Sustained civic engagement requires more than moments of mobilization; it depends on institutions, networks, and opportunities that enable young people to participate consistently in public life. Across the world, youth are engaging through civil society organizations, volunteer initiatives, and emerging platforms that connect activism with policymaking. This issue area examines how youth-led policy incubators, participatory budgeting initiatives, and youth assemblies are creating structured pathways for civic participation and leadership. It also explores the role of youth advocacy in areas such as judicial reform and democratic accountability, as well as how movements transition from protest-driven mobilization to long-term policy influence. By studying these developments, the Centre seeks to understand how durable civic infrastructures can empower young people to shape public institutions and democratic outcomes over time.
5 articles found
The conference worked through the most consequential question in democratic politics today: why are young people systematically excluded from the systems they will inherit, and what will it actually take to change that?
When Ibrahim Traoré seized power in September 2022 at the age of 34, he did more than lead a coup, he personified a generational rebellion against stagnation in Burkina Faso and much of Africa. In a continent where the average leader is 63 years old and where most of the population is under 25, Traoré’s rise was more than a military event, it was a symbolic restoration of youth in political command. Three years later, his policies reflect an ambitious experiment: can a young leader rewire the architecture of African governance by fusing post-colonial radical sovereignty with social reform?
Financial illiteracy is a pervasive and cost-inducing problem plaguing our economies and personal lives. The financial landscape for the new generation is fraught with complexity, making comprehensive financial education an urgent necessity. Youth today grapple with significant student loan burdens, rising cost of living, and often, a surprising lack of fundamental financial literacy with multiple studies consistently attesting to the low financial awareness, contributing to poor financial decisions and escalating debt. Equipping individuals with adequate financial knowledge directly translates into healthier financial behaviours, improved credit scores, and enhanced long-term economic stability. This empowerment extends beyond the individual, fostering intergenerational financial well-being and contributes to building the nation’s economy. Despite its clear benefits, barriers persist, including inadequate curriculum integration in schools, limited access for disadvantaged communities, and a general lack of perceived urgency. Overcoming these requires a multi-faceted approach involving governmental initiatives, educational reforms, and industry collaboration to deliver accessible, relevant, and engaging financial literacy programs. This piece contends that investing in financial education for the new generation is not merely an individual benefit; it's a strategic investment in national economic resilience and the foundational stability of future households.
For decades, youth participation in global governance has been limited to symbolic gestures. Previous initiatives include the ‘UN Youth Delegate Program’ and the appointment of a ‘UN Youth Envoy’; while appearing progressive at a surface level, these policies rarely translated into actual policy-making influence as the youth demographic was often consulted through forums and surveys but ultimately excluded from decision-making bodies. However, the “Pact for the Future” represents a greater effort to go beyond including youth in data and statistics going into decision making by truly embedding them in the core machinery of governments around the world, signalling a paradigm shift from boilerplate engagement to real inclusion.
