Growing up in Sudan taught Zaina Amir that silence is a choice. Amid gunfire, blackouts, and tear gas, youth refused erasure. Through art, protest, and livestreamed truth in the dark, they resisted. Not waiting to be saved, Zaina carried grief and courage, building peace alongside her generation, even when the world looked away.

Nigeria’s youth are often mislabeled as “lazy,” yet the real challenge lies in systemic barriers that limit opportunity. Despite high unemployment and limited access to resources, young Nigerians continue to lead, innovate, and advocate for change. Our resilience proves we need inclusion, not criticism, empowerment, not dismissal.

Paola Lee discovered youth-led change through quiet curiosity, writing, observing, and asking questions. Through blogging on mental health, inequality, and the silent struggles of young people, she found spaces to share, listen, and learn. For her, meaningful engagement isn’t always loud; it’s empathy, reflection, and caring, even when no one’s watching.

A young first-generation scientist witnesses a Harvard lab shut down after political funding cuts, propelling her into the intersection of research, policy, and advocacy. Amid her family’s fears as immigrants, she commits to medicine and justice, proving that youth are not future leaders, they are leaders now.

It was an average July evening that brought with it stress and anxiety for many students. For some, it was the stress of finishing summer assignments, and for others, it was the fear of losing their lives. While I fell in the former category, reading excessively about the political undertones in film, students across Bangladesh embodied the latter, bringing some spine-chilling scenes of revolution and sacrifice to life. A few days and 1500 deaths later, the Hasina government met its end. 

This blog is a reflection on what drives Pakistan’s youth, the systemic obstacles they face and how we can collectively build a future where their potential isn’t just recognized but actively supported.

Many Nigerian youths felt offended by the words spoken (You are lazy) by the President.   The aim is to motivate them to buckle up, apply for jobs, take leadership roles, and thrive. Many would ask if the word “Lazy Youth” serves as a motivator, but I would say no; rather, the word is more of an insult, stirring up anger among the youth.  As much as it did not motivate the youth, it exposed the reality that remains: platforms promoting youth engagement in governance, finance, engineering, education, and all sectors are limited,  inaccessible, or unavailable.

What picture flashes in your mind when you hear the word conflict? Maybe it's scenes from a war-torn country, or perhaps the tension humming beneath the surface of your own life. Conflict, in its many forms, is the relentless undercurrent of our world, a shadow that stretches from global headlines to the quietest corners of our hearts.