Opinion: ‘Changemakers’, grassroots actions and the power of young people at the World Humanitarian Forum
- The younger generation is usually sidelined by decision-making bodies even though they make up 50 per cent of the population
- Young people aren’t just the ‘future’; they’re the leaders of today, too
Young people have the power to change the world - but their impact is often overlooked.Young people have been historically sidelined by decision-making bodies - be they policymaking or traditional institutions.
People under 30 account for more than 50 per cent of the global population. They can harness their untapped reservoirs of skill for the common good. But they are overlooked stakeholders in the discourse of social change and social progress.
The teens who raised HK$400k over 100km
With less than 10 years left to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, young people aren’t just “the future”; they need to be the change-makers and leaders of today. It is, therefore, very important to cultivate social consciousness and foster a culture of social and global engagement - all to ensure youth participation.
On May 19 this year, I had the honour to speak at the World Humanitarian Forum in London, the largest and most inclusive forum in humanitarian aid and international development. Alongside Y7 (children aged 7 and older) leaders and civil servants, I was a speaker on the “Youth leadership: promoting youth in international decision making” panel (International Development Theatre).
It was an exciting experience to share my Gen Z perspective on youth leadership - specifically how youth engagement can be made more inclusive and authentic. This was a theme that the rest of the panellists were passionate about, too. Beyond token representation, young people need to be properly integrated into the decision-making systems.
People shout slogans during a march organised by the Fridays for Future international movement of school students outside of the COP25 climate talks in Madrid, Spain. The movement highlights how much power and influence students can have. Photo: AP
What’s more, I touched on how “change-making” has become more accessible through digital technology: we can all be change-makers. In fact, change-making - the ability to empathise, self-organise and create solutions for the issues of today - is becoming increasingly important. The power of youth cannot be understated.
Kenneth Kwok, founder and CEO of KidsforSDGs (also a Youth Council Member at the World Humanitarian Forum), noted that “youth are taught to focus on getting decent school grades, entering a good university, finding suitable internships, landing a great entry-level job and then rising up the ranks”. “No offence,” Kenneth remarks, “this model is completely outdated and needs to be turned upside down.”
India’s young people are fighting the Covid crisis with apps and oxygen
He explains: “If one analyses the intersectional research … one will realise that youth with the most capacity to scale economic and social impact are those who start pursuing thought and action leadership in matters pertaining to the real world, even in secondary school.”
During the panel discussions, I emphasised that grass roots actions should not be overlooked: we all have the capacity to create change, be it through ensuring the sustainability of our everyday actions, all the way to starting our own initiatives and organisations for the social good.
Kenneth agrees, suggesting that we must “support grass roots solutions towards accelerating collective SDG [sustainable development goals] action”.
Greta Thunberg’s promise on her 18th birthday
Yet, all of this action requires social consciousness and engagement. To that end, I am the co-founder and president of ISSIA HK, a youth-led non-profit that aims to cultivate social consciousness and empower change-makers. We currently have more than 200 members from some 50 schools in Hong Kong.
However, this is only a start: young people should be empowered not only at a local or regional level, but also on an international level.
Empowering young people should start on a local level and go all the way to the top.
Progress is certainly being made, with Kenneth noting how “across the world, youth voices are being amplified through inviting youth to speak at global events, establishing youth councils for both for-profit and non-profit organisations, forming youth-led focus groups and co-curating UN-level initiatives such as the UNITAR Youth Ambassador Asia Pacific Programme”.
We all have the capacity and potential for change-makers; it is now time for other stakeholders to join and empower young people for sustainable development goals.
Kenneth adds: “Youth in Hong Kong need to be enabled and empowered to stand up, step-up and start-up accordingly.”