What about the key voices?
Discussion question | This is for everyone
Throughout the Festival you have heard from key voices across different topics.
Which one of the key voices made you think the most? What did you learn from them?
Think about whether anyone helped you to:
- consider a new perspective
- understand a difficult topic
- change your mind
- learn something new
Tell us what you think
You might want to structure your answer like this:
[Name of expert] made me think the most because they said [something expert said]. By hearing from them, I learnt that [something that you learnt].
Comments (24)
The key voice that made me think the most was the speaker who talked about how young people can influence change in society. What stood out to me was the idea that age does not limit the power of your voice. Before listening to them, I sometimes thought that important decisions were only made by adults, politicians, or experts. However, this speaker explained that young people can raise awareness, start campaigns, and even influence policies through social media, school projects, and community action.
From this key voice, I learned that change often begins with small actions. They gave examples of young people who started local initiatives that later became national movements. This helped me understand that leadership is not about having a title, but about having determination and courage. It also encouraged me to believe that my opinions matter, especially on topics like education, the environment, and equality.
The speaker also helped me consider a new perspective. Instead of seeing problems as something too big to solve, I learned to see them as challenges that require cooperation and creativity. Their words changed my mindset from feeling powerless to feeling responsible and capable.
Overall, this key voice inspired me to think more critically about my role in society and reminded me that every voice, no matter how young, has the potential to make a difference.
Thanks for your thoughtful reflection, adventurous_nectarine. Has hearing from these voices encouraged you to take any specific action yourself in your own school or community?
Matt Damon truly made me reflect. He made me realize that awareness isn’t just about getting attention — it’s about having real power.
In the video, he talks about how his mom made sure he understood things like poverty, political repression, and injustice from early on. She drilled into him that these problems aren’t set in stone, and we shouldn’t just shrug and accept them as “normal.” That stuck with him. So, when he suddenly found himself famous, he saw he had a platform. He could’ve just used it to help his own career, but instead, he chose to spotlight the global water crisis and got involved with Water.org.
Listening to him, I learned that awareness actually drives everything else. Money and aid don’t just appear — they follow where people are paying attention. If no one’s watching, big issues get ignored by governments and donors. His story made me realize raising awareness isn’t just some feel-good gesture; it’s often the spark that gets real change started, whether that’s funding, new policies, or solutions that last.
He also made me see that having influence means you have a responsibility. If you’ve got a platform, you can shape what people care about. That made me rethink leadership. It’s not just about access to resources — it’s about how you use your voice to get things moving.
Hi there resilient_king! I agree with your comment and think it has great potential however, I feel as though you may have used some kind of outside help that wrote parts of your comment. Firstly, the uses of em dashes are a bit suspicious as they mimic how I have seen ChatGPT use them. Not only that, ChatGPT has been notoriously known for using "it isn't...it's about..." or "it doesn't just... it..." format, something that I see repeatedly in your comment. Now, I didn't want to accuse you without having tangible evidence so I ran it through GPTzero, zeroGPT, and humanize AI, a which are all reputable AI checkers and each one said that either some parts were written by AI, or AI assisted. Of course, if you didn't use AI, I am sincerely sorry and will take back everything I said. At the same time however, if you did, I hope you remember that this festival is about your opinions and not what AI thinks. Even if you think using AI gives you more refined arguments which can lead to more stars, what truly matters is your genuine opinion.
Thanks for checking on our behalf and remaining cautious of making an accusation without evidence. I hope that our moderators were right when approving this comment, but you give some great examples to suggest we missed it.
I understand and appreciate that you’re being careful, but I feel this isn’t entirely fair. I ended up posting two comments just to respond to an accusation that wasn’t accurate. I hope my reply to @outgling_king helps give some context and shows that I’m engaging sincerely, not trying to bypass any rules.
I also tried checking your comment, ma’am, and it got flagged 95% AI, which I’m sure is completely inaccurate. That’s usually how those websites work; they change the structure, grammar, and style of the text you paste to “humanize” it, which can make it look like AI wrote it even when it didn’t. I just wanted to clarify that, so the flags don’t give the wrong impression.
Hey, thanks for taking the time to read my comment so carefully.
About the em dashes—honestly, they’ve been around forever. Writers like Emily Dickinson (one of my favorites) loved them and used them stylistically way before anyone even thought about AI. They’re just a regular part of writing for emphasis or to break up a thought. It doesn’t mean a robot wrote something.
And yeah, sometimes I run my stuff through Grammarly to catch any mistakes, but that’s just for proofreading. The thoughts and opinions are all mine.
