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Zooming Out: Youth and Foresight Beyond Borders
38 Plays3 months ago
It's time to zoom out !!!
This week, we want to connect you to the bigger picture, the multilateral sphere, where future generations and foresight aren't just abstract afterthoughts, but vibrant igniters of critical shifts in policy and global systems.
Together with our guest, Shai Naides, Chief of Youth Engagement and Strategy at UNICEF Innocenti, we dive into the role of intergenerational perspectives in reshaping our democratic systems of governance. We take a look at some of the guiding principles of meaningful youth engagement and discuss models that don't just amount to tokenism, but real policy impact.
Keen to learn more about research, foresight and child rights? Join 13,000 young people from over 150 countries by signing up to the Innocenti Youth Network!
Want to stay up to date with the For Our Future campaign and opportunities to engage? Follow us on our socials @forourfuturecampaign and @foundationsfortomorrow.
Ready to take some action? Sign our petition for a federal Wellbeing of Future Generations Act in Australia!
What's In It For You is a Foundations for Tomorrow podcast, produced as part of the 2025 For Our Future campaign. It is hosted by Clare Beaton-Wells and Anna Bezzu.
Links and resources mentioned:
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Transcript
Acknowledgment and Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
This podcast is partly recorded on the traditional lands of the Camaragal people in New South Wales, Australia. As co-hosts, we pay our respects to Indigenous Elders past and present and acknowledge that intergenerational leadership and long-term practices of stewardship have been cornerstones of Indigenous cultures for thousands of years. Music
00:00:24
Speaker
Hello and welcome back. We're just two passionate Aussie women breaking down why young people say in policy matters and what's really in it for them when it comes to long-term thinking in politics and the quickly burgeoning movement for future generations in Australia.
Youth Engagement in Policy
00:00:39
Speaker
I'm Claire Beaton-Wells, former political staffer, future generations champion and policy innovator. I'm passionate about inspiring young people to lead the charge when it comes to addressing some of the world's most complex challenges.
00:00:51
Speaker
And I'm Anna Bazoo, a corporate girl bridging business and impact, helping young people connect everyday choices to long-term change in society. Coming up on the show today, we're zooming out a little bit to the multilateral policy arena, where efforts to engage young people in multilateral policy and decision making are becoming increasingly visible.
00:01:09
Speaker
While our podcast primarily focuses on the domestic level, we just think there's lot happening that young Aussies can take inspiration from when it comes to meaningfully partaking in decision making processes that shape their future internationally.
00:01:22
Speaker
Together with our guest, a subject matter expert when it comes to youth engagement, foresight and global innovation, we're going to dive into the transformations occurring at the multilateral policy level to engage young people more deeply in decision making and to reimagine our democratic system so they're fit to address the complex challenges facing future generations.
00:01:41
Speaker
But as always, before diving into the policy and politicking, next up is our regular tunnel vision check, examining the latest examples of short-termism, not just in the political sphere, but the societal one too.
00:01:54
Speaker
So Claire, what's yours for today?
Urban Development Reflections
00:01:57
Speaker
Okay, so I've been having a bit of a think about this one and this week I want to take you guys to Oslo. I was there just a few days ago with my dad and to be honest, the place, it really surprised me, I have to say.
00:02:09
Speaker
I think like a lot of people, I've always seen Norway and particularly Oslo, the capital. as this global poster child for sustainability, innovation, future focused thinking, all of that.
00:02:20
Speaker
And coming from Australia, it's one of those places you look to and go, yeah, they're doing it right. And to be fair, Norway is doing a lot right. They've got one of the highest rates of electric vehicle adoption in the world. Pretty much every Uber I had to take there was a Tesla. I was pretty amazed.
00:02:36
Speaker
um What else? they're actively exploring ways to institutionalize intergenerational considerations in policymaking and while they don't yet have a wellbeing of future generations at they manage a sovereign wealth fund that's worth trillions and it's the envy of economists everywhere But when I was walking around Oslo last week, away from the stats and the headlines, I saw something that I think told a bit of a different story.
