Working with underprivileged students from around the world, I have seen how educational equity often hinges on local support. Accessible guidance, such as peer mentoring and targeted workshops, can bring opportunity within reach. That is how student-led initiatives and youth networks often succeed where larger systems fall short. By closing information gaps and building trust, they help turn ambition into tangible next steps—particularly vital for first-generation students and those navigating cross-border challenges. This way, youth do not just engage with the SDGs: they embody and advance them.
Translating global goals into local action is not about scaling down ambition but scaling up access. SDGs only work when young people feel those goals belong to them and are equipped to act within their own lives and communities. To localise the SDGs meaningfully, we must see youth not only as future leaders and beneficiaries, but as already present architects of change.
Alexander Zsolt Németh
Research on youth political expression online that I conducted shows that irony-rich memes and short-form videos have become an unexpectedly effective civic tool. They allow youth in peripheral and less politically engaged communities to spotlight very tangible gaps like patchy broadband, alcoholism, or gender-based violence, without inviting the backlash a direct protest might. Hashtags and trends can jump borders overnight, drawing journalists, NGOs, and increasingly politicians into the mix. That attention sometimes translates into action: a topic is added to a city council agenda, a pilot project is proposed, a budget line is redirected. In doing so, digital humour has the potential to quietly advance the wider 2030 Agenda, from resilient infrastructure to gender equality and open, responsive institutions. This virtual-to-physical loop can turn smartphones into real-time policy “radars”, and the leaders who ignore it risk alienating a generation that’s already sceptical and has the tools to make that scepticism go viral.
Amadej Petan
Throughout history, young people's role as leaders of change has been essential. Fifty years ago, in my home country of Portugal, student protests helped spark the revolution that ended decades of dictatorship. That spirit lives on today, as Serbia's student-led demonstrations have just been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. From climate marches to digital activism, through bold movements or quiet daily gestures, young people are standing up for the SDGs every single day all across the globe. Personally, I live this through Semear Futuro, the NGO I founded, where 65 young Portuguese volunteers, all under 25, work to improve education outcomes for youth in Cabo Verde. Each year, we lead in-person missions, equip schools, and provide free training to over 1 000 Cape Verdean students, proving that youth-led action knows no borders. From Nairobi to Paris to Bogotá, the next step is clear: we must strengthen global youth co-operation to connect, inspire, and build - together.
Beatriz Moutinho
In today’s world, where unresolved problems continue to be passed on to future generations, young voices are too often overlooked. This creates serious challenges for passionate youth striving to make change. I believe young people have unique potential to act as connectors - translating policy into action and even helping shape it. Yet we frequently face barriers: it’s hard to enter the job market, and we often lack funding, mentorship, and institutional support. A youth-led cleanup project might raise awareness, but without systemic backing, it cannot solve deeper issues like water scarcity or poor infrastructure.
As an Arab Israeli from a diverse society, I created an art club that brings together people from different backgrounds to connect through creativity and dialogue—an effort to promote inclusion and shared understanding. But initiatives like this need broader support to thrive. While our resources may be limited, our voices are not. I think we should not wait for permission—we should shape our futures now, locally and fearlessly.
Dareen Zayed
We may think of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as distinct, but initiatives like International Youth Day highlight how deeply interconnected they are. Consider quality education (SDG 4), for instance: it plays a key role in reducing poverty (SDG 1) and improving access for girls and women globally, thereby advancing gender equality (SDG 5). Comprehensive Sexuality Education, as championed by UNESCO, can also help reduce gender-based violence by equipping young people with knowledge and skills about health, dignity, and respectful relationships from an early age. Inclusive, high-quality education must be matched with equal professional opportunities to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender or background, can thrive. This, in turn, supports innovation and sustained economic growth (SDG 8). For young people like me, the SDGs are not abstract goals: they reflect real-world issues and the complex relationships between the challenges of our time. They provide a blueprint for a just and equitable future, starting with action in our local communities.
Hamza Ghoumrassi
Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, transnational mobilisations affirmed that Black Lives Matter, drawing linkages between global and local manifestations of systemic racism. While public discourse often focused on policing, young organisers and researchers broadened the conversation to address systemic racism in healthcare, justice systems, labour markets, housing, etc.