By the way, I put your reply into one of those AI detectors, and it labeled it as 68% AI-generated. Shows you how unreliable those tools can be. They get tripped up by things like a neat structure or a more formal tone—even when it’s clearly written by a human.
I get where you’re coming from, but I promise, this is all me.
Hi resilient_king,
I get your point completely and the intention of my original comment was never to try and take you or your opinions down. I think that your original comment had great ideas but I was just unsure because of the patterns your comment followed.
Additionally, while I understand that authors like Emily Dickinson use em dashes, you use them in a completely different style than she does. She uses them as a dramatic pause, like how she does in this line: "To wait an hour--is long" while you use them in an extremely similar way as chatGPT. While I think you made a good point, I just thought it was a little out of place to bring up Dickinson's use of em dashes when they are unique to how you use them.
For the AI detectors, I wanted to ask which one you used. I AI checked all of my work using: ZeroGPT, GPTzero, HumanizeAI, ScribberAI, and GrammarlyAI to see what they would say about my work (written by me). It all said 0% AI whereas when I did the same with yours, all of them said at least 60% AI. Now, I wanted to make sure it wasn't because of the em dashes you used so I took Dickinson's poem "To Wait An Hour--is Long" and put it into all the Ai checkers. They all said that it wasn't AI, even though it used em dashes which is why I don't believe that the fact that you used em dashes is why it flagged your comment.
Nevertheless, I still believe that you have great ideas in your writing and my intention is to never try and blame you for something you may or may not have done, I was simply observing.
Another key voice that has really impacted the way I think is Ashvin Dayal. He pushed back against the idea that one big organization, government, or donor can just swoop in and fix global problems on its own. He pointed out how issues like poverty, inequality, and basic services are tangled up in so many different causes. You can’t just throw money at them. Instead, you need coalitions—partnerships where foundations, governments, businesses, and local groups all bring something unique to the table.
What stuck with me most was how he talked about collaboration over control. He said foundations have this special role—they can bring people together, help everyone get on the same page, and keep things moving for the long haul. That really flipped my own view. I used to think whoever had the most money called the shots. But now I see how much more important it is to have coordination, trust, and a shared plan.
Listening to him, I finally got why leadership in global development shouldn’t be about being the “hero.” It’s about building systems where different partners can actually work together and get things done. And I get why some well-funded projects flop. It’s not always about money; it’s because the different players aren’t teaming up or aiming for the same goal.
Thanks to him, I see global problem-solving differently now. It’s less about a single leader and more about a network where everyone plays a part. That shift made the whole topic click for me in a way it never did before.
I agree with you resilient king because Matt Damon truly inspired me to believe that we need people who care about the way our future goes. It made me also believe and think about how the world will change if we have people who raise awareness to solve problems.
In the video he said things like him going through poverty with his mother and learning from his mom that famous people are not needed for our planet to change, but we need people who are willing to make a change, so with that advice he grew up not only to be a celebrity but he didn't forget what his mother had told him. He used his money to solve water crisis and got involve with Water.og. He also did other amazing things with his resources
Raising awareness is the right thing to do even if you are an ordinary person and most people don't listen to you, but you will always have people who are there for you and support you like how Matt Damon's mother was there for him and made him famous. I also learnt that famous people are not the way forward all the time but people that raise awareness to solve challenges and problems make a difference.
Fayudatu Yakubu has made me think the most because, she said about international aid is not only about giving money. It is about helping people live in better lives.
Before, I thought foreign aid was always good. But after that I learnt that if aid is not planned properly, it can cause problems. It can make countries depend too much on help.
However, if it is used in the right way, it can improve education, healthcare and reduce poverty.
By hearing from her, I learnt that international aid is a complex issue. It is not simply good or bad . It depends on how it is used. This helped me understand the topic better and think more deeply about it. ( forgive me for mistakes🥲),
I totally agree, I didn´t know about this topic and now that I know it, I find it very intersting and very true. I think it´s very important that the aids need to be prepare very well, because as you said, if they don´t prepare them correctly there could be very bad consequences. But I still think aids are good, because it can save many lives by providing food, medicines, etc. Also the number of wars decreases because the countries help each other and can assist each other in case of any possible attack or war. Do you agree with me?
Yes, I agree with you too. I also think aid is good because it can save many lives by giving food, medicine and support during wars or disasters. It shows that countries care about each other.
But at the same time, I still believe that aid must be planned carefully. If it is not managed properly, it can create dependency and other problems. So, I think aid is powerful. It can be very helpful, but only when it is used in the right way
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) experts made me think the most because they explained how quickly stopping international aid could affect health, education and emergency programmes in vulnerable countries. They said that even short pauses in funding can interrupt vaccine delivery, food distribution and disaster response.
