In many countries, young people feel they have little say in decisions made about their lives and future. But, youth initiatives are emerging in, for example, Iraq, Ghana, Brazil or Solomon Islands to address this gap and empower young individuals to participate in shaping policies for their communities.
UNICEF is leading this crucial shift towards more inclusive intergenerational foresight dialogues. By allowing youth to steer the consultation process, UNICEF is giving young people a sense of purpose, and of what is possible.
UN Global Pulse has provided technical advice and funding, collaborating with UNICEF Youth Fellows to co-develop the foresight process. Together, we are putting the perspectives and aspirations of young people at the centre of foresight initiatives.
Our impact
We worked with UNICEF to support nine Youth Foresight Fellows in designing the foresight process for Prospects for Children in the Polycrisis: A Global Outlook for Children in 2023. The project engaged 70 youth participants from 18 countries, alongside UNICEF and Atlantic Council staff. Insights translated into a resource pack and social media campaign, Our Future Pledge: An Agenda for Futures by Youth.
The collaboration empowered Youth Fellows, promoting futures thinking in their networks and showing the power of foresight to create safe spaces for intergenerational conversations.
Our lessons
- By engaging young people in participatory foresight, we empowered them to influence policies that directly affect their lives and the future they will inherit.
- We saw how foresight can bring together diverse individuals with unique perspectives. Participants of different ages, backgrounds and cultures enriched our outcomes with their fresh ideas and alternative viewpoints. We showed that young people can be equal partners in guiding and undertaking foresight.