“Every Dream Matters”: SEVENTEEN’s Joshua Delivers Inspiring Speech at UNESCO Headquarters

Joshua, a prominent member of the record-breaking global K-pop group SEVENTEEN, has once again captured the attention of international leaders by delivering a deeply moving speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. Representing his group on the global stage, the 30-year-old star attended a special celebratory ceremony to champion, support, and bring courage to youth initiatives worldwide.

Celebrating the Massive Success of the ‘Going Together’ Initiative

The high-profile event, titled “UNESCO x SEVENTEEN: Celebrating Youth, Creativity and Well-Being Together,” was officially held on June 25, 2026 (local time). SEVENTEEN originally made history in June 2024 when they were formally appointed as UNESCO’s very first Global Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth.

This year’s special assembly was organized to review the incredible, real-world achievements of the “Going Together – For Youth Creativity & Well-being” program—a global grant initiative dedicated to funding youth-led social impact projects. Alongside Joshua, the celebratory gathering featured several prominent global figures, including Åsa Regnér, the Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, and dozens of young community leaders representing different continents.

“We Will Keep Shouting For Your Dreams”: Joshua’s Inspiring Message

Stepping up to the podium with confidence and grace, Joshua delivered a powerful speech highlighting his personal pride in witnessing the growth of the “Going Together” movement. He earned a thunderous round of applause from the international diplomats after passionately stating:

“Every single dream held by a young person is incredibly precious and important. Watching your amazing journeys unfold over the past two years has taught us a beautiful lesson: through trust in one another and the deep belief that we are always stronger when we stand together, we can truly travel so much further. Moving forward, SEVENTEEN promises to stand right by your side in the absolute best way we know how. We will continue to sing for you, quietly cheer you on behind the scenes, and sometimes, we will stand up and loudly shout to the world that your dreams matter.”

The remaining members of SEVENTEEN, who were unable to travel to France due to their tight album preparation schedules, sent a wave of encouragement through a pre-recorded video message shown during the assembly. The group praised the young creators, stating: “Through your pure creativity, deep passion, and strong teamwork, you have shown true hope and endless possibilities to millions of people. You have officially proven that when young people are given trust and resources, they can build a much brighter future for everyone.”

A Massive 1 Million Dollar Legacy Moving Forward

The sweeping success of the global campaign is backed by an incredible financial commitment from the group. Upon their ambassador appointment, SEVENTEEN donated a staggering $1 million USD out of their own pockets to officially launch the Global Youth Grant Scheme alongside UNESCO. Over its initial two-year run, the 100 youth-led projects funded by this grant directly improved the lives of over 21,000 people on the ground and reached over 1.2 million users through digital education platforms.

To keep the momentum going, Joshua announced that 10 exceptional youth groups have been officially selected to receive advanced, long-term funding. The fresh financial resources were raised last year through the “JOOPITER presents: sacai x SEVENTEEN” high-fashion charity auction, where the members donated precious personal belongings to raise extra funds for the cause.

Closing out the ceremony, Khaled El-Enany, the Director-General of UNESCO, showered the group with praise, noting: “UNESCO and SEVENTEEN share an incredible, unified ambition to truly empower the youth of today. The ‘Going Together’ program has already displayed a massive, concrete impact. This partnership will continue to provide incredible strength to UNESCO’s ongoing global efforts to fight social inequalities, present real-world solutions, and build sustainable global peace.”