Youth Leadership: From Participation to Power
Event Description
Young people are often positioned as beneficiaries or participants in systems designed by others. Yet across sectors, youth are already leading innovation, shaping movements, and driving change. The challenge is not whether youth should be included, but how to move from token engagement to real power-sharing.
This discussion explores what authentic youth leadership looks like in practice. How can young people be supported as co-designers, co-governors, and decision-makers, not just contributors? What structures are needed to ensure youth leadership is meaningful, sustained, and properly resourced?
We will examine the realities facing youth-led organizations, from funding constraints and leadership strain to long-term sustainability. The session will also explore practical approaches, including youth co-governance models, equitable funding mechanisms, and how lived experience can shape policy without being tokenized.
Bringing together youth leaders and institutional actors, this conversation will focus on how to build systems that enable, support, and trust youth as leaders of change, not just voices to be heard.
Speakers
Abigail Kajumba is CEO of Emerging Public Leaders, advancing youth leadership and governance across Africa.
Jahnavi Rao is President and Founder of New Voters, empowering youth civic engagement across the United States.
Joel Miranda is Senior Program Manager at the Global Opportunity Youth Network, advancing youth leadership and systems change.
Tushig Gankhuyag is Co-Founder & CEO of Teach For Mongolia, expanding educational equity through leadership development.
Raghu Maharishi is Co-Founder & Director of Synergy Sansthan, advancing youth leadership and community ecosystems in India.
Yusuf Babatunde is a Growth and Partnerships Manager & Youth Leadership Fellow at YLabs, building scalable solutions with young people that change how governments, foundations, and large-scale implementers serve them.
Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma is Chief Executive Officer of Copper Rose Zambia
Discussion Questions
What does authentic youth leadership look like beyond participation and consultation?
How can institutions redesign decision-making to share power with young people?
What are the biggest barriers facing youth-led organizations, and how can they be addressed?
How can funding and support systems better enable sustainable, youth-led innovation and leadership?
Location & access
Accessibility matters deeply to us, and we do our best to choose spaces that reflect that. That said, some of our Oxford venues are in historic buildings without lifts. This room is unfortunately not accessible for wheelchair users, those with mobility challenges, or anyone needing step-free access.