Through accessible online content, such as videos, infographics and podcasts, young activists have collaborated across borders to bring systemic racism and intersectionality into mainstream conversations around the world. Notably, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, these organisers aptly raised awareness on its disproportionate toll on racialised communities in the US and across the world. This has prompted many young people, including myself, to investigate similar disparities in their own countries and demonstrate causal links between systemic racism and health inequalities.
Such a reframing is particularly important for policymakers, as it underscores the need to fully account for the cumulative effects of race, gender, class and ability when designing policies. To achieve the SDGs meaningfully, we must centre and expand this growing body of research on systemic inequalities to ensure that no community and no one is left behind.
Hanna Agbanrin
This summer, working with refugee women and youth from Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia has shown me how vital local youth actions are to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Many face barriers like illiteracy and lack of access to education, issues that policies must urgently address with empathy and inclusion. I believe policies should be shaped by the lived realities of communities, empowering youth to lead change on the ground. When young people are truly engaged as partners, not just beneficiaries, policies become powerful tools that inspire hope and create opportunity. Local youth action is the spark that ignites global progress, turning ambitious goals into lasting, meaningful impact for everyone.
Katlego Khoza
For young people, global goals aren't abstract targets; they are the daily realities we navigate and the future we will inherit. Seeing firsthand the devastating impact of alcohol-related harm in my home country, Estonia, showed me how high-level policy failures directly affect my generation's well-being. This fuels an urgency that transforms us from passive beneficiaries into active architects of change. We have learned that we can't wait for an invitation to a table that wasn’t built for us; instead, we build our own. At these new tables, we forge partnerships instinctively and create spaces where a collaborative, action-oriented spirit can thrive. This is how we link our local, lived experiences to global strategy and act as catalysts, turning the ambition of the SDGs into the tangible, healthier future we demand.
Kristjan Variksoo
As someone who grew up in Slovakia and now lives in Denmark, I’ve always been drawn to finding practical, local solutions to global problems. My journey—from co-founding an NGO to mentoring high-school students and practising beekeeping—has taught me the power of starting small. These experiences showed me that change doesn’t have to begin with big systems; it can begin with one community, one conversation, or even one idea. For me, acting on the SDGs means creating opportunities in the spaces I know best—whether it’s helping young people grow their confidence or engaging them in the policy-making process. It’s about staying curious, grounded, and committed to action—no matter how local or small it may seem.
Lenka Marčanová
During my studies in Vienna, I participated in a research seminar focused on the Sustainable Development Goals where I examined the multi-layered effects of the economic crisis in Southern Laconia, Greece. I engaged with families, youth, local authorities, and producers, gathering data on daily life and their financial situation. Major challenges identified were household over-indebtedness and a lack of collective action toward sustainable solutions. Using these findings, I designed a project to repurpose vacant properties and spaces for short-term rentals, initially managing a small number of properties that gradually grew as more young people used the positive results as air cover to encourage more hesitant older family members to join my initiative. The project also highlighted local products through sustainable agrotourism, involving community professions from fishing to cheese-making experiences for visitors. This initiative helped the local society increase disposable income, create more jobs, and boost overall economic activity, reducing crisis impacts and evolving from limited economic activity to a strong, sustainable community vision.
Loukas Kontakos Menenakos
Growing up as a displaced young person, I’ve seen firsthand how local youth initiatives can transform uncertainty into opportunity. Whether it was co-founding a refugee-led learning centre in Indonesia or advocating for refugee youth in Aotearoa New Zealand, I’ve learned that meaningful change starts when young people are trusted as partners, not just seen as beneficiaries. Our lived experiences bring critical insight to localise the SDGs in ways that are relevant, inclusive, and sustainable. Localising the SDGs is about listening, connecting, and responding to the real needs of the young people on the ground. Young people are the bridge between policy and practice and between hope and action. The future we want is one we are already building, together, from the ground up.
Madiha Ali
As a young advocate for urban development, particularly in mobility, transportation, and infrastructure, I believe that what makes young people powerful is our unique engagement with local communities, where the SDGs are not just goals to achieve but commitments reflected in daily actions that can transform societies and the environments we live in. Cities in the Global South urgently need to understand their own contexts and have a unique opportunity to leapfrog past carbon-intensive development. We, as young representatives, must raise our voices and reimagine a liveable future where everyone takes part. Greener and inclusive systems are possible and could be a sum of each local intervention where young leaders step up.