00:03:00
Speaker
The city is in full-blown construction mode. There's glass towers, high-end developments, boutique hotels, the barcode project with its sleek, dramatic skyline. It's the kind of place you'd think, if you stopped and thought about it for a minute, it was built for a Blade Runner reboot.
00:03:16
Speaker
But in between the cranes and the cafes, I also observed stark contrasts. There were districts with visible poverty, blocks that felt quite neglected or pushed out to the margins, spaces that I think felt to me quite curated more for tourists or investors than for everyday local Norwegians.
00:03:35
Speaker
And I often found myself asking, where were all the locals? And all of this, it really got me thinking, is this what long-term thinking looks
Equity and Livability in Planning
00:03:44
Speaker
like? Or perhaps is it just another version of urban tunnel vision?
00:03:48
Speaker
A city chasing global prestige, economic growth, aesthetic appeal without actually asking the harder question, who is the city really being built for? Because when I think about long-term planning, for me, it's not just about new infrastructure or cutting-edge tech. Fundamentally, at its core, it's about equity, livability, making sure that your city still feels like home to the people who've been there the longest, and making sure that behind every smart building and carbon-neutral tramline, gosh, there were so many of those, there's also affordable housing, accessible public spaces, and a sense of belonging, longevity.
00:04:27
Speaker
I have to say, Oslo is still ahead of the game in many ways, but my short trip there that I took last week just reminded me that future-focused thinking has to happen on every level, not just in the policy documents or innovation rankings, but in the lived environment as well.
00:04:44
Speaker
And urban planning, it needs a people-first lens, not just a growth-first one. so I guess what I want to say is the bottom line here, this week's tunnel vision check isn't about tearing anything down, but more about wanting us to ask, what if even the most forward thinking places sometimes fall into short term patterns when it comes to urban design?
00:05:06
Speaker
And also, what if the real future forward move is to slow down, to ask those hard questions like who benefits and to build cities that serve all generations, not just the next headline?
00:05:18
Speaker
What do you think, Anna? Oh, wow. I just think that was one of the most well thought out and considered um insights around short-termism. And you're right. isn't just
Importance of Long-term Thinking
00:05:27
Speaker
one. it doesn't just look like one particular thing, short-termism. It is certainly went all fallible to it.
00:05:33
Speaker
Even, like you said, the most forward-thinking, future-focused people can be susceptible to it. And I think that it's it's an opportunity for us all to take a bit of a moment to pause and reflect on all of our traits, our behaviors, our actions, the things that we're committing to that, again, may deliver us great returns in the short run, but long term may actually isolate people in our life, may make us not feel as values aligned, may not just be bringing us towards the version of our future that we're hoping to create. So I think that's a really great one. And I just wanted to translate that, what you've kind of observed, that pattern, that behavior, we can also take that and observe it in other areas of our life too. So that makes me even more excited to speak to with our next guest, who I know is a subject matter expert in all things foresight, future generations thinking, and really just asking those bigger questions on are we taking the right path forward?
Shai Nides' Journey and Insights
00:06:32
Speaker
And so Claire, I will leave it to you to introduce our next phenomenal guest. Absolutely. So today we have someone with us who doesn't just talk about changing the system, he's redesigning it from within.
00:06:44
Speaker
Shai Nides is Chief of Youth Engagement and Strategy at UNICEF Innocenti, UNICEF's Office of Global Research and Foresight. And he's leading some of the world's most important work that lies at the intersection of youth inclusion, strategic foresight and innovation in the multilateral system.
00:07:01
Speaker
His journey has taken him from climate activism and global campaigns in civil society to United Nations strategy rooms. In our episode with him today, we're going to talk about what it really means to give power to the next generation, not just as a PL line, but as a non-negotiable for our collective survival.
00:07:17
Speaker
We're going to unpack why our current governance structures and multilateral systems are failing young people, what it takes to reimagine democratic and policy processes to ensure meaningful participation, and how the future we seek to build will be shaped by the choices we make today.
00:07:32
Speaker
Shai, thank you so much for joining us. How are you feeling? Thanks, Claire. Feeling great and really appreciate the invitation to be on the show. Of course, it's wonderful to have you. So I'd love to dive straight in and start a little bit with your personal story and your entry into the world of multilateral affairs.
