UNITED NATIONS: “The world does not need violence, does not need bombs. The world needs today’s youth to become superheroes,” said Pita Taufatofua, a Tongan athlete who became a “superhero” himself two years ago when he marched shirtless, carrying his country’s flag during the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games.

Addressing a youth forum at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Pita said “the world needs young people who dream big and can endure both failure and pain”. Pita, who was wearing a shirt, said his brother had advised him to “keep your shirt on and leave oil at home”.

The second piece of advice from his brother was, “tell your truth, leave the youth with something they can take into the future.” According to village folklore in his native Tonga, one day in his childhood, he was returning home with his father, expecting that a superhero outfit was waiting for him at home. But there was nothing waiting for him.

“That was my first experience of disappointment,” Taufatofua recalled. So what do people do when they get disappointed, he asked.

“They minimise their expectations of themselves because that’s how we reduce pain,” he said.

“Unfortunately, by minimising expectations of ourselves, we also minimise our potential to achieve our dreams and goals.” The formula for becoming a superhero is to have the ability to deal with failure and pains and to dream big, he said. He dreamt of becoming an Olympian when he was 12. That dream never left him. After 20 years of pain, his dream finally came true in Rio. Now 34, he was one of the many speakers invited to Wednesday’s event, titled Youth Dialogue, which was held to bring the United Nations closer to young people. The one-day event sought to highlight the ideas, needs and concerns of young people on education and employment, as well as how to prevent radicalisation of youth.

“They still feel they are excluded from the decisions that are affecting their lives. They are not invited to the table where they are supposed to be. Quite often, they have a feeling that when they speak no one is listening,” said Miroslav Lajá, , the President of the UN General Assembly. “That is why I decided to host the event.”

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2018