Presence Without Power

Young people are often described as the future. We are featured in campaigns, invited to panels, and celebrated in speeches about innovation and change. But more often than not, youth are recognized in theory, while ignored in practice. Being visible is not the same as being valued, and being invited is not the same as being heard.

As someone passionate about international relations and global governance, I used to believe that if young people, like myself, worked hard enough, spoke clearly enough, and cared deeply enough, institutions would naturally make room for us. I believed that spaces like the United Nations were designed for people committed to solving shared challenges. But after entering these spaces myself, I learned that access is not always equal, and inclusion is not always genuine.

Many opportunities in international affairs are difficult for the average student to break into. Information is often buried beneath ambiguous language, scattered across websites, or passed through networks that many students simply do not have access to. Even when youth are present, our participation can sometimes feel symbolic rather than substantial. 

That experience can create something many young advocates understand well: activism fatigue. This is not because we care too little, but instead because we care deeply while constantly having to prove that we belong. It is tiring to spend hours researching policy, attending meetings, preparing statements, and offering ideas while wondering whether anyone in power is truly listening. At a certain point, many become discouraged and even give up.

In spaces where I had prepared extensively and spoken with intention, I often found that youth contributions were acknowledged briefly, if at all. However, I have also seen how much young people are capable of when we are taken seriously.

For every young person able to enter these rooms, many more are left outside. This issue becomes even more serious for minority youth. Young people from underrepresented racial, ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic backgrounds often face additional barriers in spaces that claim to value diversity. They may lack mentorship, representation, financial access, or confidence that their input will be taken seriously. If institutions only hear from the most connected young people, then they are not truly hearing youth voices at all. Contributions from solely orchestrated groups prevent everyone else’ voices and experiences from being heard.

When young people are empowered, we do more than just participate; we build, organize, research, lead, and create impact. We are not waiting to become capable later in life, and many of us are capable now.

This generation does not need endless praise about being “the future” if that praise is not matched with active trust. We do not need invitations that end once the photo is taken or consultations whose results disappear. Instead, we need systems that value our ideas as much as they value our presence. If youth are recognized in global governance spaces, then we should be treated with the seriousness that recognition implies.

Sometimes, being muted does not seem dramatic. Rather, it looks like being welcomed but not trusted. This can make us feel that the time we put in to prepare and work for opportunities was wasted and invalued.

Young people are already showing up. Whether in school clubs, at the United Nations, or in community spaces, we are already doing the work! Now, institutions must decide whether they want youth voices for appearance, or youth leadership for progress.