Global Dialogues

We are often told that young people are inheriting a world in crisis. But for my generation, especially in the Global South, we are not waiting to inherit these problems. We are already living them. In Jakarta, the climate crisis is not a future prediction; it is the reality of a sinking city. Technological upheaval is not a theoretical debate; it is the rapid digitization that reshapes how our families interact. Because we live at the center of this storm, the unique perspective we bring is not just urgency, but a deep understanding of the human cost of these shifts.

The most vital perspective young people offer is the refusal to view these challenges in isolation. We understand that "technological upheaval" and "social inequality" are deeply linked. I learned this while running a non-profit focused on digital literacy for the elderly. Policymakers often view technology as a tool for efficiency, but my generation views it as a lifeline for connection. We saw that rapid modernization was creating a new form of poverty, social isolation for the elderly. The unique perspective of the youth volunteers was not technical expertise, but empathy. We recognized that progress means nothing if it leaves our history and our elders behind. We bring a human-centric lens to global challenges, insisting that innovation must serve dignity, not just GDP.

Furthermore, growing up in a pluralistic society like Indonesia, young people bring a pragmatic approach to "democratic instability." We see that stability comes from dialogue, not uniformity. As a Christian in a Muslim-majority city, I learned that navigating differences is a daily practice. My generation understands that in a polarized world, the ability to build bridges across ethnic and religious lines is a prerequisite for survival. We do not view diversity as a political slogan, but as the necessary mechanics of how a society functions.

So, how should our voices be elevated? The international community needs to stop treating youth participation as a box to check. Too often, "elevating youth" means inviting us to panels to share our feelings or hold a microphone to protest. This is performative. It treats us as the conscience of the world, but rarely as its architects.

To truly elevate our impact, institutions must move from consultation to structural integration. We need to be trusted with the work of governance and historical interpretation. I have experienced the power of this trust firsthand as a narrator at the Sukarno Presidential Library. By being entrusted to interpret the history of Indonesia’s founding for the public, I am not just a passive recipient of history; I am an active custodian of it.

This is the model the world needs. We should not just be asked for our opinions on climate change; we should be integrated into the agencies designing the solutions. We should not just be invited to peace summits; we should be staffing the working groups. When young people are given ownership over the narrative and the solution, we stop being just the victims of the future. We become the responsible partners the world needs today.

Axel Hutapea (SFS'28) is a junior in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.