By hearing from them, I learnt that international aid is not just about politics or government budgets — it directly impacts real people’s daily lives. Before, I mainly thought about whether countries should reduce spending or focus on national priorities. But this perspective helped me understand how global decisions can have immediate humanitarian consequences.
It helped me consider a new perspective: that foreign policy is not only about strategy and power, but also about responsibility and long-term stability. I also better understood how complex international systems are, and how quickly changes can create ripple effects around the world.
Name of expert] made me think the most because they said that new equipment can help people perform better but doesn’t replace hard work. By hearing from them, I learnt that even with better tools, world records are still impressive because they show talent, effort, and dedication.
I think Matt Damon from the International Aid Week was my favourite teacher and the most inspiring too. What really touched me was when, in his video, he explained how he was inspired to help out with the global water crisis, and how he strived to become great without anyone even caring about who he was, and how famous voices can help people achieve their dreams. By this, I basically learnt nothing is impossible if you have the willing mindset to achieve it. Thank you
Matt Damon made me think the most because he said that "Your decisions on earth matter and how you treat people matters", and topical talk gave me this amazing chance to hear his life touching quote. By hearing him, I learnt to care for other a lot and be a better person and also learnt to listen to others and share my views and ideas in a respectful way to promote a fun and friendly discussion. Thank you so much for everything.
Matt Damon to me is the best voice for this year simply because of his life lesson and mentality to life as he stated in his video on " DO FAMOUS VOICES REALLY HELP " about his mother being his mentor and teaching him social issues like extreme poverty, systemic inequality amongst others. This made me think the most about how famous voices can help paint a great picture, like in his instance, his mother who shaped his mentality on these issues and try to change people's lives by addresing thes issues. By hearing from him, I honestly learnt that a famous voice doesn't necessarily have to be a celebrity, but someone you see as a role model, which shows how actually, famous voices help the ideology of an individual.
One of my classmates changed my mind and changes my perspective. When we were talking about topics to do for are standpoints there was a topic if technology should be used in sports. At first I thought that we should not use technology in sports, but then my classmate really had me thinking if it is good or bad. My classmate said that we should use technology because one type of technology is cameras, and cameras would show us what really happened. For example if there was a race and seemed really close like the two cars tie we can go back to the camera tape and see who really won. At the end of the lesson I changed my mind that we should use technology in sports.
Sam Carling was the one that made me think the most because he explained his point clearly and had himself as an example. At the moment I watched the video, I thought quite the opposite of what he explains but in the end, he made me realise how different can others be and the different arguments that I could also see for his point of view.
Firstly, he made me truly realize that in 3 years more or less people my age are going to be able to vote and to access some opportunities that I saw as far away when they aren't. Moreover, he also seems to have an admirable profile that has done much hard work and who knows how to get information in a good way and to share it even better.
Secondly, he completely surprised me because of what he defends and who he is in the political situation. Besides, I thought he wasn't going to defend so many young people, but he did and in a way that I believe convinced everyone at least a little bit.
To sum up, I really liked it for how unexpected it was for me, how well-explained and such a different point of view. Furthermore I understood the situation better because he made it look close to all of us, showing we are part of it. Lastly, I loved his English pronunciation, it was amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, I even watched the video several times because of it.
USAID ( United States Agency for International Development) experts made me think the most because they said pausing aid and stopping aid can heavily affect the countries, who still need it and can lead to hospitals and schools to being shut down and children not getting the education they need. They also exclaimed that pausing aid for even a short time can create problems, such as in hospitals, systems and schools.
By hearing from them, I learnt that international aid is more than just help, it’s a chance for a better country to enhance in their issues and try to improve and impress their citizens. International aid made me realise that it can hugely impact people’s lives. I used to think that every country should focus on their own priorities to save money, but I now know that assisting vulnerable or poor countries can support them and guide them towards an empowering future.
If all countries support each other with aid they will create allies and refine other nations lands, in return with the same.
Well, the speaker who got me intrested in their theme and kind of job I would say, is Matt Damon because he has a job as an actor but he still helps people when it comes to an urgent need of help to countries which have a lack of water. It is just so unbelieveable for someone to think that a famous actor, actually has time to spare and help other people that really might need him in some cases. Anyway, in general, everybody should actually do their best in any way so the lack of water could stop or people could help in other ways, like decreasing the plastic thrown in wastelands and seas, because all of the environmental problems connect to each other, like a chain. If a human helps on one serious problem, he might change all of our thoughts about what we have all been discussing the last decades about climate change, planet heating and other ecological stuff. For the end, I would say that Matt Damon really woke my interest in helping with the climate change, and other people might have also been affected by his presentation, and all I'm saying is that if we all put our little bit in, we could potentially change the world for us, in a whole better way.
