August 8-10, 2025 in New York City
Global issues today transcend boundaries and increasingly require a multistakeholder approach. The most pressing challenges such as climate change, inequality, and conflict are affecting millions of lives across the globe. People are rising up and demanding action. This is where the power of youth can truly make an impact, fueled by their relentless energy, boundless creativity, and unmatched passion. In just five years, the world will be home to 1.3 billion young people.
Young people serve as agents, beneficiaries, and victims of significant societal changes, often facing a dilemma: to integrate into the established system or to act as catalysts for its transformation. Across the globe, regardless of their country’s level of development or socio-economic context, youth strive for meaningful participation in all aspects of society. Notably, 2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth, which provides a framework for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people.
At the recently concluded United Nations’ Summit of the Future, world leaders adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The latter addresses the needs and interests of future generations, in addition to calling for meaningful participation of youth in multilateral and national forums. This Declaration reaffirms how crucial youth inclusion is for upward progress,
The AFS Youth Assembly brings together the world’s most talented young leaders to learn, engage, and take action. This conference will equip hundreds of young people with new knowledge, skills, and networks needed to be leaders who can initiate positive change on the global stage. Through discussions, skill-building workshops, networking, and ideation challenges, and with the support of experts and practitioners in the field, young attendees will gain the relevant resources and opportunities they need to become equal partners in achieving change.
The theme of the 30th Session of the AFS Youth Assembly “Defying Adversity: Empowering Young Global Citizens to Lead” calls on young people to recognize and rise above the alarming realities of our time. In an era marked by complex global issues, it is imperative for youth to tackle adversity with strength and resilience, embodying the spirit of active global citizens. From the education system to the workplace, young people often confront a disparity between the skills they acquire and the expectations placed upon them, as well as stereotypes that undervalue their potential. These experiences underscore the resilience of today’s youth, who, despite limited opportunities to contribute to decision-making, bring invaluable perspectives that deserve to be heard. This year’s theme emphasizes the power of youth leadership and empowering collective action, urging young people to carve out their own space at the table and inspire change, even in the face of turbulent world affairs.
The second World Summit for Social Development will take place in 2025, highlighting the ten commitments made through the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action with three objectives including eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, promoting full employment and social inclusion. The tracks of the 30th AFS Youth Assembly align with the objectives of the World Summit, emphasizing the inclusion of women and youth, addressing disparities in skills development for employability, and ultimately working towards poverty eradication. Moreover, social development can only occur in the presence of peace, which is a fundamental prerequisite.
Amidst global challenges, youth are experiencing challenges in nearly every aspect of their lives. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 7 youth deal with mental health issues, which is also the leading cause of illness among this group. A mindset shift is needed to tackle the obstacles of our time, as for gender equality Secretary General Guterres stated “Gender equality is not the problem. Gender equality is the solution.” The solutions are often in front of us but we need the courage and resiliency to stand up for what is right.
After consultation with hundreds of young leaders worldwide, four core areas were identified as the Youth Assembly program agenda where there are urgent challenges and exciting potential for young people to bring transformational change with the overarching theme of leading as a resilient global citizen and empowering collective action with education at the core of all tracks:
- Peace, Policy and Action: Navigating Global Instability
- Green Skills for Employment: Building a Sustainable Resource-Efficient Society
- Youth Mental Health in a Turbulent World: Challenges and Solutions
- Advancing Women’s Inclusion and Leadership
Attendees can either concentrate in detail on one core area, or explore various topics according to their preference and expertise. The program will also consider the intersections of these issues.
Additionally, AFS Youth Assembly Delegates will have various opportunities to showcase their individual work and generate impact including through the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens Pitch Competition for $10,000, Outstanding Youth Delegate Award; an Action & Impact Hub, and upon completion of the event will join our global network of alumni focused on action and impact.
To further enrich the AFS Youth Assembly experience, four immersive thematic Academies will be offered to Delegates to delve into the topics of International Affairs for participants interested in the work of international organizations and the United Nations, Changemakers on creating social impact with a certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, Climate Entrepreneurship for young leaders interested in becoming trailblazers in climate action and Educators for young teachers bringing the SDGs into their classrooms around the world.
The Objectives
Over the course of the AFS Youth Assembly, delegates will pursue the following objectives:
- Connect and engage: Build partnerships and motivation by connecting with influential young leaders, experts, and practitioners from across sectors and world regions.
- Learn and develop skills: Discover groundbreaking new tools, knowledge, training, and resources to succeed in their projects.
- Take action and create impact: Co-create solutions and engage in new initiatives and opportunities to accelerate your impact in local communities and the world.
The Outcomes
The outcome of the AFS Youth Assembly is a powerful cross-sector and cross-national network (already 20,000 strong across 160 countries) connecting the next generation of leaders, translated into action-based projects and initiatives after the conference. Delegates will leave the conference equipped to confront challenges, seize opportunities, and make a difference in their societies and communities.
We expect participants to experience the AFS Youth Assembly not as an event, but as part of a journey that helps them realize positive change on the ground in their communities and across the world. To continue their impact journey, Delegates are encouraged to stay in touch with our global alumni Impact Network, as part of an international movement of young changemakers developing groundbreaking solutions to tackle the world’s greatest challenges. Furthermore, Delegates are encouraged to take on leadership roles within AFS Youth Assembly programs, becoming the change they seek in their communities, and bringing these unique opportunities to young changemakers locally.
The Youth Assembly is convened by AFS Intercultural Programs, a global non-profit that empowers young people from all backgrounds with essential global skills—and the passion for making a difference. Find out more about the AFS Youth Assembly here.