Feeling a little broody are we, Harry?
Prince Harry has implored young people to ‘look up from your phones’ and stand up for what they believe in.
The royal made his impassioned plea yesterday during a surprise appearance at a charity event in Toronto, where he is currently watching the invictus Games.
Around 10,000 schoolchildren attended the We Day event, which is part of a global day of celebration designed to bring young people together to affect change through acts of ‘social good’.
As Harry, 33, took to the stage at the Air canada centre, he was greeted with tumultuous applause from the delighted teenagers, who had all earned a place at the event by taking part in one local and one global cause of good.
During a passionate speech, the prince told them there was too much cynicism and apathy in the world, and called for young people to put aside their fears and facilitate social change. Praising the young generation for being ‘the most connected and energised the planet has ever known’, he said that – while he was somewhat older than many in the audience – he understood the pressures they faced, and called on them to be cautious about their use of social media.
‘You know that differences of opinion, of circumstance, of race and religion are to be respected and celebrated,’ he told them.
‘You know that in a clickbait culture, we cannot waste time sharing and drawing attention to things that make us angry, or that we know to be false.
‘You all know that it’s great to “like” things on social media, but that it’s more important to look up from our phones, to get out into our communities, and to take real action; to stand up for what you believe in.’
The prince, who was casually dressed in jeans and a black shirt, went on to say: ‘i get that the challenges we face sometimes seem complex and even scary, especially when we don’t know who to turn to for answers. i know that while this generation of young people wants to make our world a better place, you often struggle to get your voices heard.
‘i know that you, more than any previous generation, care deeply about the health and sustainability of the planet you’re going to inherit.
‘And i see that you’re frustrated that entrenched mindsets are not keeping pace with the urgency of the threats to our environment. But today you are all saying no to pessimism and cynicism. Here in Toronto – with both We Day and the invictus Games – we are saying yes to optimism, yes to hope, and yes to belief.
‘And we are putting service and giving back at the heart of everything that we do.
‘The thousands of you gathered here are proof that today’s generation of young people is the most connected, most energised, and most confident the planet has ever known.’