Lessons from a Youth Activist
Young people are losing trust in those in power. With the upcoming election, we are starting to question what our vote really means. Will we see a leader that we feel confident will deliver change on the ballot paper? Or will we aimlessly tick a box and hope this puts young people on the political agenda?
Either way, I am confident that the young people around me are not sitting back. We are stepping up to be the leaders we want to see. With youth activism on the rise, I wanted to share my top learnings from the past five years as a youth activist.
Lesson #1 - There’s more than one way to be an activist
At 15, I imagined ‘activism’ as aggressive, unsociable and dangerous with angry protestors at the forefront of my vision. Ironically, at the same age, I went on a live broadcast and boldly declared my mission to save the world from environmental destruction through an entrepreneurial venture.
I failed to recognise the disconnect. Because my path to change didn’t match my image of activism, I refused to call myself an activist - a social entrepreneur felt safer and more respectable.
What I wish I’d known is that activism takes many forms; it can be a protest, a social media campaign, a letter to your MP, a community event or a business venture. It’s important that you feel empowered to find the right path for you.
Lesson #2 - Use the resources available to you.
Despite my young and unfiltered passion to save the world (the best kind), my entrepreneurial venture fundamentally failed as it required me to build an app, something I did not have the resources to do. I became overwhelmed, deflated and gave up.
But that’s not where my story ends. In recent years, more successfully, AMPLIFY and Young People UK are two communities I am scaling with my strong event management skills, accessible infrastructure and a team that brings their own skills and resources too!
That's the shift. Not scaling back your ambition, but channeling it into what's genuinely within reach. Maybe you can produce a video, organise a local sports tournament, write a song or build an app. To start delivering tangible change today, use what you already have.
Lesson #3 - Activism doesn’t need to mean changing the world
Social media has made global activism visible in a way it never was before. The backlash that followed Grok's controversial features led to swift government action. Public pressure contributed to the cancellation of Wireless with the Kanye West announcement. George Floyd's killing sparked marches across the world.
These moments are powerful. However for young activists they can distort our view of what success looks like. When the benchmark becomes viral and global anything smaller starts to feel like it doesn't count.
It does count. A single moment of public outrage doesn't fix a broken system. The most powerful activism is often smaller, targeted and consistent delivering robust, long term impact.
To end, I’d like to recognise all of the youth activists bravely tackling challenges that feel much larger than us - you are truly remarkable. And as you fight for a better future, don't forget to live in the present one for there is still lots of positivity to enjoy whilst we’re young!
