Young people from home and abroad call for unity at peace conference

The World Youth Conference for Peace was held on Tuesday at Peking University in Beijing, with around 3,000 young people from 130 countries and regions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to the World Youth Conference for Peace.

Xi pointed out that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Eighty years ago, the Chinese people, alongside the global community, through arduous fights, defeated fascism, achieving a hard-won peace.

Emphasizing that the future of peace depends on the youth, Xi said that he hopes young people from all countries take this conference as an opportunity to exchange ideas, enhance understanding and forge friendships.

Jacobo Garcia, President of the Global Youth Leadership Forum told CGTN that he considered the message "really positive." He said that it's important that young people understand the importance of global cooperation to provide answers to global challenges.

"The answer has to be global because the challenges are global. If you only give local answers, you are not going to be successful," he said. "And I agree 100 percent about the importance of reinforcing global cooperation."

"I think that the most important part is that it's quite impossible to build a bright future without remembering our past," Leonid Petukhin, Vice-chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Association, said, reflecting on the Chinese President's message.

Petukhin suggested that the younger generation should remember the lessons of the past. "We must remember the past to build a brighter and a better future for all humankind," he added.

Young people issue the "World Youth Peace Initiative"

The World Youth Peace Initiative was issued at the conference.

The initiative notes that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

And that today, 80 years on, humanity has come to a crossroads of unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win cooperation or zero-sum games.

The initiative says the representatives of the youth understand the responsibilities borne by their generation. And that "only by treasuring peace and upholding unity can humanity embrace a brighter future."

The initiative goes on to call on young people across the globe to unite to safeguard peace, promote development, and shape their shared future.

Ly Navuth, Advisor to the Council of Ministers and Member of UYFC Central Committee of Cambodia, spoke at the conference, calling for the young to carry the message of peace.

"Let us not forget. Peace starts with people. It starts with us," he said.

While Together for Peace is the theme of the conference, Ly said that he hopes it will become a shared reality that inspires unity among youth, communities and nations.

"It is a mission, a movement, and a message we carry with us now and for the future," he added.