I’d long been active in youth work in Ireland through ShoutOut, a charity I founded which visits schools and delivers free anti-bullying workshops, with a focus on LGBT+ inclusion. I’d also been involved in politics here, so the opportunity to represent Irish youth voices at the UN was fairly thrilling.
I applied, interviewed and a few months later found myself traveling to New York for it. I was 25 back in 2015, which was both the first year of the programme and Ireland’s 50th anniversary at the UN.
Attending the General Assembly in New York was unforgettable. At the time it was the largest gathering of world leaders in history — even the Pope was there. I knew at the time how rare and special it was to witness.
Making sense of how the UN actually works was a challenge. It’s vast, complex, abstract and slow. When you’re young you’re impatient and want impact, but the reality of diplomacy is different.
The biggest influence was simply meeting people from so many different cultures. I remember a woman from Saudi Arabia who was unexpectedly hilarious and a delegate from Finland who wore amazingly colourful Sami clothing. Meeting people I’d never normally cross paths with showed me how big the world is, and how small my own lived experience was compared to what’s possible. This gave me humility and a restlessness not to retreat to a narrow routine.
I now live in London with my partner, and work for a Berlin-based startup. It means I get to travel, work across cultures, and tackle new problems every day.
If I could give any advice to young people who are thinking about getting involved in activism and youth participation: It’s not about you. Representation is about bringing the voices of others into the room.
I’m thankful to have had such a unique experience and very grateful to the National Youth Council of Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs for making the programme possible.
– Eoin Lyons, 2015-2016 UN Youth Delegate
