Global Youth Mobilization Calls for Intergenerational Action during 79th UNGA

On the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the Summit of the Future, World YWCA and its partners in the Big Six Youth Organizations held a high-level roundtable under the Global Youth Mobilization initiative. Our call was clear: policymakers and global leaders must “walk the talk” by supporting youth engagement through intergenerational action.

The event brought youth activists together with civil society leaders and policymakers, including the Big Six leaders, EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Dr Felipe Pauiller. This provided a critical opportunity to highlight the impact of the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) model. Since its inception, GYM has provided young people with direct financial support, training, mentorship, and networking opportunities, enabling them to lead initiatives that address pressing social issues within their communities.

In her passionate closing remarks, YWCA India youth leader Yashika Sharma shared how the GYM has enabled her to embark on an innovative project. Led and designed by young women, the project will use the World YWCA’s signature tool, RiseUp! Leadership training programme and the Feminist Consultation Methodology to create a “by community” initiative. Yashika proudly explained how this will “truly walk the talk in local contexts”.

Reflecting on the significance of intergenerational collaboration, Casey Harden, General Secretary and CEO of World YWCA, emphasised that genuine progress requires contributions from all generations. 

“At World YWCA, we believe that true leadership thrives when diverse perspectives and experiences, across age groups, are recognised and valued. Intergenerational leadership is not just about involving young people for appearances, but about fostering a partnership where they are equal participants in decision-making and action,” she said. “It’s through this mutual respect and collaboration that we can address the complex challenges of today’s world effectively.” – Casey Harden General Secretary and CEO of World YWCA

Building on this commitment, World YWCA will be launching an intergenerational leadership guide later this year, designed to offer practical insights on how to foster collaboration across age groups. 

Intergenerational leadership is critical to challenging trust with different ages. This is why, throughout this session, Casey Harden asked attendees to consider when and why they focus on risks when talking about youth initiatives. She invited them to think about the risks we are constantly taking across the sector, and question why they tend more towards caution when it comes to youth investment. 

Leaving this impactful conversation, we invite organisations to join us in challenging the dominant narrative and practices around intergenerational leadership to foster collaboration across age groups. ​​Let us focus on leading with trust.

“What do we ask from you? Open up spaces, resources, and policies in ways that underline the feminist values of collective-building, trust and accountability towards everyone, including Young People. Intergenerational Action is key to ensuring we are not just seeing young people as “tools” or “beneficiaries” but as “co-creators” of the today.” – Yashika Sharma, #YWCALeader India RiseUp! Lead 

We need this kind of intergenerational action to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and YWCA’s Goal 2035 a reality. We need everyone working together to ensure youth leaders have spaces, tools, resources and funds. We must work together as the co-creators of today, for tomorrow.

This event and its collaborative discussion was a step in this direction.

Global Youth Mobilization was born as a response to COVID-19 and has grown into a movement. Its success is a testament to the power and resilience of youth when they have access to funding, resources, and training. With the support of the EU Youth Empowerment Fund and in partnership with the EU Commission, we are scaling this initiative to reach even more communities.

As the World YWCA, we remain committed to supporting youth as co-creators of today’s solutions. Through initiatives like GYM, we provide critical resources and foster leadership deeply rooted in feminist values and intergenerational collaboration.

On Tuesday, 8 October 2024, World YWCA will continue these powerful conversations with the European Commission in Brussels, at the Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event. To learn more about the Global Youth Mobilization and how it continues to make a difference, visit globalyouthmobilization.org.