María Camila Páez
I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how even the smallest group of committed young people can have a meaningful impact on their communities. I believe youth comes with energy and fresh, context-aware ideas that speak to the needs of our time. Our proximity to today's challenges gives us a unique ability to assess and propose solutions that are innovative, realistic and in most cases accurate. Also, global issues become more manageable when more and more communities take ownership of solutions, and organised youth can be the perfect fit to lead that effort. When we equip young people with the tools to lead and with the platforms to be heard, we unlock the full potential of local solutions working towards global issues.
María Paz Garrido
Coming from Norway, a country with strong traditions of sustainability and co-operation, I’ve always believed that meaningful change starts close to home. The impact of local youth action is clear. A powerful example is Greta Thunberg’s school strike for climate in our neighbour country Sweden, which began as a solitary protest and grew into a global movement. Across the world, young people are forming partnerships, sharing knowledge and amplifying each other’s voices. Whether we are advocating for climate justice, social equity or inclusive development, we continue to show that the SDGs are not only global ambitions but also deeply rooted in local realities. We’re not waiting to be included. We’re already collaborating, taking action and showing that youth-led co-operation is essential to building a more just and sustainable world.
Mia Kraknes
From global goals to ground-level change – I think youth are the missing link. I have worked with students in rural Thailand who are building electric vehicles from scrap, and teens in Australia designing climate action projects with zero budget. These aren’t “future leaders”; they’re present changemakers. As a young person building education programmes across the Asia-Pacific region, I have seen how the SDGs can feel abstract until youth bring them to life in our own streets, schools, and homes.
Localising the SDGs does NOT mean shrinking the vision; it means making it real. And young people do that best (and fast). They listen closely, act quickly, and lead with lived experience. Their work isn’t bound by titles or politics; it’s driven by purpose. If global institutions want to build a better future, they must stop treating youth as stakeholders and start treating them as co-designers. Fund them. Back them. Build with them. Because you can’t shape tomorrow without the ones already building it today.
Nirajit Syamal
I watched as Massoud walked away, and I saw in the way he carried himself, the slight hop in his step, that my student exuded confidence. Just a moment ago, Massoud had unexpectedly come in before class, beaming and informing me he received a job offer. I smiled, thinking back to all the times we spent practicing English as his teacher. In those moments, I came to learn more about his life in America, about his two school-aged children, and the stress his wife had to endure to take time off work to take care of their kids while Massoud attended classes. Realising that something had to be done, I started working closely with the programme director and others. We created an afterschool programme where volunteers assist with school assignments, giving parents like Massoud and his wife the support they need to pursue education and career goals without sacrificing their children’s well-being.
Rachel Ooi
In Japan, staying quiet is often seen as a sign of respect. I grew up learning to listen patiently, a value I still cherish, especially in international discussions. However, after returning from abroad, I realised that this cultural norm can sometimes make it difficult for young people to express their opinions, particularly in a room full of adults. At the 2024 UN Summit of the Future, I was inspired by the attention given to youth participation, but it also reminded me of the importance of creating spaces where young people feel genuinely welcome to speak. If youth are expected to contribute actively, I hope adults will also help foster environments where our voices are guaranteed. That is why I am so grateful to be part of Youthwise - I believe that building personal connections with not only youth but also adults is a meaningful step toward open dialogue, and ultimately turning global expectations into real, local collaboration.
Sakura Kume
As a young advocate rooted in both British and South Asian communities, I have seen how global goals only become meaningful when they are shaped by local voices and cultural understanding. My work focuses on mental health, disability inclusion and youth voice, drawing on lived experience to challenge stigma and create systems that are more equitable. Through youth-led consultancy, storytelling and cross-cultural dialogue, I have supported organisations across the UK, India and Asia-Pacific to centre young people in their work. I believe youth are not just participants in the Sustainable Development Goals, but essential partners in delivering them. Our experiences bring insight, urgency and creativity that can bridge the gap between policy and practice. When we are genuinely included and resourced, we create change that is both impactful and grounded in real community need.
Tanya Marwaha
This blog post was authored by members of Youthwise 2025, the fourth cohort of the OECD’s Youth Advisory Board. The views and statements made in this document are of the individual Youthwise members. The views do not represent those of the OECD, its membership and its staff.