00:07:51
Speaker
And as we know, you've worked across civil society, the nonprofit sector and the UN, of course. I'd love you to tell us a little bit about what drew you to the mission of engaging young people meaningfully in spaces of influence like this.
00:08:06
Speaker
Yeah, thanks so much for that question. i mean, if i'm i'm if I'm honest here, like it all happens so organically. and When I was ah young activist myself, a climate activist, I felt I was part of a global movement and speaking truth to power.
00:08:24
Speaker
And this felt empowering and gave me a sense of purpose. Meanwhile, I struggle to fully believe that only movements would truly shape policies and decision-making, revealing a gap within the system as to how we might channel people's priorities into institutional change.
Youth Representation in Governance
00:08:46
Speaker
So mobilizing millions of people to put pressure for change was critical. But I also realized the system didn't just need pressure from the outside. It also needed reimagining from within.
00:09:00
Speaker
My early work with Greenpeace was all about mobilizing communities and harnessing people power. I remember the first digital campaigns and petition sites.
00:09:12
Speaker
It was around 2008, 2010, which then evolved into toolkits for digital networked organizing. I witnessed and was part of the evolution of how campaigns are run.
00:09:26
Speaker
The space of activism transformed so much over the few years within with the digitalization of of the world. um And also, so much of the energy on the ground came and still comes from young people.
00:09:43
Speaker
And yet, despite how environmental crises intertwine with social injustice, youth voices are often sidelined. Civil society showed me the transformative power of young people.
00:09:58
Speaker
After a decade with Greenpeace, I joined UNICEF not to abandon activism, but to channel that same spirit into systems work. How could we design people-powered strategies to uphold child rights?
00:10:13
Speaker
How could we create real avenues for youth to lead and co-create solutions, not just be consulted on the issues they care about deeply? So the opportunity was huge. Coming to New York, the privileged access to the United Nations headquarters, where processes and events made it evident to me that young people's priorities and concerns were not as central as they should be.
00:10:41
Speaker
And three years ago, i was given this unique opportunity to step into the role that I'm currently in, to reimagine what meaningful youth engagement could look like across research, foresight, and convening.
00:10:55
Speaker
It was a chance to show how new models could elevate youth influence, not just as participants, but as co-creators in shaping global policy.
00:11:07
Speaker
And that's the journey I've been in ever since. Well, thank you so much for sharing all of that. I feel like it it's really telling when somebody I feel like is so driven by the values and they've just authentically stuck to it over the course of their time, time and time again, because what you've done isn't,
00:11:26
Speaker
isn't exactly like a very normal career progression. It's very much shaped and led entirely by you. And I find that that's really inspiring. And I find that, you know, inevitably you've you've encountered a lot of bumps along the journey, a lot of roadblocks, a lot of barriers to your entry. And I'm curious,
00:11:47
Speaker
I'd love to kind of delve a little bit more into more of these defining moments or experiences that you've had in realizing how broken but equally trans transformable our democratic systems have been and how are these moments or experiences shaped or altered your approach to systems change.
00:12:06
Speaker
That is such a good question. And I mean, I, I would start by saying that we cannot ignore the moment we're in. Looking at the world, we see backsliding democracies, increased distrust in political leaders.
00:12:23
Speaker
Half of the global population are children and young people, and yet only 2.8% of parliamentarians are under 30. And also the the average age of heads of states is 62 years old.
00:12:37
Speaker
So ah youth are not only underrepresented, they are locked out of the spaces where their futures are being decided. And this only worsens and widens the already concerning generational trust gap that we are seeing At the same time, civic space is shrinking, surveillance is on the rise, and young people are increasingly locked out of civic and economic opportunities that previously, that previous generations took for granted.
00:13:08
Speaker
So in response to your question, yes, democratic systems are capable of transformation, but only if all generations are included in re-imagining the path forward.
00:13:20
Speaker
Children and young people today um actually give me a lot of hope. We are talking about the most connected generation in human history.
00:13:32
Speaker
i believe I'm part of the last generation that lived both the before and the after of the digital world. um You are of the generation we call digital natives. Those who are ah children today will probably become the generation of AI natives.
