Ben Affleck’s Daughter Makes Powerful Speech at United Nations

On September 23, Violet Affleck, daughter of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, delivered a compelling speech at the United Nations advocating for mask mandates and clean air to combat the spread of long Covid. The 19-year-old youth advocate spoke out urgently about the ongoing pandemic’s impact, emphasizing the importance of protecting children and communities through preventive measures.

Violet Affleck’s Call for Action on Masking and Clean Air

At the United Nations, Violet Affleck stood out as a determined voice for young people affected by the pandemic. Speaking while wearing a K95 mask, she challenged the adult population for neglecting the severity of airborne transmission of the virus and the long-term consequences it poses. Violet highlighted the ongoing crisis by saying,

“We are told by leaders across the board that we are the future,”

and added,

“But when it comes to the ongoing pandemic, our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes.”

She criticized the collective disregard for the risks involved with Covid-19, noting,

“the relentless beat of back to normal, ignoring downplaying, and concealing both the prevalence of airborne transmission and the threat of long Covid. … Young people lacked both real choice in the matter and information about what was being chosen for us.”

Explaining the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 and Long Covid

Violet gave a detailed account of the virus’s effects on health and emphasized the urgency of widespread precautions. She described SARS-CoV-2 as airborne and capable of causing damage to nearly every cell in the body, including the brain, heart, nerves, and blood vessels. She said,

“Here’s what we know about SARS CoV2. It is airborne, floating and lingering in the air, one infection can result in disabling damage to almost every cell in the body from the brain and heart to the nerves and blood vessels,”

further explaining,

“Every subsequent infection increases the risk of long movement and places people who already have it in greater danger.”

Drawing from expert insight, Violet quoted Dr. Akiko Iwasaki to emphasize the scope of the issue:

“As Dr. Akiko Iwasaki says, at this point, the whole population is the control group, and after only five years, long Covid has surpassed asthma as the most common chronic illness in children in five years and under.”

The Urgency of Protecting Children from Long-Term Effects

Violet expressed deep concern for the well-being of children attending school who face long-term symptoms from Covid-19 infections. She described feeling terrified for children who

“will not know a world without debilitating pain and exhaustion, who cannot trust their bodies to play, explore, and imagine”

after getting infected. Her frustration was palpable as she said,

“I am furious on their behalf,”

and criticized the failure to safeguard children by allowing preventable exposure to the virus:

“It is a neglect of the highest order to look children in the eyes and say, ‘We knew how to protect you and we didn’t do it. We have access to a technology to prevent airborne disease, something that millions of our ancestors and millions of people around the world today would kill for, and we refuse to use it.’”

She also voiced fears about the future, warning of the consequences of ongoing infections. Violet stated her concern about

“where we will be in another five years of unmitigated infection and reinfection.”

Drawing Parallels to Past Public Health Battles

To underscore the feasibility of change, Violet recalled previous public health victories such as the campaign against indoor smoking. She brought up how, as a child, she was puzzled by no-smoking signs on planes and remembered:

“Many of you fought the long and hard battle against indoor smoking. My only memory of that era at almost 20 years old is being confused as a child about the no smoking signs on planes. ‘Who would do that? That’s gross,’”

illustrating how societal norms around health have evolved.

Violet expressed hope for similar progress in the fight for clean air, asserting,

“My hope for this event and my belief in this community pressed on the belief that we can and we must do that again. We can recognize filtered air as a human right, as intuitively as we do filtered water.”

She concluded her speech with a vision:

“We can create clean air infrastructure that is so ubiquitous and so obviously necessary, so that tomorrow’s children don’t even know why we need it.”

Family Background and Violet’s Growing Public Role

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, both 53, were married from 2005 until 2018 and share three children: Violet, 19, Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 13. Violet, a college freshman, has gradually stepped into the public eye alongside her mother. She has appeared at several high-profile events, including a 2022 White House state dinner. Earlier this year, Violet authored a moving essay detailing how recent California wildfires affected her community, further revealing her commitment to social issues.

Her speech at the United Nations marks a significant moment in her advocacy work, using her platform to raise awareness about the ongoing health crisis facing young people worldwide and urging immediate action to protect future generations.