A message to young people from the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations: Make the 21st century the last century to witness wars

On the eve of the Alliance’s 11th Global Forum in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on December 14-15, we held a conversation with Moratinos in which he called on young people everywhere to put peace back at the top of their priorities.

He said that the future of the world depends on a new generation ready to choose dialogue instead of division, and humanity instead of hatred.

With the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Alliance of Civilizations, Moratinos spoke about how the world has changed over the past two decades.
When the coalition was established in 2005 at the initiative of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the international system was unipolar.

Today, it is multipolar, with the emergence of new powers in the Arab world, Asia, Africa, and Latin America demanding that their voice be heard and their role recognized.

Moratinos stressed that the coalition has a unique position that allows it to bring all parties together at one table.

He said that the world has become more complex and that this represents a challenge that requires a deeper commitment to listening, dialogue and understanding.

Artificial intelligence: opportunities and challenges

Among the most prominent issues that the forum will highlight is artificial intelligence, which the High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations said offers opportunities and will shape the future in significant ways, but also warned of its challenges.

And he said: “The machine is not concerned with religion, faith, or morality – all of which are important to humans.”. He stressed the need for artificial intelligence to remain focused on humans, and to be guided by human values ​​and decisions.

He warned of the dangers of people giving up their freedoms and responsibilities in favor of machines. And he said: “If humanity forgets its moral compass, technology will not correct the course.” He stressed that the Alliance of Civilizations exists specifically to protect these values ​​and ethics.

Warning against the return of hatred

Regarding one of the coalition’s most important concerns, Moratinos spoke about hate speech, especially online.

And he said: “Hatred has returned. It makes one person want to exclude another. Hate begins with words, but leads to exclusion, violence and conflict.”. To counter it, the coalition invests in programs that promote counter-narratives and encourage understanding. He stressed that youth are an essential element in these efforts.

He said that today’s youth live a large part of their lives in “virtual spaces.” He warned of the danger that this would distance them from real human contact.

“We have to bring realism back to young people,” he said, calling for a better balance between the digital world and real life where relationships, cultures and societies are actually formed.

Peace must come first

Moratinos said that the world has become consumed by the obsession with security, and in the process has forgotten the value of peace. He added: “Everyone is more concerned with security than peace. But security will not be achieved without peace.”

He pointed to the large human losses in conflicts and wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and stressed the need for the world to refocus on what is most important: Save humanity.

He said that peace should be the basic message of the Riyadh Forum and the principle that guides future generations.

He stressed that young people are the ones capable of achieving this vision. They alone, he said, can decide that the twenty-first century will be the last century to witness the outbreak of wars.