The Designathon Works foundation enables children to design a better world. Using the Design-athon method and platform, and with partners in five countries (Netherlands, Tanzania, Nepal, Mexico and Kenya), we organize challenges where children invent and build prototypes to tackle the Millennium Development Goals. Through events and an annual global gathering, joint policy recommendations and white papers, we connect children with local decision-makers to co-design a better world.
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- Youth empowerment circle
- The first session
- The second session
- Design-a-thon works
- Catalysing change“ week
What is your vision of youth empowerment?
Taking a step back from this question, we must ask ourselves: what is the current social conception of the role of the child in our societies? In asking this question, we must conclude that today, in most societies, the role of the child offers little opportunity to act on his or her own life, on the world around them and on the future that will be theirs. It offers little opportunity to develop the skills needed to design one's own future.
My position is that this social construct needs a radical overhaul. As part of our work at Design-a-thon, we ask the question: “What if we saw children as change-makers, activists, scientists and inventors, and helped them develop their capacities to play these roles? What roles could they then play in society?
Why is it important to create a youth empowerment circle today?
When we want to radically change society, we need partnerships and multiple strategies. Joining forces around a common vision and mission can bring us closer to that goal. Globally, I see a number of organizations with similar ethics and practices, where children and young people are given ownership, leadership, spaces to explore and contribute. Together, we can make their voices heard on a wider, more international platform, we can inspire others by showing examples of young people in full possession of their means; we can lead by example.
What do you think the priorities of this circle should be?
A good first step is to co-create and agree on a set of common values to adhere to as a circle, in order to maintain a foundation of trust for continued growth and collaboration. It's essential to build trust between community members. Then we can pilot collaborations and learn through adventure.
What are the ideal circle results?
Our expectation (and conviction) is that young people will play an increasingly important role in movements for change and innovation in various sectors. This wave is not coming, it's happening. Whether we like it or not, young people around the world are taking their future into their own hands, whether it's fighting climate change, combating discrimination or tackling poverty. As Salvador Gomes-Colon said, “we are not the future of the world, we are the present”.
In my opinion, the ideal outcome of the circle would be to accelerate this wave of change through interventions and connections, and to help guide this energy so that it remains an enduring force for good.
