Interested in other areas of Sightsavers? Visit Sightsavers.org

Language selection


We use Google Translate as a service to provide you with different languages to choose from. Being an automated tool, it may occasionally make mistakes.

Select language:
Campaigns
TAKE ACTION

“Actions speak louder than words”

October 2024

Equal World youth champion James Casserly jetted off to New York to engage directly with global decision-makers and spoke to them about putting their promises into practice.

“Attending the Summit of the Future in New York was a really unique and exciting experience. I spoke to so many high-profile individuals and decision-makers, who have the power to make a difference for young people with disabilities.

“I had the opportunity to attend loads of events and I even spoke to the Taoiseach Simon Harris (Prime Minister of Ireland) and Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland) Michéal Martin.

Photo: a portrait of James who is pointing at his t-shirt which reads 'Jimbo's accessible adventures'.

Find out about James

Photo: four people, two seated, two standing, in a high rise building in New York city.
James met Ireland's Permanent Representative to the UN, Fergal Mythen (left) and Ireland’s UN Youth Delegate Lauren Jones Brennan (2nd left) with the CEO of Sightsavers Ireland, Ciara Smullen (right).

“On Saturday 21 September, I participated in the ‘Equal World?’ film screening event and panel discussion. The film was so impactful. I also really enjoyed participating in the panel discussion and the opportunity to speak alongside Dr Felipe Paullier, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs. This gave me the opportunity to ask him what can be done to improve access for young people with disabilities.

“The film toolkit really helped focus the discussion on the challenges that young people with disabilities face and kept the conversation on track. It would be great to use the toolkit in education environments like universities and schools and to connect young people with decision-makers so we can all participate in making change. Using it in more countries would also be very beneficial.

“Having met Dr Paullier at the film screening, he invited Basiru and I to speak at The Elders event the following day. I spoke about how inspiring Basiru’s story is and the importance of the work he’s doing in Sierra Leone.”

The Elders

The Elders are a group of independent global leaders working together for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet. They were founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 and one of the current elders is Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland and the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Photo: three men and two women seated on a stage. One man is speaking into a microphone.
James speaking on stage during the ‘Equal World?’ film panel discussion.

“We also attended the Goalkeepers event led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates talked about world hunger and then world leaders and activists spoke about the impact of climate change. We then heard from people who were refugees about the challenges they face and lots of people had the chance to share their stories.

“During my time in New York, I was interviewed for RTÉ News from Ireland and stated that actions speak louder than words. World leaders need to start putting into practice the things they talk about. Only when this happens will there be equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Goalkeepers

Led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goalkeepers are leaders dedicated to accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Photo: a man eating an ice cream inside a building.
“Oh, and the ice-cream was pretty good too!”

Read all our latest news stories

Campaigns news