00:13:50
Speaker
So despite the many challenges to development, so we cannot underestimate the accelerated pace of progress at so many levels. We also cannot underestimate the power of the younger generation who doesn't need us to create space for them to lead because you are already leading and creating what comes next.
00:14:12
Speaker
I just think the way that you began that response, Shay, with what is, I think, such a trodden out statistic of how young people are such an enormous demographic now yet are so systemically underrepresented in positions and halls of power and spheres of influence. And it made me reflect a little bit about why is this statistic so trodden out, so commonly cited? And I think I don't have maybe the best answer to it, but I guess the one that I can come up with now is that it is because it is such a shocking statistic to hear.
00:14:48
Speaker
And hearing it over and over again is something that I have come to find has meant even to me that it's something that's almost even glossed over. um And it's like, oh, yeah, but what are we actually doing about that?
00:15:01
Speaker
And so I find that's actually a really nice segue into our next section, which is about the work that you're currently leading at UNICEF in a Chanty in your current role.
Barriers to Youth Engagement
00:15:11
Speaker
which is very centred on youth foresight, on research and democratic innovation. And so I'd love to talk about some of the specific programs and projects that your office is spearheading to address this problem. But just before we do do that, you did speak about, again, some of the biggest challenges that we're seeing. At the moment, we're facing a very, very you know complex and increasingly uncertain world.
00:15:32
Speaker
What do you think amidst some of these challenges are some of the biggest barriers that young people currently face to meaningfully participating in global governance and and processes? this is ah This is a great question, and let me begin by first acknowledging an important shift.
00:15:48
Speaker
So, over the past decade, and especially in the last five years, we have seen an unprecedented wave of initiatives and investments aimed at integrating young people into multilateral systems.
00:16:03
Speaker
From the growing number of youth climate leaders at COP to indigenous youth, youth led feminist movements, and the nearly, I think, close to 2000 young delegates who take over UN headquarters here in New York each year during the EcoSoc Youth Forum.
00:16:19
Speaker
We are really seeing demographic diversity ah that is that is truly historic. But the key question is still this, is is this enough?
00:16:31
Speaker
Is the representation enough? Like this question was the thinking driving our research on meaningful youth engagement in multilateral spaces.
00:16:42
Speaker
You know, one thing that kept coming up in our research is this tension between being invited in and being truly included. let us break that down.
00:16:52
Speaker
And this is informed by the research that we conducted and launched this report last year, which is Meaningful Youth Engagement in the Multilateral System. So, these are some of the key barriers that were surfaced in our work with youth delegates in the multilateral system. First of all, a lack of influence.
00:17:12
Speaker
Young people are often asked to show up, to participate, even to sit on advisory panels. But too often their voices don't actually shape the outcomes. Their roles, unfortunately, can remain symbolic.
00:17:25
Speaker
So this happens when the real decisions are being made elsewhere. Second, exclusion from agenda setting. By the time young people are brought into the conversation, the key priorities are too often already locked in.
00:17:43
Speaker
So, even if they are at the table, they are not actually helping set that table. And this is a key barrier. Third, opaque and unequal entry points.
00:17:56
Speaker
Most multilateral spaces still lack clear, open ways for youth to engage. Instead, access often flows through closed networks, people who already know the system or who have the right connections, and that leaves so many voices out.
00:18:13
Speaker
Fourth, I would point out to under-representation and of marginalized youth. Even in spaces that welcome young people, it's often those from urban, English-speaking, or well-connected circles who show up.
00:18:29
Speaker
Youth facing multiple layers of exclusion, whether it's rural location, disability, economic hardship, or other identities, remain largely invisible in these global policy spaces.
00:18:42
Speaker
And Then there's the issue, of course, of feedback and accountability. After a consultation, how often do young people hear back? How do they know their input mattered and influenced decisions?
00:18:57
Speaker
The silence that follows is often discouraging and undermines trust, and it leads to repeated cycles of tokenistic engagement. So here's the bigger picture.
