We hear from young people but are we listening? - UNICEF's Shai Naides
episodePreviously titled “The voice of young people is inconsequential - UNICEF policy leader Shai Naides” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 2, 2026
Transcript
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Why are young people considered key signals of future change?
If you think about it, young people are closer to the signals of change of the decisions that are being made today. We have clues into what those possible futures might look like because those decisions are already impacting them in ways that they're not impacting the decision makers today. But too often the decisions around the future of economic security. are being made by those who are already secure. And there is huge value in bringing those who are not secure and who will ultimately live the consequences of the decisions and trade-offs being made today.
Young people. Altruistic, naive, lost, perhaps, but equally they are invested in shaping a world that they want to live in when they grow up. Today we're looking at engagement of young people when crafting strategies and initiatives for the future, their future, taking learnings from the public sector and UNICEF with Shy Niders. What is the state at the moment of young people? It feels like they're facing into more challenges than opportunities.
There is a contradiction out there, right? On one hand, young people are living in a world that we've never lived before. Currently, youth are the most educated generation in human history. They are connected in ways that youth have never been connected in the past. They are networked globally. The digital world has transformed the entire Experience of being a child and being a young person in the world. And, you know, and this there's tremendous opportunities in where we're at, on one hand, for young people in the world. But on the other hand, we can't ignore that there's some major challenges. And being a young person today is a very different thing to being a young person, say, 20 years ago. Youth are facing.
A lot of pressures coming at many levels. And of course, we know from speaking with and working with folks in the foresight world that we live in unprecedented, uncertain times. So there's huge uncertainty. And in a way, I feel that that is a major driver for the state of where young people are at today. So if we think about On one hand, technological development, sure, huge opportunities for young people, but also big risks and challenges for them when it comes to digital safety. If we think about how young people feel in relation to employment and work, right? On one hand, there are more opportunities than ever for young people to create their own companies, to build Build their own life to really, you know, shape their work life.
But on the other hand, there is a lot of anxiety around the future of work. And then, of course, there's the question of agency and how policies are shaped. On one hand, we look at the world at youth population. We know that around half of the world's population is around 30 years old. But we also know that. Only 2.8% of parliamentarians in the world are under 30 years old. So demographically, young people have historically been outside of the spaces where policies are being designed, where national strategies are being set, and where decisions about their future are being made. And so, you know, on one hand, there's this narrative that there is Apathy among young people. I find it a really unfair narrative, really, because in a way that is a response to a lack of agency, a feeling that they don't really have access into these spaces that are shaping the future.
And this is critical today because increased uncertainty also requires those in power. Those governing today to govern for long-term problems, long-term risks. And so the ones who are going to live the longest who have the highest exposure, longest exposure to the consequences and trade-offs of the decisions being made today and of the impact of those risks are younger cohorts. And yet they are not within these. Spaces where these decisions are being discussed or made today.
What contradictions exist between youth opportunities and the challenges they face?
It's not a simple question where are children and youth at today. On one hand, huge progress, on the other hand, huge challenges. And I think that a big area of the work that I'm focusing on is really looking at how can we bridge the gap?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why are young people considered key signals of future change?
0:00–4:36
2
What contradictions exist between youth opportunities and the challenges they face?
4:36–9:58
3
How does the lack of youth representation affect policy decisions?
9:58–15:05
4
Why is trust in institutions declining among young people?
15:05–19:41
5
What is UNICEF’s Youth Foresight program and how does it work?
19:41–25:11
6
How can youth participation move from token voice to real agency?
25:11–29:53
7
What role does intergenerational governance play in shaping the future of work?
29:53–34:04
8
How can private and public sectors learn from youth‑led foresight to drive impact?
34:04–38:44