How can young people wield more power around the world?

It’s not uncommon to hear politicians, political scientists and even activists talk about the need to “empower the youth”. Everyone calls youth to take a leading role in society, politics, economy and ultimately lead to a comprehensive change and development in every sector of human activity. But how can young people achieve it? What will motivate or provide them with guidelines?

On the occasion of the International Youth Day (August 12), the British newspaper “The Guardian” organised on August 11 a discussion entitled “How can young people wield more power around the world?”. The panel consisted of 10 young leaders from around the world, experts in participation and social engagement of young people. I had the luck and honour to be a member of this ambitious group and to contribute with my views and ideas in the public debate!

The discussion raised several issues, such as development, security, the fight against gender inequality etc. having always in mind the empowerment of youth. The primary question is how can we better leverage young people's skills and make them leaders of development. First of all, it is of high importance that young people are active and engaged in decision-making mechanisms at every level (local, national, international). When young people feel that their voices are being heard, then they can reach their full potential. We also need sustainable youth policies that in many countries do not exist or exist in a very abstract form. A good example of best practice on how young people can take decisions together with governments is the Council of Europe co-management system. Representatives from youth NGOs sit down in committees with government officials who together then work out the priorities for the youth sector and make recommendations for future budgets and programmes. It is a great challenge and still faces many difficulties, but works well for most of the cases.

A problem that many face or detect is the gap between young and older activists. Often they are not taken seriously or are treated suspiciously and disparagingly. We all advocate for a cause and we put our efforts together to achieve our goals. We shouldn't highlight the age of the activists, but their important role and action. There should be an honest dialogue and discussion among them. They should clarify their roles and take the best out of everyone. For example, young people may have more passion for the common cause and be ready to start a demonstration or a street-activity, but older people might have links with some media (TV, newspapers etc) and promote their cause more effectively and to a bigger audience through these channels. Activists should use all of their capabilities and “weapons” in a very efficient way. We have no space for inside brawls in our movements.

Among others, young people should instigate change and be the drivers of innovation, economic growth and trade, not just participants. Young people should not only wait for opportunities from the governments or the other institutions. They should start creating their own opportunities! As we all know, they are already the drivers of innovation! They should take more risks on business and try to invest on their skills. Some of the most successful start-up companies are founded and run by young people (often below the age of 25). We should be confident on our knowledge, abilities and skills and try to channel this in every way to our community. This can even lead to economic growth and development.

To facilitate the clustering, the Guardian reported the 11 ideas for leveraging the skills of the next generation of leaders that emerged through the discussion:

1. Recognise we already have youth who are leaders in development
2. Make young people the solution not the problem
3. Get rid of youth side events
4. Involve young people in government consultations
5. Acknowledge that we’re not one homogeneous group
6. Create more economic opportunities 
7. Encourage participation in civil society at a young age
8. Share knowledge and experience
9. Start your own initiative to hold leaders to account
10. Get everyone together to keep on top of youth priorities
11. Listen and act on what young people say

Unfortunately, young people especially in southern Europe nowadays do not trust politicians and politics. Most of them have given up with politics and don’t take an active role in society. We should build again a relationship of trust and mutual respect among youth and politicians. Young people should be the drivers of political change, be actively involved in every aspect of social life and be a crucial part of the decision-making mechanisms. We are not the future generation, but the present generation!