00:19:08
Speaker
These challenges point to a real gap between what's being promised, youth inclusion, and what's actually being practiced. If we don't address that disconnect, youth engagement risks becoming performative, symbolic, and that only reinforces the intergenerational inequalities we say we want to fix.
00:19:30
Speaker
And again, I just want to bring it back to the very top that it's really important to acknowledge this. There's been huge investments. There are so many people who've been doing such important work at really widening those access points for young people. So a lot of progress has been made, but we cannot ignore these barriers.
00:19:49
Speaker
I find that really, ah really fascinating to name just the the optics of something, the that the appearance that somebody is getting included versus actually the the real life inclusion. And I'm so glad that this is being acknowledged and obviously progress is being made. And I'd love to just dive into a little bit more around that. you UNICEF Innocenti is UNICEF's Global Office of Research and Foresight, like the national branch of UNICEF in Australia.
00:20:16
Speaker
It has established channels for children and young people to meaningfully steer policy reform and participate in these spheres of influence, as you've just mentioned. So can you actually tell us a little bit more about UNICEF's Youth Foresight Fellowship and how it helps young people to overcome the barriers you just made mention of?
Youth Foresight Fellowship Overview
00:20:35
Speaker
Thanks, Anna. So the Youth Foresight Fellowship that that we lead at UNICEF Innocenti was conceptualized as a response to these structural gaps in youth engagement that I was just sharing.
00:20:49
Speaker
So rather than inviting youth to participate in pre-designed frameworks, the fellowship is co-created with young people and positioned within real-world foresight research and governance ecosystems.
00:21:05
Speaker
Its design is guided by eight foundational principles of meaningful youth engagement, and we actually published these couple of years ago now, in what we call the Youth Foresight Playbook, which is meant to also be a resource, a tool for organizations, public and private, um to to think of ways of involving young people in foresight or kind of applying foresight methods in order for young people to have access points to to policy design and decision making.
00:21:39
Speaker
So I'm going to run through the principles, if that sounds good. i mean, first of all, respect. Young people's knowledge, time, and lived experiences need to be valued equally to those of adult professionals and institutional actors.
00:21:55
Speaker
Number two, transparency. and Participants are informed about the objectives, scope, and boundaries of their engagement, and about how their contributions will be used.
00:22:08
Speaker
Third, we have ownership. Youth need to be empowered to shape the design and execution of activities, not just to contribute to predetermined agendas, but to really set them.
00:22:22
Speaker
The fourth is resources. ah Participation needs to be supported through adequate compensation, training, translation, mentoring, and access to networks, recognizing that engagement without resourcing reinforces privilege.
00:22:41
Speaker
Then we have feedback. So institutions should always follow up with youth, closing the feedback loop and documenting the influence of youth input on decisions or outputs.
00:22:54
Speaker
Then we have equity. So youth engagement mechanisms being actively designed to include participants across diverse identities, geographies, and lived experience.
00:23:06
Speaker
And for us, it's always really important to really reach the most underrepresented and marginalized groups as well. Seventh is agency. So youth have meaningful choices in how and where they engage and are supported to develop the skills and confidence to assert, communicate their views.
00:23:29
Speaker
And finally, the eighth is all about safety. So psychological, physical and digital safeguards are put in place to ensure that young people can participate without exposure to harm or harassment.
00:23:44
Speaker
So through this framework, the Youth Foresight Fellowship provides more than training. It offers a platform for strategic influence. Fellows come on board, they conduct their own foresight research and their insights and anticipat anticipatory recommendations then contribute to UNICEF flagship publications and spaces or areas that most matter to young people.
00:24:10
Speaker
So not just the priorities that that our experts are setting, but also really um really elevating and centering the priorities of young people.
00:24:21
Speaker
and they may include climate action, AI governance, education, or intergenerational equity. I would say that um importantly, the fellowship also functions as ah as a proof of concept for institutional change. So the way we see it it is that it is also demonstrating what it is possible when youth engagement is designed around principles of empowerment and co-leadership rather than performance.
00:24:50
Speaker
In this way, it it directly addresses the trust and religious legitimacy gaps that we've been mentioning. Wow. Thank you so much for sharing about those principles, Shai, and as well, what a transformational program. I wanted to actually just draw together back to what you were saying ah in response to the previous question and how you were acknowledging the incredible progress that we have seen. Something like six, seven years ago, young people were practically...
