Yamuna Hasan, the UAE-based media personality, author and entrepreneur, has taken part in the United Nations Disarmament Toolkit 2026 — a six-session educational programme that examines disarmament, peace and international security through political, social and gender lenses.
For Hasan, the programme was not simply an academic exercise. It sat squarely within the mission that now anchors her work: getting Generation Z into the rooms where decisions about their future are made.
A podcast host, speaker, author and entrepreneur, Hasan has built her platform on the argument that young people should stop watching global issues from the sidelines and start contributing to policy, education and social impact directly.
A programme built around youth voices
The UN Disarmament Toolkit gathers participants to explore how disarmament intersects with global security, diplomacy, gender equality and sustainable peace. Instead of treating the subject as a purely political or military matter, the programme pushes participants to weigh the human consequences of international decision-making.
Looking back on the sessions, Hasan singled out the programme's commitment to including young people.
"What I loved most was how empowering it was for youth. It wasn't just about learning what disarmament means—it showed us why Gen Z has such an important role in peace, security and the future we're going to inherit."
The discussions, she said, upended her assumptions about what disarmament actually covers — revealing how tightly it is bound to everyday concerns, from equality and education to technology and social development.
Why peace and security matter to a younger generation
Among her main takeaways was how closely gender, peace and global security are linked.
The sessions, she said, made plain that international decisions land hardest on the generations who come after them — which is precisely why youth participation matters.
"I learned so much, especially about how gender plays a major role in peace and security and how decisions being made globally ultimately affect our generation. It made me realize even more how important it is that young people understand these conversations and actually have a voice in them."
The programme asks participants to view global challenges from several angles at once, underlining how inclusive decision-making produces sturdier, longer-lasting peace efforts. For Hasan, that argument runs parallel to her own platform, which returns repeatedly to confidence, mental health, education and youth empowerment.
From regional creator to global Gen Z advocate
Hasan has become one of the region's most recognisable Gen Z voices, with a digital community that has drawn more than a billion combined impressions across platforms.
Her reach extends well past social media into education, leadership and public speaking. She has delivered a TEDx talk on how Generation Z is reshaping the world and taken part in Harvard's HPAIR leadership programme. She has been invited to debate at Oxford University, and L'Officiel Arabia named her a Leader of Gen Z.
Her podcast has been watched by millions online and crossed into mainstream pop culture via a Saturday Night Live parody featuring Sabrina Carpenter — a moment that widened her profile among younger audiences considerably.
Her awards include Best Gen Z of the Year, Best Gen Z Author, Best International Author and Best Gen Z Podcast.
Turning influence into impact
For all the accolades, Hasan maintains that recognition counts for little unless it opens doors to real change.
Her generation, she argues, already commands enormous cultural weight through digital platforms. The harder task is pointing that weight at problems that matter over the long term.
"Gen Z already has an enormous voice culturally and digitally. The next step is using that influence for something bigger. We need young people in conversations about peace, security, mental health, technology and the issues shaping our future—not someday, but now."
Her position reflects a wider shift among young creators and entrepreneurs who are folding advocacy, education and public engagement into their digital work. Rather than treating entertainment and social responsibility as separate lanes, Hasan contends that creators are well placed — and arguably obliged — to bring complex global subjects to audiences that traditional institutions rarely reach.
A UAE platform for global leadership
Hasan's participation also points to the UAE's expanding role as a base for young innovators, educators and international thought leaders. Across the Emirates, and increasingly in Abu Dhabi's policy, education and innovation ecosystem, entrepreneurship, technology and global dialogue are converging in ways that give emerging voices reach well beyond the region.
For Hasan, the UN Disarmament Toolkit is another step in converting online influence into concrete youth impact.
Her conclusion is an optimistic one: the generation that will live with tomorrow's decisions ought to have a hand in making them today. Through education, curiosity and active participation, she believes young people can move from being spoken about in global conversations to leading them.