Throughout the whole festival there have been so many cool speakers to listen to. It is quite difficult for me to choose 1 favourite speaker, as each speaker said something different that was very inspirational. For example, many people have already said this, but I definetly agree that Matt Damon is very inspiring as he is an actor who probably doesn't have a lot of spare time on his hands as acting is a very busy career, but he dedicates his spare time to helping solve pressing issues in our world today. By co-founding Water.org, Matt has helped give 43 million people access to clean water, changing peoples whole lives and showing what a helpful, selfless man he is! Another powerful expert was Ashvin Dayal! He introduced a true point that very few issues can be solved with 1 person alone! The key to solving problems is for people to work together. For example, big corporations should work with government agencies, and he believes that foundations such as his are what will really change the world in the long term! In conclusion, Matt Damon taught me with how fame, you can also help to change people's lives and Ashvin Dayal taught me how people coming together is what actually works to fix problems!
Matt Damon (Co-founder of Water.org) made me think the most because he said that "Awareness is power" and that where people’s attention goes, funding and political action usually follow.
By hearing from him, I learnt that:
Influence is a tool: Having a "voice" or being famous isn't just about being known; it is about directing the world's attention toward problems that are otherwise ignored (like the global water crisis or natural disasters).
The Power of Attention: I realized that my own attention is a resource. If enough people pay attention to a specific issue, it forces leaders and governments to take it seriously.
Bye Topical Talkers.🫡
I agree with you, Matt Damon (Co founder of Water. org) has really made me think about his awareness program and how it is helping in communities.
Yes influence is a powerful tool, if you are an influencer your voice really matters because with your voice you can inspire other citizens to solve problems around the world like climate change, global warming etc.
I also believe if we all pay a little more attention to the many global problems in the world, the world will become a more safer place to dwell. The problems today are very serious and unique though perculiar to each communtiy that is each community suffers from these issues in varying degrees. I believe no one person can solve it alone, it's better we all come together to solve these problems.
One of the most important voices that made me think the most was Greta Thunberg because she said, “You are never too small to make a difference.” This really stuck with me. It gave me a new perspective on the role of young people in the world.
Through hearing her voice, I realized that age doesn’t matter when it comes to making a difference. Even people like us, who are students, can make a difference. She gave me a new perspective on how I can think about the role of young people in the world.
Hearing her voice also made me realize that even when it’s uncomfortable, speaking out can make a difference. It encouraged me to be more confident in expressing my views in a conversation and not to underestimate my voice.
Really glad to see this has affected you positively and encouraged you to be more confident. What are some practical steps you can take in your daily life for this?
Thank you for the question.
How can we make a difference in our daily life? We can speak up more in class, instead of doubting ourselves. We can also keep ourselves informed about important issues and have meaningful conversations with people around us. We can also take small steps in our school, such as promoting green habits.
We may not be old, but we don’t have to remain silent.
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The expert Sam, made me think the most from the key voice he talked about .lowering the voting age wil improve elections .
And you know that 18 years olds have a little knowledge about leadership. But it will be proper for young people to vote. Lowering the voting age will allow young people to say their minds not following others opinions.
@bustling_argument thank you for your comment. What makes you say "18 years olds have a little knowledge about leadership"? With the right to vote, do you think 18 year olds have a responsibility to learn about leadership?
USAID experts made me think the most, especially in the activity about leading your own country and choosing what kind of aid to send. I only thought about the people's basic needs, like food and water, but they affirmed that the people also need doctors and engineers, experts, to help not only them but their infraestructure and cityas well. By hearing from them, I understood that every single move regarding international directly affects them and their daily lives.
Before, I also thought that aid was beneficial, who wouldn't want a hand from a neighbour? But now, I really understand how it is fundamental for the countries that receive it, they are fueled by aid. They made me think carefully about how a small decision from a donor country will multiply and affect them greatly. I thank them for making me realise this, and making me put myself in their raw situation.
I think Fayadatu Yakubu, founder of the Balmaishe Foundation, made me think the most because she explained how her experience as the mother of a premature baby led her to create an organization that supports families with newborns in similar situations. Listening to her, I learned to understand a very complex issue, such as the care of premature babies, and to consider new perspectives on the importance of donations and community support in helping these families thrive. Her story taught me that even difficult personal experiences can be transformed into actions that benefit many people.