00:25:16
Speaker
absent altogether from the multilateral sphere. And now we've got, as you say, many ways in which we're seeing young people popping up in multilateral forums and spaces. But as you say, there's still a large gap that needs to be addressed. And so I find it really inspiring to see such a practical and useful framework that is really effectively addressing some of the problems whereby young people, as you say, still aren't heard or able to meaningfully steer policy reform in the ways in which they're seeking to and ultimately need to be if we're able to come up with long-term solutions to the challenges
Imagination and Systemic Challenges
00:25:52
Speaker
we face. And so what I wanted to ask you about next and the reason I'm kind of eager to ask you about this question, it's question about democratic imagination, because as I've seen you've written about and acknowledged many times in the conversations we've had so far,
00:26:07
Speaker
is the need to rethink our systems, to reimagine them even. And so I'd love you to tell us a bit about why is it imagination, similarly foresight as well, also so creativity, which I know is a part of the fellowship program itself.
00:26:21
Speaker
Why are those such vital political tools to us and how can they help us to address some of the systemic challenges that we face like intergenerational inequity? So we're living through what some call the age of the poly crisis, climate instability, technological upheaval, rising authoritarianism.
00:26:41
Speaker
And yet most of our governance systems are still wired for short term thinking, whether it's election cycles, quick fixes, crisis response.
00:26:53
Speaker
That short-termism creates a dangerous gap, both for the present and for future generations. This is where imagination and foresight can become vital political tools.
00:27:06
Speaker
The foresight I want to see more of isn't about predicting the future. It's about reclaiming the ability to shape it. It helps us move beyond fear-based reactive mindsets and into the space of possibility.
00:27:21
Speaker
Through tools like horizon scanning, trends analysis, or scenario building, foresight can allow young people to identify emerging challenges and opportunities, surface bold ideas, and co-create long-term visions of what a just, livable future could look like.
00:27:40
Speaker
And here's the deeper shift. When young people are meaningfully involved in foresight work, they stop being treated as passive recipients of policy. and They become strategic contributors, creators of alternative futures and catalysts for a system change they feel ownership for, and therefore they will engage with it.
00:28:04
Speaker
So foresight can be both a method and a mechanism of redistributing power. through our Youth Foresight framework, it brings youth knowledge, values, and lived experiences into governance in ways that traditional models often don't. so But let's be clear, youth foresight alone isn't the solution.
00:28:27
Speaker
For it to be transformative, those in power have to create safe spaces. That means listening differently, sharing decision-making power, and building institutional cultures that welcome, instead of fearing, new perspectives.
00:28:46
Speaker
So imagination isn't an abstract exercise for many young people engaged in this work. It's a step who towards justice. I'm really inspired by that because it's, again, ah real solution to the barrier barriers that young people may experience or may perceive that they're experiencing in in a really practical manner. Like there is a pathway. I can see the pathway made clear in all of the work that you've been doing.
00:29:11
Speaker
And I'd love to kind of drill that a little bit further down because I do believe that young people are actually quite enthusiastic about their participation, but they might, again, just have this perception that there are these barriers, they may feel this sense of delusionment, not necessarily the politics itself, but with the leaders and the institutions and the systems that they operate within.
00:29:34
Speaker
What would you say to to those sorts of young people who you know who feel that and about advocating for their futures and participating meaningfully in democracy?
00:29:45
Speaker
Thanks for that great question, Anna. I mean, i you know when when you speak about disillusion and skepticism, I mean, I would say this to young people, your skepticism is valid.
00:29:59
Speaker
And so is your agency and your vision of what a preferred future could look like for your community, for your state, for your country, for the entire planet.
00:30:10
Speaker
You know, I think democracy is not this kind of static thing. It's something you shape, reshape and reimagine every day through your choices, actions and leadership.
00:30:25
Speaker
I would tell young people, stay informed. Also question what you hear and get involved. you know whether it's through volunteering, organizing, or simply standing up for the causes you care about.
