Today, with 1.8 billion young people—the largest generation in history—youth face significant barriers to empowerment. They experience three times the unemployment rate of older adults and 20 percent are not in employment, education, or training. Young people are also among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts like natural disasters, water and food scarcity, and poverty. Despite these challenges, they are often excluded from decision-making processes, and young activists face hurdles like limited resources, funding, and political resistance.
This online panel discussion will feature three young activists who have driven change in their home countries, sharing their personal experiences and insights, and will be moderated by Claudine Enduma, Finalist of the 2022 Geneva Challenge :
- Nisreen Elsaim, General Coordinator, Youth and Environment Society, Co-Founder, Sudan Youth Organisation on Climate Change, Former Chair, UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, and Laureate of the 2023 Young Activists Summit
- Toha Shamsoo Issah, Founder and Executive Director, African Students for Interfaith Tolerance, Regional Coordinator, United Network of Young Peacebuilding, and 2023 Kofi Annan Changemaker
- Junbert T. Pabon, Filipino young peacemaker, Founder of Turning Point, and 2021 Kofi Annan Changemaker
The panel is organised with the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Young Activists Summit as part of the Geneva Challenge hosted by the Geneva Graduate Institute. The 2024 edition invited Master´s students from all around the world to devise projects tackling challenges related to youth empowerment.
