I don’t take it lightly when I’m asked to represent a voice. The voice of youth. On something I believe in this deeply.

I was invited to speak at “Vive la Paz” — a forum organized by the Soka Gakkai Internacional de Panamá, part of a global network present in 192 countries, committed to peace, culture, and education. The forum was grounded in the 2019 peace proposal by Japanese philosopher and peace activist Daisaku Ikeda:“Hacia una nueva era de paz y desarme: Un enfoque centrado en las personas” — a vision that places human dignity, youth leadership, and education at the center of building a more just world.

My topic was clear and I meant every word of it: the most important force to transform our world is youth.

Not a metaphor. Not a motivational phrase. A conviction — backed by what I’ve seen when young people are given a real space to think, to speak, and to act. My participation focused on education as the foundation of that transformation. Not the academic kind, but the kind that tells a young person: your voice matters, your perspective is needed, and your ability to create change is real.

In a world that still needs this conversation urgently, I was honored to stand in that room and speak to it. Not as an expert. As someone who has lived it, built spaces around it, and believes — without reservation — that education is the most powerful tool we have for peace.

If Ikeda’s proposal felt relevant in 2019, it feels essential now.