0:00:09.365,0:00:13.164 I moved from Venezuela[br]with my family about three months ago. 0:00:13.584,0:00:16.636 And in my first day in Wiregrass, 0:00:17.968,0:00:21.203 my history teacher asked us,[br]a really simple question. 0:00:21.759,0:00:25.371 "How many of you have ever[br]sent a letter, or an email, 0:00:25.371,0:00:28.651 or even called your local[br]representative or senator?" 0:00:29.441,0:00:32.281 For a second, everyone stayed silent. 0:00:32.281,0:00:35.580 Then someone stood up and said,[br]"I had never done that, 0:00:35.580,0:00:38.410 because it won't make a difference;[br]they won't hear that." 0:00:38.640,0:00:40.821 I was really shocked[br]when I heard that answer, 0:00:40.821,0:00:42.851 but everyone seems to agree with it, 0:00:43.331,0:00:46.113 like it was a perfectly[br]rational explanation. 0:00:47.819,0:00:50.303 I wanted to think that it wasn't[br]a common feeling 0:00:50.303,0:00:53.115 among American teens[br]and American youths, 0:00:53.115,0:00:57.894 but the thing is that it is a fact[br]that most American teens 0:00:59.211,0:01:03.064 do not understand the power[br]their voice and their opinions can have. 0:01:04.613,0:01:08.383 In the 2014 mid-term elections,[br] 0:01:09.483,0:01:14.103 only 22% of 18 to 29 years old, voted. 0:01:14.475,0:01:18.505 Only 22%; 21.5%, if you want to be exact. 0:01:20.075,0:01:22.221 In my country, we will never[br]lose an election. 0:01:22.221,0:01:25.080 You will see 80% , 90% turnout. [br] 0:01:25.080,0:01:27.800 People wake up,[br]go to vote, then go home. 0:01:27.800,0:01:31.020 I think that's the rational thing to do. 0:01:31.020,0:01:35.263 Furthermore, when you look[br]at political interest among millennials, 0:01:35.263,0:01:38.602 which are people from 18 to 29 years old, 0:01:38.712,0:01:40.272 right now in 2016, 0:01:40.542,0:01:44.298 you see that only 26% consider[br]politics and government 0:01:44.298,0:01:46.401 one of their top three interests. 0:01:46.571,0:01:48.343 What does this tell me? 0:01:48.343,0:01:52.919 Most American teens do not worry[br]about what happens in their country. 0:01:52.946,0:01:57.405 And just by extension, I see that most[br]Americans do not realise the power 0:01:57.405,0:01:59.337 their actions and opinions can have. 0:01:59.481,0:02:03.331 You may say, "Who are you to criticize me?[br] 0:02:03.331,0:02:05.181 Why are you saying this to me?" 0:02:05.355,0:02:09.410 Let me start by saying that[br]in many countries around the world, 0:02:10.435,0:02:13.832 you risk your life just[br]by standing up for your beliefs. 0:02:14.247,0:02:17.501 You don't have the power to say,[br]"Hey, I don't agree with this," 0:02:17.597,0:02:18.942 or "I don't like this.". 0:02:19.522,0:02:21.722 This is something really close to my heart 0:02:21.722,0:02:25.994 because in 2014, [br]I was part of the protest 0:02:26.274,0:02:28.421 that took place in Venezuela.[br] 0:02:28.951,0:02:32.121 We went out and we protested[br]against the dictatorial government 0:02:33.071,0:02:38.194 that has kept scarcity,[br]crime, and inflation 0:02:38.624,0:02:41.084 at the highest rates[br]in the history of our country. 0:02:41.142,0:02:44.489 We fought, with banners like this one. 0:02:45.161,0:02:49.575 We just wanted to make voices heard, [br]to actually say what we believed in. 0:02:50.672,0:02:54.255 And we faced off against police, [br]against the military, 0:02:55.085,0:02:57.275 just to stand up for our beliefs.[br] 0:02:57.275,0:03:00.365 And this was the government's response; 0:03:01.725,0:03:07.056 more than 42 people dead; 20 of them[br]were less than 18 years old. 0:03:07.385,0:03:11.962 More than 5,000 injured, [br]3,000 were jailed, 0:03:11.962,0:03:15.581 and more than three million blacklisted, [br]including me and my family. 0:03:15.990,0:03:20.329 This is the reason why I left my country,[br]I left everything behind. 0:03:20.839,0:03:24.387 We left our family, our friends, [br]and we came here, 0:03:24.387,0:03:26.694 and we're living under these conditions.[br] 0:03:28.434,0:03:31.724 We agreed to do this, and we accept this, 0:03:31.974,0:03:35.085 because here, we have something[br]that we've never had in our lives. 0:03:35.725,0:03:37.090 We have freedom. 0:03:37.473,0:03:39.955 The freedom to stand up[br]for what we believe in, 0:03:40.345,0:03:43.292 and to actually demand our rights. 0:03:43.852,0:03:47.304 Our family here[br]has turned their back on us, 0:03:48.064,0:03:51.379 we have trouble getting[br]the money to pay bills, 0:03:51.379,0:03:55.703 but we will fight to stay here[br]because we want to be free. 0:03:57.996,0:04:02.956 This is just my opinion on why I have[br] 0:04:03.876,0:04:05.466 the responsibility to tell you 0:04:05.466,0:04:09.205 that you can make a change[br]in your country, in your community. 0:04:12.073,0:04:16.872 During the 1960s civil rights[br]movement, the words of a man 0:04:17.115,0:04:19.822 helped shape the identity of a nation.[br] 0:04:20.302,0:04:24.575 "I have a dream" became a mantra[br]for everyone around the world 0:04:24.575,0:04:28.675 who wanted to change[br]his reality for the better. 0:04:28.675,0:04:32.485 Small actions like a woman who refused[br]to give up her seat on the bus, 0:04:34.285,0:04:36.152 helped form a movement 0:04:36.152,0:04:39.725 that changed the identity,[br]the whole identity, the whole society 0:04:39.725,0:04:41.816 in America for the better.[br] 0:04:42.536,0:04:46.216 So please don't say that your actions[br]are too little too late. 0:04:46.516,0:04:49.019 Everything that you can do[br]to change society, 0:04:49.019,0:04:51.648 to change the world, will matter. 0:04:53.012,0:04:55.433 Never, never give up.[br] 0:04:55.433,0:04:57.903 And always think positively. 0:04:58.433,0:05:01.235 You can go as far as your dreams take you. 0:05:02.490,0:05:07.093 And remember that every revolution,[br]all around the world, 0:05:07.093,0:05:09.055 starts with a single person.[br] 0:05:09.055,0:05:12.692 And I believe that everyone in this room[br]has the power to be that person. 0:05:12.692,0:05:13.961 Thank you very much.