UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and World No. 1 Women’s Squash Player Nicol David has called on the youths in Malaysia to play a bigger a role in finding solutions to today’s pressing problems.

Addressing Help University College students on International Youth Day (IYD) 2007 themed “Be Seen, Be Heard: Youth Participation for Development”, David cautioned that serious development gaps and challenges lie ahead for the world’s population. She also urged the youth to educate themselves about issues and decision affecting their lives.

“In order for us to become positive agents for change, we must first empower ourselves with the knowledge on issues that are affecting not just us at the individual level, but the often lesser-told stories of our brothers and sisters around the world who are living in abject poverty or in zones of conflict,” she said.

 Highlighting the importance of youth participation in healthy activities, David said, “This generation not only holds the key to the future, but we are, in our own right, incredibly important resources to our communities.  By volunteering or joining an association or group, you are on your way to doing something to improve your community, while building life skills, boosting your future employability and networking with other young people.”  

Dr. Chung Tsung Ping, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP, delivered the message of the Secretary-General and gave a presentation to the students, titled, “Youth Implementing the Millennium Development Goals,” which highlighted the significance of the MDGs and opportunities for youth participation within the UN system.

David, who was appointed the first Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP Malaysia in 2002, was on a short visit to Kuala Lumpur where she also toured the campus and interacted with the students on her experiences as a youth role model.

To commemorate the occasion, David and students also filmed a short video clip to be submitted for the UN Global Youth Wave, a conglomeration of footages of youth celebrations around the world.

International Youth Day is an annual opportunity to recognize the world’s 1.2 billion young people, to celebrate their achievements, and to push for their participation in all areas of society.  It is celebrated on August 12 each year.

News of the event was carried in Bernama.