference, distinguished Ambassadors, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, and the First Lady: Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh!

Your presence here reassures the people of Afghanistan that we are ready for the absolute majority of this society—the youth and the women—to lead this land. What do I see today in each of your faces? I see hope, resolve, solidarity, empathy, and a profound belief in the equality of men and women. More than anything, I see in you a generation that connects Afghanistan to the world, representing this great land and our dignified people with the highest distinction.

What is at stake today? It is not merely that you are simulating the United Nations; more importantly, it is that you are charting the future of Afghanistan. What have you achieved? Initiative! It was your initiative that convened this assembly, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that spirit.

Second is "Self-Sustainability." I understand that each of you went out and collected 5, 10, or 100 Afghanis to fund this. You did not beg for money; you built this yourselves. This is how work must be done.

Third, you formed a "Team." Nothing in this country can be achieved without teamwork. You represent a generation that is not defined by division, but by connection. We have two types of history: one part of our past is truly a source of pride—we have existed for thousands of years and will surely exist for five thousand more. The blood in your veins is the blood of honor, pride, and resolve. Yet, we have also endured a history of discord. Our divisions have been the cause of our ruin.

You are the generation that will no longer permit discord. You do not only believe in unity; you believe in equality. "No Afghan is less than another, and no Afghan is superior to another."

I will not speak extensively about the United Nations itself, as I hope you know more about it than we do, and I am certain you will gain vast experience by the end of this assembly. If, at the conclusion of this conference, you wish to meet with me and share your views on how peace—the primary mandate of the UN—can be implemented in our land, I am waiting for you.

Furthermore, it is a source of immense joy that the future of Afghanistan is secure in your hands. I am a transitional president; my responsibility is to prepare Afghanistan to be handed over to you. Today, by the grace of Allah (SWT), the administration of this country is becoming younger and more professional day by day. Yesterday, we discussed the urban sector; the average age has dropped from 49 to 29.

I also want to thank your generation for what I have witnessed recently. On Friday, I reviewed 38 candidates for directorate positions in the Ministry of Agriculture across 34 provinces. Seventy percent of them hold Master’s degrees or PhDs. I thank you for your willingness to serve in the most remote corners of Afghanistan. Additionally, I have appointed more than 20 mayors, most of whom are between the ages of 28 and 35. What gives me hope is that you possess both vision and experience, as well as commitment. With this commitment, vision, and knowledge, Insha’Allah, Afghanistan will achieve lasting stability, peace, and prosperity.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Manana!

Yashasin Afghanistan! (Long live Afghanistan!) Zinda bad Afghanistan! Tal de wi Afghanistan!