Day 22: Youth Are Not Just the Future – They Are the Now.
Around the globe, young people are not waiting for permission to lead – they are already reshaping our world. Whether organizing school walkouts, leading marches, or building grassroots campaigns, youth are demanding a more just and livable future now.
In Canada, Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water protector, began speaking out about water rights at age 8. In Sweden, Greta Thunberg sparked a global climate strike movement that has mobilized millions. In the U.S., youth organizers of Black Lives Matter continue to demand racial justice, and globally, youth-led uprisings – like the Arab Spring – have shown that when youth rise, systems tremble.
Youth organizing is labor: unpaid, often unrecognized, and full of emotional risk. Yet it is deeply rooted in love for community and planet. As adults, our task is not to “teach” leadership but to listen, amplify, and resource it.
“We are not just fighting for our future – we are fighting for our present.” – Youth Climate Activist
What would it mean to value youth labor the way we value experience? What movements have been led by young people in your own life or community?
Learn More & Take Action
Recommended Reading
- Youth to Power by Jamie Margolin
- The Revolution Will Not Be Funded (highlighting grassroots youth leadership)
Listen
- Generation Green New Deal podcast
- International Youth Conference ( IYC) – Youth Led Panel Discussion (2025) – on youth empowerment and capacity building
A Blessing for the Youth
May your voices rise with courage,
even when the world tells you to be quiet.
May those with power learn to listen,
and to follow where you lead.
May your labor be honored
as sacred work.
You are today’s heartbeat
And tomorrow’s hope
Thank you
View All of This Month’s Daily Posts
More 2025/26 Celebrating Diversity
For more information and access to other events, sign our Guestbook!