SEVENTEEN's Joshua Says 'Your Dreams Matter' At UNESCO's Paris Headquarters; Fellow Members Join Via Video Message

SEVENTEEN member Joshua returned to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to represent the K-pop group at the 'UNESCO x SEVENTEEN: Celebrating Youth, Creativity and Well-Being Together' ceremony on June 26 (KST). As UNESCO's first-ever Youth Goodwill Ambassadors, the group reaffirmed its commitment to empowering young people worldwide. During his speech, Joshua encouraged youth to believe in their dreams, emphasising that their aspirations matter and can change the world. While Joshua attended the event in person, the remaining members joined through a special video message, congratulating participants of the UNESCO x SEVENTEEN global youth grant scheme and celebrating their achievements.

Joshua delivers powerful message at UNESCO's Paris Headquarters

Joshua began by introducing himself on behalf of all 13 members of SEVENTEEN and shared that the group wished they could all attend the event in person. "Before anything else, I want to share that all our members truly wish they could be here today. They are sending all their love and support to everyone in this room," he said.Reflecting on SEVENTEEN's journey with UNESCO, Joshua called the organization's headquarters "a place that is always meaningful to us." He looked back on the group's participation in the 2023 Youth Forum and their appointment as UNESCO's first-ever Youth Goodwill Ambassadors in 2024. He also highlighted the 'Going Together: For Youth Creativity and Well-Being' initiative, saying it was created to provide young people with "resources, mentorship, and platforms to turn their ideas into meaningful actions."

UNESCO X SEVENTEEN: Celebrating Youth, Creativity & Well-Being

TogetherJOSHUA’s Full Speech SEVENTEEN JOSHUA AT UNESCO #UNESCOxSEVENTEEN #GoingTogetherWithSVT @pledis_17 pic.twitter.com/afaeLaVFOg

— ✷ (@shujithinker) June 25, 2026

Further praising the impact of the youth-led projects, Joshua said, "Supporting this journey has been deeply valuable to all of us. We are incredibly proud of everything they have accomplished." He urged the audience to applaud the young leaders and added that the true success of the program lies not in numbers but in the stories of young people using "music and dance for healing, art for mental well-being, and sports to build confidence."Joshua also reflected on what impressed SEVENTEEN the most about the initiative. "Young people already have the answers to change the world. They just need someone to believe in them," he said, noting that participants worked together as teams and found solutions because they understood the challenges in their own communities better than anyone else.

Joshua on sharing one dream over a decade

Drawing parallels with SEVENTEEN's own journey, Joshua shared, "As 13 individuals sharing one dream for over a decade, we faced our own uncertainties, having to reinvent ourselves, embrace challenges, and push beyond our limits." He further added that the group's growth has always been built on trust and internal coordination—even as individual members pursued their own independent activities, which collectively strengthened SEVENTEEN. Concluding his speech, Joshua encouraged young changemakers to continue pursuing their unique paths while working together for a better future. "Through the journey of the global youth grant scheme, we realized that there are dreams everywhere. I think they just need a gentle nudge, a small voice that says, 'We believe in you.' We want to be that small voice," he said.Meanwhile, the fellow members also shared a video message stating that they celebrate the achievement of going together for youth creativity and well-being, known as the UNESCO x SEVENTEEN global youth grant scheme and added, "Congratulations once again to all 100 teams and the 10 selected Scale-up teams."

#준 #JUN UNESCO🐱: thank you for showing that when young people are trusted and empowered, they can build a better future for everyone.SEVENTEEN JOSHUA AT UNESCO #UNESCOxSEVENTEEN #GoingTogetherWithSVT @pledis_17 pic.twitter.com/yAFseejJo4

— fleur. °☽°.⋆ (@diorjww) June 25, 2026

Since becoming UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassadors, SEVENTEEN has strengthened its commitment to youth empowerment by contributing $1 million to launch the Global Youth Grant Scheme, supporting youth-led initiatives in arts, culture, sports, community development and mental health.