00:30:41
Speaker
Even the smallest acts of courage, a conversation, ah vote, an idea shared, can ripple outward and change what is possible. You are already part of this and your voice matters more than you think.
00:30:55
Speaker
I think that that is a very important message. That's such a hopeful message as well. And I think, as we always say, speaking about at the multilateral level, but just for policymaking in general, hope is the flywheel that's going to enable us to to make the change to the systems and institutions that we're hoping to see.
00:31:13
Speaker
I shout out to Taylor where I got that from. she's always She says that ah so often and, yeah, it's so true. One thing, I guess, speaking of hope and speaking to people, who may be listening to this about getting involved and believing that their voices deserve to be heard and matter within these spaces.
UN Initiatives and Youth Involvement
00:31:29
Speaker
One thing I wanted to draw their attention to was how we saw it just last year at the multilateral level, at the summit of the future, UN adopted quite a historic document. It's called the Pact for the Future, and it included in its annex um a declaration on future generations. And This was really a historic milestone in the global movement that we're currently seeing for future generations. And it was also a recognition of the importance of including young people in global decision-making processes. And I think both for Anna and I, as young people ourselves, we found that to be really a moment in which we found
00:32:04
Speaker
um renewed hope. And so what I wanted to ask you, Shai, was, I guess, now that we've got this this incredible document before us, this incredible framework um or roadmap, as some people are calling it, what do you think needs to be done to help accelerate its implementation, particularly um in relation to some of the actions that we've seen in Chapter 4, which focuses quite substantively on youth um future generations and their participation in decision making processes?
00:32:31
Speaker
Thanks, Claire. I have to say it it it it's so good to hear that that it gives you hope, really, and that you see it as a positive milestone moving forward.
00:32:42
Speaker
The adoption of the Pact for the Future and the Declaration on Future Generations was as a historic milestone. It marked ah a moment of consensus around the need to embed intergenerational equity and youth participation at the heart of multilateralism.
00:33:01
Speaker
But as we know from decades of youth advocacy also and institutional change work, declarations without mechanisms risk becoming aspirational rather than operational.
00:33:15
Speaker
So accelerating the implementation of chapter four, which you referred to, will need us to recognize that youth participation is not a peripheral concern, but really a foundational pillar of institutional legitimacy and resilience moving forward.
00:33:34
Speaker
The tools already exist. Now the work is to embed them into the architecture of governance permanently. equitably and with accountability mechanisms in place.
00:33:47
Speaker
Ah, Shai, just think that um everything that you're sharing is is really, again encouraging to listen to because what you've said is you've translated so much insight, so much real data, so much real like barriers to entry and and shown how this can actually be converted into an accessible way for people to meaningfully participate. And again, it's like it's great that institutions like um UNICEF are doing something about this, that you are leading this. and I think that for me, like as a listener, it just, again, it gives me hope. It gives me this perspective of but perspective that things are really changing, that it's not all doom and gloom, which often the narrative can be quite doomy and gloomy and it's very overwhelming. Where do we begin? What do we actually do? And it's like, cool, there are people out there like yourself who are who are really who are really doing this
00:34:38
Speaker
I would love to bring it to to one more message from you around what you would want the listeners to take away from listening to this episode. If you were to distill it into one truth, one thing that you want them to hear, what would that be?
00:34:53
Speaker
So if there's one thing I'd want you to take away, it's this. You are not just the future. You are the present.
00:35:03
Speaker
Your voice, your choices, your dreams, your already shape the world around you. Get curious about how power works.
00:35:14
Speaker
Learn how decisions are made at the local level in your community. Find ways, big or small, to show up for the future you believe in.
00:35:26
Speaker
When I think about my journey, he didn't have a roadmap. I just followed the things that gave me energy. and said yes to what aligned with my values, and then trusted the process that unfolded quite organically, to my point at the start of of this conversation.
00:35:46
Speaker
Finally, i would also say, learn about your rights, learn about children's rights. I wish I had learned about the convention of the rights of the child earlier on.
