Marine Hadengue, director of Youth Talks, a global consultation focused on the opinions, concerns and future aspirations of youths, in this interview with TEMITAYO AYETOTO-OLADEHINDE talks about its recently released Youth Talks report which sheds light on the hopes and dreams of young people worldwide.
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What are the key challenges and opportunities that young people face today, as reflected in the report?
The first edition of the report provides a rich snapshot of the aspirations, hopes, and beliefs of young people around the world, showcasing diverse beliefs and ideas rather than a singular “youth voice.”
While each question posed by Youth Talks unveiled distinct viewpoints, there was considerable common ground among participants, particularly within the same geographical region.
Our key findings revealed a prominent theme: the importance young people place on values and virtues in their education, urging educators to revamp curricula to prioritise harmonious coexistence and social interaction. This desire for a new learning approach echoed worldwide, excluding China.
The results also highlighted a significant divergence between Western youth and their counterparts elsewhere regarding priorities. Western youth focused more on material concerns and were less inclined to sacrifice personal comforts for broader societal progress compared to their peers outside the West, who expressed fears about unfulfilled aspirations and identity loss rather than financial security.
The top priority for young people globally was peace, while concerns about war and environmental degradation ranked highest when pondering future worries. Additionally, the research exposed varying reluctance among young people worldwide to relinquish personal comforts for societal advancement, with notable disparities in Europe’s willingness to curb material consumption.
Can you expand on the Youth Talks initiative implemented by the Higher Education for Good Foundation?
Youth Talks is the largest youth consultation ever conducted worldwide. Addressed to any young people (15 – 29 years old) regardless of their geographical or social origins, it uses open-ended questions and state-of-the-art AI technologies to gather how today’s youth view the future and the skills they will need to shape it and flourish in it.
It is a safe space of expression for young people to share their dreams, ideas, aspirations, and concerns about the future, without any form of censorship. Youth Talks aspires to be an essential conduit between what young people want and actionable societal change. Youth Talks’ first edition, led from October 2022 to May 2023, was very successful as we gathered one million ideas from 45,000 young people across 212 countries and territories.
Read also: Beyond poverty: Africa’s youth hold the key to a brighter future
What inspired the creation of Youth Talks and the decision to conduct a global consultation with thousands of young people across the world?
Youth Talks is the first initiative of the Higher Education for Good Foundation. It emerged from an observation: the last decade has been primarily marked by disagreements between generations on a growing number of subjects: environmental protections, globalisation, new technologies and their impact, social protections, labour conditions, and the growth of income inequality.
If we want to find solutions to the world’s most urgent problems, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and health and migration crises, we will have to learn to listen to each other, restore dialogue, and better collaborate to meet these challenges.
What would you say were some of the unexpected findings from the Youth Talks report, especially concerning youths in sub-Saharan Africa?
The results reveal that young people aspire to make something of their lives. They prioritize personal success more than their happiness.
According to the youth in this region, one of the main global challenges to address is the paradox of individualism. They mean that they wish for everyone to give up their moral flaws and deeply work on themselves.
They want us to abandon laziness, procrastination, and selfishness, for instance. They particularly emphasize the need for mutual love. This result echoes the global call from youth worldwide to relearn how to live together harmoniously.
Sub-Saharan youth also highlight challenges related to the stagnation of the educational system, local political issues, discrimination, inequality, and the lack of youth empowerment.
They desire a better world and a society where they can live better. But they are also prepared to question their roles and work on themselves. They want their lives to have meaning and satisfaction. Self-improvement holds significant importance for them.
Lastly, what concerns them the most when thinking about the future of the world are the environment, wars, and the economy. They particularly fear poverty, social inequalities, and the lack of job opportunities.
Read also: Why Nigerian youths are pivotal in shaping country’s future – Owonikoko
What do you hope the Youth Talks report will achieve, both in terms of raising awareness of the needs of young people and in inspiring action to address those needs?
Our mission is to bring the voices of the world’s youth to the attention of organizations and decision-makers and to influence their actions to better meet the needs and aspirations of young people. We hope the Youth Talks report will raise awareness of young people’s needs and aspirations, inspiring decision-makers to take action to address these issues. Additionally, we aim to promote intergenerational dialogue and create a global network of youth advocates working towards a better future.
One of the goals of the report is to drive policy changes. How can governments and policymakers ensure that the voices of young people are heard and that their concerns are taken into account?
Firstly, it is essential to delve into our results and comprehend the viewpoints, aspirations, and concerns expressed by young Nigerians regarding their vision of the future. Understanding their insights will be a crucial initial step.
Within the Youth Talks project, a pivotal aspect involves translating these insights into actionable proposals aimed at guiding governments and institutions in their decision-making processes.
