Statement on the Current Global Crises, and the Urgent Need to Decolonize International Peace and Security

Youth Transforming Narratives has been deeply alarmed by the recent military escalations led by the United States and the colonizing apartheid State of Israel, which raise serious concerns under international law. The unilateral use of force outside clear legal frameworks undermines the foundational principles of the United Nations system, including the prohibition on the use of force and the respect for state sovereignty enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Actions of this nature not only risk further destabilizing already fragile regions, but also deepen a pattern in which dominating Western States continue to shape global security through militarization rather than diplomacy and accountability. For young people around the world, particularly those in the Global Majority, these decisions are not abstract geopolitical calculations; they are selfish choices that directly threaten our futures, our safety, and the possibility of a more just and peaceful international order.

At the same time, over the past two weeks, Youth Transforming Narratives has connected with hundreds of young people from across the world who have expressed their desire to join our movement. This growing wave of engagement comes as our organization participates in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), where we are centering our advocacy on decolonization and action within global peace, security, and governance spaces.

We recognize a truth that many institutions attempt to suppress: to be informed today is to be enraged. We refuse the expectation that awareness should be met with silence, neutrality, or detachment. We are taking the time to feel, to process, and to acknowledge the weight of this moment. 

But we are also acting.

This moment coincides with a period in which YTN is operating at full capacity. Our network is expanding, our initiatives are growing, and our work is reaching an increasing number of young people across regions. This momentum is deeply meaningful. Yet it also carries a profound emotional and political weight. Remaining productive while witnessing the injustices shaping our world today is not a simple task. It requires confronting the contradiction of working for change while navigating systems that normalize crises.

Too often, young people are told not to feel. We are told to remain professional, composed, and detached, and to keep moving forward, to “roll with the punches,” and to continue producing. These expectations reflect a broader system rooted in a capitalist logic that prioritizes constant output over humanity, reflection, and accountability. This logic demands that we suppress our emotional responses to injustice in order to remain functional within the very structures that reproduce it. While international politics is indeed complex, the deliberate production and dissemination of confusion serves another purpose: it alienates people from global events and gradually erodes their sense of responsibility toward what happens beyond their immediate borders.

Our mission to decolonize global narratives and institutions requires the opposite. It requires us to question, challenge, and dismantle the institutions, discourses, and cultural norms that were constructed and sustained through colonial power structures. Decolonization is not a metaphorical exercise; it is a political and structural project aimed at transforming the systems that continue to shape global governance today.

For years, we have argued that the international community is approaching a turning point, a moment in which global governance on peace and security must be fundamentally redefined and decolonized. That moment is now. Youth Transforming Narratives will not allow this opportunity for transformation to pass.

Today, we move forward strengthened by the determination of hundreds of young people who have stepped forward to join this movement. Their commitment reflects a growing global demand for justice, accountability, and structural transformation.

In moments of uncertainty and crisis, the voices of young people become even more essential. They remind us that the future is not predetermined and that global systems can be reshaped by collective action, critical thinking, and courageous leadership.

Youth Transforming Narratives remains committed to researching, educating, informing, influencing, and leading in pursuit of a more just and decolonized world.