-
Not Synced
I now will give the floor to Milena Dudasova,
-
Not Synced
also Youth representative
-
Not Synced
from Slovakia.
-
Not Synced
Madam, you have the floor...
-
Not Synced
10 seconds.
-
Not Synced
10 seconds is what it took to Thomas Edison
-
Not Synced
to invent the lightbulb.
-
Not Synced
In exactly the same amount of time we´re sitting here
-
Not Synced
brilliant man changed the history.
-
Not Synced
Short while, but preceeded by years of preparations
-
Not Synced
and thousands of mistakes.
-
Not Synced
This is just one example,
-
Not Synced
but my main question for you today is:
-
Not Synced
Is youth getting prepared and being supported
-
Not Synced
for unique stories and discovery moments like that?
-
Not Synced
Dear Mr. Chairman,
-
Not Synced
ladies and gentlemen,
-
Not Synced
Distinguished delegates,
-
Not Synced
it´s really an honor for me to speak here
-
Not Synced
at the United Nations General Assembly today
-
Not Synced
on behalf of young people from Slovakia.
-
Not Synced
What I would like to emphasize today is
-
Not Synced
the problem of general phenomenon of low expectations towards young people.
-
Not Synced
Edison started developing his laboratory when he was 10,
-
Not Synced
founder of American Red Cross, Clara Barton,
-
Not Synced
started nursing at the age of 14.
-
Not Synced
George Washington, at the age of 16, became a great land surveyor.
-
Not Synced
Historian Friedrich Heer made a following comment in this regard:
-
Not Synced
"At their time period, young men and women like that
-
Not Synced
were nothing unique."
-
Not Synced
Today, however, people in their age are only considered being teenagers
-
Not Synced
and majority of adults would be pretty sceptical
-
Not Synced
about credibility of their work.
-
Not Synced
My question is WHY?
-
Not Synced
Approximately 50% of the world population is YOUTH.
-
Not Synced
Can we see that in our economies
-
Not Synced
that half of the population is in their most productive years?
-
Not Synced
Being young is currently perceived as not being capable enough,
-
Not Synced
so let me give you a question:
-
Not Synced
How old do you think the word teenager is?
-
Not Synced
Most of the people would say 500 years or 200...
-
Not Synced
The answer is
-
Not Synced
that the 1st documented usage of the word teenager is
-
Not Synced
from 1941.
-
Not Synced
That´s not even 100 years ago.
-
Not Synced
For me that was pretty unbelievable,
-
Not Synced
but more unbelievable is the radical change in usage of young years in general.
-
Not Synced
Until 20th century there were only 2 categories:
-
Not Synced
kids or adults.
-
Not Synced
The dividing line between those 2 groups was determined
-
Not Synced
by one´s responsibility and independence.