Hi meticulous_tsunami! We see eye to eye that Fayadatu Yakubu is who made me think the most since she helps in a situation she has been through, therefore she understands other people better than anyone. I have learned a lot about this topic by listening to her from her personal experience.
Thomas Brocherie made me question my own opinion.
Before I watched his video, I didn't think that young people could be trusted with handling the voting process properly and that was the main reason that fuelled my opinion supporting only adults being able to vote. However, at the end of the 60 seconds, I wasn't so sure anymore.
I feel like the whole point of this competition was to get us to THINK and to be able to craft our own opinions respectfully and maturely, but ALSO to listen to other ideas...not with a solid brick wall of a unadaptability, but rather with a mind open to change. And that's exactly what I experienced. Thomas talked about points that made me wonder how much proof I had really come up with to decide that it wouldn't be a good idea for younger teens to vote, and made me think a lot more about the many other opinions I have that aren't necessarily based off of factual knowledge.
All in all, this competition really has made me think a LOT! About knowledge, power, resources, and how many of us think we know it all without considering someone else might be right and we might be wrong in what we say.
And also, that we might be right, but someone else with a different idea might ALSO be right too! I feel like I've been able to expand my opinion, and my knowledge in the past few weeks, this video from Thomas being a clear example.
Thank you so much!
Susannah made me think the most because she said that technology helps her in rowing. This made me think... what if the technology broke and what is her spare plan??
In the topic about Festival voices, I actually took three stars in her topic. Since I love everything related to the sea, biology and physics , I did some research to go deeper. Most of the things she said I already knew from my science class but I wanted to find out how she would survive without the gadgets.
I found out that if her GPS fails, she can use the stars and the horizon to find her way, which is all about math and physics. If her heart rate monitor breaks, she has to use her biological body sense to feel how tired her muscles are getting. She can also watch the water and the size of the puddles her oars make to see how much power she is using without needing a computer.
And thats what i found out from my research.
Hope its helpful!!!
bye-bye👋🏻
When I listened to Matt Damon he made me change my mind because I realized that if you want to make a change or to fight for an injustice, it isn´t necessary to be powerful or to be famous. We should if we are interested in a topic we disagree with or consider unjust, take action, even if it´s something minimal or small.
In his video, he says that his mother thought him from a very early age to be an empathetic person and understanding why there is poverty, inequality, wars, social problems in the world, etc, and to help or add something good to these problems even if it isn´t something very relevant. When he became famous he had a platform and he decided to use it to talk about global water crisis instead of making himself more recognizable.
These small actions that I talked about before are the things that make you a better person, what I mean with this, is that he wasn´t that famous and yet he made a change. If he could, we all can, obviously it isn´t easy, however he tried and became successful. What I learned from him is that apporting something good for a good cause is always welcome and that you can do it without being a powerful person. And by doing so, believe me, you really do become a good, kind and powerful person.
One voice that really helped me learn something new was Malala Yousafzai’s.Malala yousafzais is a pakistan activist who fight for women right and girls education.
Before hearing her story, I honestly never thought about education as something people have to fight for. School felt normal — sometimes even boring. But learning about her experience opened my eyes. I realized that for many girls around the world, going to school isn’t guaranteed. In some places, it can even be dangerous.
What I learned wasn’t just facts about inequality. I learned how powerful determination can be. Even after everything she went through, she kept speaking up. That showed me that courage isn’t about not being afraid — it’s about choosing to stand up for what matters anyway.
The key voice that made me think the most was FAYUDATU YAKUBU-FOUNDER OF THE BALMAISHA FOUNDATION . Her focus on helping woman and young people in her community really stood out to me.
Before learning about her,I believed that governments or large organizations could bring real change. However,her work showed me that even one determined person can make a difference by starting small and helping those around them.
I also learned that poverty is not only money.it is about lack of access to education, support, and opportunities. When people are empowered,they can improve their own lives and communities.
Her voices gave me a new perspective and made me reflect on my own role in society.it taught me that change begin with action,and even small effort can create a big impact.
Clémentine Beauvais made me think the most because she said that age should not decide who can vote. She explained that the real question should be whether a person wants to take part in decisions that affect their life.
By hearing from her I learnt that it is not always fair to stop children and young people from voting just because people think they do not have enough knowledge. Many adults also vote without fully understanding politics so it made me think about whether age is really the best way to decide who can vote.
She also said that children are the only people who truly know what it is like to be a child today. Adults may have been children before but they do not experience childhood in the same world that children live in now. Because of this children have their own important experiences and views.
Her ideas helped me see a new perspective about democracy. It made me think that young people should have more ways to share their opinions about things that shape their future.
Overall her talk helped me understand that democracy could be more fair if more voices including young people are heard.