Youth, Protests and the Polycrisis
Youth, Protests and the Polycrisis delves into this transformative potential of youth protests, while cautioning about the risks. Although many analyses exist on specific youth protests, fewer studies have global coverage. This paper combines quantitative research on protests with qualitative insights, including from young people themselves, and…, Youth activism often stems from a perception of marginalization, with diverse political, environmental, economic and social issues triggering protests. Protests on global issues, such as against climate change or racism, including through transnational youth-led movements, have increased. , Young people help to diversify protest tactics and bridge online and offline activism, Digital technologies and platforms have been increasingly used by youth, bringing innovation to protests, fostering inclusivity and lowering the costs of organizing movements, though not without risks. Online mobilization may aggravate digital divides, and is also subject to surveillance, harassment and repression. , Youth participation can contribute to more peaceful and inclusive activism, but even non-violent action faces preemptive repression, Most protests involving youth are peaceful, contradicting a misperception that young people are violent and unruly. Additionally, protests with youth participation are more inclusive and larger. At the same time, governments are more prone to repress mass protests preemptively and violently when they involve youth. , Youth participation contributes to protest impact and social change, but this does not necessarily produce direct gains for young people, Young people’s participation in protests means less violent, larger, more inclusive and more innovative campaigns, and these elements contribute to higher impact. Mass protests where young people are on the front lines are more likely to be effective and to achieve positive outcomes in their aftermath. On the other hand, even when mass protests…, U N I C E F I N N O C E N T I G L O B A L O F F I C E O F R E S E A R C H A N D F O R E S I G H T M A R C H 2 0 2 4 Youth, Protests and the Polycrisis This document is interactive and designed for digital viewing. Please consider the environment and refrain from printing. ContentsSynopsis 3 Introduction 5 1. Emerging trends in youth protests…
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