Adolescent and youth participation

In a rapidly changing world, foresight – the ability to think systematically about the future to inform decisions today – is crucial. At UNICEF, youth foresight means empowering children and young people to contribute their unique perspectives and experiences to shape a better future for us all. Our Youth Foresight Fellowship is at the forefront…, Empowering children and youth to shape the future, The Fellowship brings children and young people together with UNICEF to develop foresight skills, participate in global trends analysis, and lead their own projects, shaping a future where youth voices are heard, respected and influential. Fellows spend their time learning about foresight research, facilitation, project management and child rights…, Results to date, In just a short time, the Fellows have made a powerful impact on UNICEF and the world: Global reach: Our Innocenti global youth network has grown to over 5,000 members from 150 countries and continues to expand. Flagship reports: Young people’s insights have been included in key UNICEF reports like the Prospects for Children: Global Outlook Global…, Programme details, Duration: Six to 10 months. Compensation: Fellows receive a stipend and support for project implementation. Eligibility: Open to individuals aged 15-25 at the time of application. Foresight skills are preferable but not required., Apply now, Applications for the 2023 Fellowship are now closed. Stay tuned for updates on the 2024 Fellowship.

Debates about lowering the voting age have been gaining traction in recent years. 1 Advocates argue that lowering the voting age fulfills children’s political and civil rights, while opponents express concerns about the maturity of younger individuals to make informed political decisions. 2, Voting age around the world, In most countries and territories ( aceproject.org | What is the legal voting age in the national elections? around 90 per cent ), the voting age is 18 or above. In the 20th century, ages for voting and political participation were progressively lowered as the franchise was extended to women, the illiterate, and other groups. A first wave of…, Opportunities and risks, Lowering the voting age to 16 would offer opportunities to advance the civil and political rights of children. It would present voting as a right in itself and a means to bolster democratic institutions, improve policies for children and promote intergenerational equity. But there are also risks involved in defending a lower voting age. Promoting…, Conclusion, The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes that children have civil and political rights. In addition, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has repeatedly stated that, as their capacities evolve, children are entitled to higher levels of responsibility, agency, and autonomy in the exercise of their rights. The Committee has also…

How can we build a better world for young people? We can start by building a better world with young people.  Today, too few opportunities exist for young people to contribute to analyzing global trends and pioneering solutions to the challenges we all face. And, although we face all those challenges together, no one will feel their impact more…, Youth Foresight Fellowship, Empowering tomorrow’s leaders to forge a better future for every child A ten-month fellowship program for young foresight practitioners to influence UNICEF’s research agenda and strategies – advocating for youth inclusion in policy and decision-making globally and within their countries. In addition to pursuing their own projects, they contribute…,   2023 Youth Foresight Fellows, Abril Perazzini Abril Perazzini Argentina Aicha Robei Aicha Robei Algeria Fathmath Zahanath Zuhury Fathmath Zahanath Zuhury The Republic of Maldives Joshua K. Opey Joshua K. Opey Ghana Kate Seary Kate Seary United Kingdom Mamadou Doucoure Mamadou Doucoure Mali May Phyu Phyu Aung May Phyu Phyu Aung Myanmar Nahjae Nunes Nahjae Nunes United States of…, Previous Youth Foresight Fellows, 2022, Asra Memon, Pakistan Deona Julary, United States of America Fisayo Oyewale, Nigeria Ijun Kim, Republic of Korea Iman Bashir, Kenya Jacob Ellis, United Kingdom Joshua Steib, Germany Nourhan Badr El Din, Egypt Ricardo Pineda Guzmán, Honduras, Leading Minds Fellowship, Elevating the perspectives of youth to shift the status quo Leading Minds is a future-focused conference series and premier platform for global thought leadership, co-created and co-driven by young people. It aims to convene cutting-edge thinkers and leaders, including next generation advocates, so they can dive into urgent, world-changing issues…, 2024 Leading Minds Fellows on Climate, A six-month, part-time fellowship program designed to foster and harness the talents of young climate leaders. This fellowship will steer the agenda of UNICEF’s 2024 Leading Minds conference focused on climate breakthroughs. Alejandro Daly Alejandro Daly (Senior Fellow) Colombia/Venezuela Catarina Lorenzo Catarina Lorenzo Brazil Ema Meçaj Ema…

Young people’s ideas and inputs are the key to shaping an equitable future for all. At UNICEF Innocenti, our Youth Foresight Fellows are a dedicated global team of foresight practitioners, aged 15-25, who input into UNICEF’s research and foresight agenda, globally and within their countries. In November 2023, our team launched the Youth Foresight…

