We want to proactively shift power to ensure every young person is able to lead and create a better world.
We are feminist, inclusive, gender transformative and anti-racist in our work. We recognise the barriers that women, girls, non-binary people, people living with disabilities, and young people of different ethnicities, religion and sexual preferences face in the communities in which we work. We recognise historical power inequalities and aim to decolonise development.
We have a track record of delivering programmes with impact. We work on the issues that young people care about the most – we react and respond to the world around us. Our work mostly falls into the following four impact priority areas.
We support young people to lead as active citizens and create change in their communities by influencing social and political structures, and those in power, with evidence-based solutions.
Young people risk losing the most from climate change, yet they are systematically excluded from conversations to address it. We support them to lead the response.
We support young people to lead change, providing opportunities, and helping build confidence, networks and skills to lead initiatives that have a lasting impact.
Youth training and empowerment – Young people are provided with tailored training, support, networks and mentors enabling young people to learn, adapt, grow, and ultimately thrive.
Community mobilisation – Young people change behaviour or mobilise action in their communities to respond to long-standing challenges such as child marriage or gender-based violence, as well as more pressing emergencies such as disease outbreaks or climate related disasters.
Youth-led accountability – Young people are supported to advocate and hold decision-makers to account.
Youth-led research – Young people capture key insights on issues that matter most to them, and use it to inform policy and practice.
Youth Collective
Our youth-led research has highlighted the challenges faced by youth civil society. We know that youth groups and organisations have the skills, connections and lived experience to make real change in their communities, but they are often overlooked. We want to see a youth civil society that is thriving, not just surviving.
We have established the Youth Collective to provide a global community for youth-led organisations. The Youth Collective’s aim is to help youth civil society thrive and lead change at a time in history when it’s needed most.
The Youth Collective
Learn more about how we strengthen Youth Civil Society.
The Youth Collective is made up of around 4,000 youth groups, organisations and movements around the world. We support them by sharing funding opportunities, creating space for connection and collaboration, increasing visibility, and opening dialogue with donors and funders to better support their work. Find out more about the Youth Collective.
Restless experts
We provide advice and guidance to institutions, governments, partners and corporations, supporting them to develop strategies and approaches that include young perspectives.
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