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Making a Difference

From an Interview with Tanawat Phaovibul
photo Tanawat Phaovibul and his fellow Malaysian youth delegate Roazita Ma (right), at the United Nations

Tanawat Phaovibul, age 19, was a Thai youth delegate to the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly in 2008. (See also the previous related interview with an Australian youth delegate to the United Nations).

I got involved in the Thai youth delegate program when I was just starting my sophomore year at Mahidol University. I had been involved in a lot of national and regional public speaking competitions and was constantly checking the Thai Ministry of Education's website, which is how I came across their announcement on the search for two Thai youth delegates. The program was especially attractive to me as an international relations major, but I was skeptical about my chances of getting in, because of my inexperience. I applied without much expectation, with the determination that if I did get in, I'd do my best to bring issues concerning Thai youth and youth in general to the international stage, and to learn. To my surprise, I was accepted.

As I studied international relations, I came to perceive the UN as an organization whose large bureaucracy hampered its ability to fulfill its potential. So, before going, I felt mildly skeptical about the UN and unsure if the voices of the youth would be heard there. I found, however, that there were many people, from states and governmental and nongovernmental organizations alike, that cared very much about the perspectives that youth were bringing to the UN.

I wanted to convey the Thai youths' message about developing the quality of general education (as opposed to simply expanding access to education) and the desire for greater youth participation. The opportunity to address the Third Committee of the General Assembly and to meet and talk briefly with the Secretary-General were the most memorable moments for me.

I believe that youth, above all, bring credibility to the UN. If the UN is going to be making decisions that impact youth, then it only makes sense that youth be included in the decision-making process. I realized that youth have a powerful voice. I was awed by the skill of some of the more experienced youth delegates in navigating the UN system in order to put the youth message across. It inspired me to think that if young people can do this much at the international level, then it shouldn't be too hard to do the same on the national level.

After returning to Thailand I began working hard with former Thai youth delegates to pull together a formal youth delegation network to promote and support youth participation in this program. I've also become more active in speaking to other youth about what they can do to be a part of the decision-making processes on issues that affect them.

My experience at the UN has made me more hopeful about the prospects of tackling global problems. Although the UN has its own obstacles to overcome, the very fact that there is concern about the well-being of youth is enough to keep my hopes up. At the end of the day, I think that's the single most important thing: people who care.

The problems of the planet are an accumulation of the small problems around each of us--things that we can each have an impact on. The power of making a difference on a small scale is something that youth should never underestimate.

Learn more about youth delegates at the United Nations and how to become one: www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/youthrep.htm

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