GARETH Bale, Geraint Thomas, Michael Sheen - plus international organisations such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace - are among those who have supported the 2022 Peace and Goodwill Message from the young people of Wales.

 

WATCH: This year's Urdd Peace Message

 

The message was launched in video form by Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales’ largest youth organisation.

This year's Peace and Goodwill Message ‘The Climate Emergency’ has been written by students at Aberystwyth University who created the Urdd’s centenary message, which represents the voice of children and young people in Wales.

In the powerful video, they call on people across the world to “wake up”, listen to the voices of its youth and take action to save the future of our planet. This years’ message is available in 101 languages, including British Sign Language.

In celebration of the Urdd’s centenary year, the 2022 Peace and Goodwill Message was presented by Aberystwyth University students in the company of the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford MS, in a dedicated event at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway.

The Peace Message’s impact and reach quickly gathered pace on social media and the message was shared in all corners of the world, from Peru to Zimbabwe, Vietnam to New Zealand and Moldova.

Thousands of schools and organisations across the world have shown their support, along with Prime Ministers, famous names, and a host of international organisations such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.

A number of well-known faces from the Football Association of Wales’s first female and male teams have also shared a supportive video, where Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale, two of the Urdd’s four million former members, say “it’s time to wake up” to the climate emergency.

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales who was present at the launch in Norway said: “It was an honour to be with the Urdd at The Nobel Peace Centre to share the centenary peace message with the world.

"At a time when the peace of the world is in such peril and as we work together to tackle the climate emergency, the message, and work of the Urdd has never been more significant.”

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“We warmly welcome Urdd to the Nobel Peace Center to celebrate their 100 years anniversary and share their peace message”, said Kjersti Fløgstad, executive director of the Nobel Peace Center.

“The climate issue is very closely related to peace: Climate change is among the large challenges to people’s safety in our time.

"It is also an issue where young voices have been among the strongest and most important in driving change and action. We need young people to tell the world to “wake up”.”

Chief executive of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Siân Lewis, said: “In its centenary year, the Urdd has ambitious plans to ensure Wales makes a positive impact in the world.

"We are thankful to those that have helped share our Message of Goodwill far and wide, from our current and past members to our supporters world-wide. Today, across many platforms, the voices of our young people have been heard.”