The components for effective youth participation and collaborations are in place, but they need to be properly articulated through coordinated efforts.
Fremont, CA
According to a recent poll, young people are extremely concerned about the world they will inherit, want to be more involved in meeting their communities' development needs, and assist in the leadership of democratic or social justice movements in their respective countries. New data, on the other hand, shows a significant drop in trust and enthusiasm for a democratic administration. Engaging the world's youth is critical to achieving common development goals like the Sustainable Development Goals while also stopping the tide of global disillusionment. Policies that are fair from an intergenerational perspective allow people of all ages to achieve their needs without jeopardizing or undermining future generations' ability to meet their own.
Challenges in youth engagement:
Lost Faith in Democracy: According to recent research, youth satisfaction with democracy is dropping around the world, not only in absolute terms but also in comparison to how prior generations felt at similar ages. The idea of economic isolation and being left out of decision-making that affects their future is at the root of most of the youth’s anger.
Stepping Back from Political Engagement: As per the latest Global Youth Development Index, which tracks progress in 181 countries, youth participation in politics, which is a crucial driver of democracy and civil society development, continues to decrease.
Shifting Trust and Beliefs: According to USAID's latest survey and dashboard on adolescent civic engagement in ten countries, families are the most likely source of influence on teenagers' civic and political involvement opinions. It also discovered that youth had a low level of faith in government institutions and elections.
Helpless on Issues like Climate Change: Youth is considerably more debilitated by the effects of climate change on future generations, who will bear the repercussions of actions taken today by older generations. Youth are more likely to inherit a climate that is hotter, more intense, unpredictable, and punishing. Despite this, today's youth feel shut out of the climate change decisions that will have the greatest influence on them. According to a new 10-country study,
this has major consequences for young mental health outcomes, which indicates a dramatic spike in climate anxiety among youth aged 16-25.