Youth, Protests and the Polycrisis  delves into this transformative potential of youth protests, while cautioning about the risks. Although many analyses exist on specific youth protests, fewer studies have global coverage. This paper combines quantitative research on protests with qualitative insights, including from young people themselves, and…, Youth activism often stems from a perception of marginalization, with diverse political, environmental, economic and social issues triggering protests. Protests on global issues, such as against climate change or racism, including through transnational youth-led movements, have increased.  , Young people help to diversify protest tactics and bridge online and offline activism, Digital technologies and platforms have been increasingly used by youth, bringing innovation to protests, fostering inclusivity and lowering the costs of organizing movements, though not without risks. Online mobilization may aggravate digital divides, and is also subject to surveillance, harassment and repression.   , Youth participation can contribute to more peaceful and inclusive activism, but even non-violent action faces preemptive repression, Most protests involving youth are peaceful, contradicting a misperception that young people are violent and unruly. Additionally, protests with youth participation are more inclusive and larger. At the same time, governments are more prone to repress mass protests preemptively and violently when they involve youth. , Youth participation contributes to protest impact and social change, but this does not necessarily produce direct gains for young people, Young people’s participation in protests means less violent, larger, more inclusive and more innovative campaigns, and these elements contribute to higher impact. Mass protests where young people are on the front lines are more likely to be effective and to achieve positive outcomes in their aftermath. On the other hand, even when mass protests…, U N I C E F I N N O C E N T I G L O B A L O F F I C E O F R E S E A R C H A N D F O R E S I G H T M A R C H 2 0 2 4 Youth, Protests and the Polycrisis This document is interactive and designed for digital viewing. Please consider the environment and refrain from printing. ContentsSynopsis 3 Introduction 5 1. Emerging trends in youth protests…

It has long been a strength of UNICEF to bring together different stakeholders and partners, including children and young people, to make a change in the face of challenges. UNICEF Innocenti makes the most of this strength with Leading Minds, a regular series of multi-generational events and a platform for thought leadership created with and…, 2024 Leading Minds Conference, Climate action: Breaking barriers and challenging the status quo This year’s conference looks at how to move the needle on climate action in areas such as child-centric governance, climate financing, children’s exposure to climate change, equity in energy transition, and climate education and green skills. Despite international commitments, the…

A adolescent working at a sewing machine Around the world, there is a rise in recognition of the power and importance of refugee-led organisations (RLOs). Rarely featured in discussions about these however, is the prominent role of refugee youth-led organisations, commonly known as RYLOs. Supporting age diversity within the leadership of…

We are living in an era defined by three long-term challenges shaping the lives of children around the world. The first is the climate emergency. The second is the difficulty in separating fact from fabrication in the age of digital media. The third is the limited capacity of our political institutions to drive positive change in a globalized…, We encourage you to visit the changingchildhood.unicef.org Project's interactive microsite , designed especially for children and young adults to engage with the Project’s questions – including those posed in the survey – and to explore some of its key findings. For those who wish to delve further, research tools are open to the public., Research tools, Users who wish to dig deeper into the Project can download research tools below, including the methodology and codebook, survey questionnaire, and microdata. We would love to hear what you discover from your own analyses. If you have any questions or would like to tell us how you are using the Project, please email us at changing-childhood@unicef.…, The Changing Childhood Project: A multigenerational, international survey on climate change knowledge, information, trust and identity A Tumultuous World Through Childrens Eyes Summary of key findings The Changing Childhood Project, a survey-based collaboration between UNICEF and Gallup, was created to understand how children and young people view…

4 minute read The question, “Where are you from?” has historically been straightforward. “I’m from Cardiff, in Wales,” is my default reply. But where we are from is no longer tied merely to our postcode, the city we were born in, or the country listed on our passport. Rather than focusing solely on where we are from, there is now more emphasis on…

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of local communities as both providers of assistance and partners of established aid actors, building on existing localisation efforts in the humanitarian sector. This is particularly true of organisations and initiatives started and led by refugees themselves, known as refugee-led organisations (…

When we think about the future, we tend to think about children and youth as beneficiaries of the world we create. But this approach — regardless of good intentions — is a missed opportunity to learn from young people and co-design a future that better reflects their priorities. This youth foresight playbook aims to facilitate a more inclusive…, This project is made possible with funding and enthusiastic support from unglobalpulse.org United Nations Global Pulse and the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs, Finland. We are grateful for their continued partnership and commitment to youth participation and child rights. November 2023, Designing a Youth-centred Journey to the FutureA YOUTH FORESIGHT PLAYBOOK Designing a Youth-centred Journey to the Future: A Youth Foresight Playbook i What is a Youth Foresight Playbook? Young people have been a driving force for change throughout history. It makes sense that they should also be deeply involved in imagining the future their…

Event: Livestream 28 November 2023 11:00 - 01:00 UTC+4 Museum of the Future Sheikh Zayed Rd Trade Centre 2 Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United arab emirates Click here to tune into the livestreamed event at 11.00am (GMT+4).    The UNICEF Innocenti Youth Engagement and Strategy team, in collaboration with the  Dubai Future Forum , is excited to…