00:35:58
Speaker
Your path might unfold differently than you imagine. And that is okay also. Just stay close to what feels true. That is where leadership really begins. Love that. And I think that's very inspiring. I think we all have that innate pull towards something may not make sense to others, but for us, that's what lights us up. That's what really um feels fulfilling and gratifying for us. And we all, I think needing to listen to that call, it's it's sometimes it's actually really scary to take that because again, there's no roadmap. There's no blueprint on how to accomplish success in a field that's not
00:36:33
Speaker
you know, that you're walking the path for the first time. But it's really encouraging, I think, that you inevitably probably have met the right sorts of people, had the right sorts of conversations that and ah enabled all of these unlocks along the journey to to give you where you are today, which is, again, really inspiring.
Youth-led Research at UNICEF Innocenti
00:36:51
Speaker
I would love to just end on what are some of the projects that you that you are working on currently in your present that are lighting you up right now? And where can our listeners find out more about them?
00:37:03
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. i mean, Anna, to that question, i mean, I would say there's just so much lighting me up right now from you know our recent um Youth-led Horizon scanning reports, um emerging breakthroughs on climate, to our work on the futures of education, ah the Youth Foresight Fellowship, of course, and some really exciting plans to work on the futures of meaningful youth engagement in the multilateral system.
00:37:31
Speaker
So there's a lot happening. and But probably what lights me up the most is the brilliant, smart, caring, and fun folks in my team, the youth engagement and strategy team, just a huge shout out to them.
00:37:47
Speaker
i get, you know, who I get to to build with, learn from, and walk a journey of purpose with. I would tell listeners, if you are interested in learning more about our work, check out ah the UNICEF Innocenti website, and you will find all these reports, including youth-led research and youth-led foresight, but also a lot of youth-focused work there, and really important work also. um um And if you want to learn about opportunities as a young person to engage in our work,
00:38:23
Speaker
sign up to our newsletter we and and youth network. We have over 13,000 young people ah in over 150 countries who have expressed interest in research, foresight, and child rights.
00:38:39
Speaker
So we organize webinars, workshops, and also send a monthly newsletter to keep the community up to date with all all of our work. So look out for those for those channels.
00:38:51
Speaker
What a community to be a part of. And thank you so much for your candidness and in sharing all of that, Shai. It's been wonderful. And i know our time is coming to an end. But yeah, as I said before, I could listen to you speak all day and would love to just sit here and listen.
00:39:04
Speaker
But yeah, ever thankful as well for your time. And yeah, if you are listening to this, I think just as Shai mentioned, don't hesitate to check out their website, to sign up to their newsletter. i think it's it's one thing to get involved, but to walk a path that is A little bit uncertain can feel scary, but you never know the doors that are going to open because of it.
00:39:33
Speaker
Wow, again, just what another fantastic conversation. Anna, I know we normally cover what's going on in domestic politics here in Australia, but hearing all that's occurring at the international level has just really reminded me how important it is for us to be able to zoom out when we're trying to solve complex challenges like climate change, economic inequality, intergenerational inequity, because more often than not, you'll find there's going to be someone else somewhere else also trying to solve the same problem as you from whom you can take inspiration.
00:40:03
Speaker
Yes, exactly. And hearing from Shai about the approach that they're taking at UNICEF Inocenti has really opened my eyes to how you can really give power to youth and how when you do, when you truly play a place your trust in them to lead, the outcomes you can achieve are incredible.
00:40:19
Speaker
Oh, totally agree. Anyway, that's all we have for you listeners today. And we hope you enjoyed hearing a bit more of an international perspective this time around. If you like the episode, don't forget, please leave us a five-star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening in from.
00:40:35
Speaker
And if you want to know more about the For Our Future campaign and Future Generations movement here in Australia, give us a follow on our socials at For Our Future campaign and at Foundations for Tomorrow.
00:40:47
Speaker
And if you want to get involved, you can so always send us an email at hello at foundationsfortomorrow.org. Oh, and please don't forget forget, also sign our petition for a federal Wellbeing of Future Generations Act in Australia. The link is in the description below.
00:41:04
Speaker
I'm Claire Beaton-Wells. And I'm Anna Bazoo. We'll be back with another episode shortly to talk more about policy and what's in it for you. Bye. Bye. Yay.