ALL-YOUTH - All youth want to rule their world

"All youth want to rule their world" is a multidisciplinary research project which explores the capacities of young people (aged between 16 and 25) and the obstacles that hamper their engagement with society. We also explore the visions of youth regarding sustainable future, growth and well-being.

The main goal of the project is to create possibilities and to enable young people to participate in making their own communities and the society. Our key ideas for sustainable growth are responsive governance and rule of law, digital innovation and sustainable development interventions such as bioeconomy.

Goal

In the contemporary world shaped by instability and changes, many young people do not trust in political decision-making. At the same time, young people are increasingly worried about their standing (e.g. in the future labour market) and living conditions due to environmental risks such as climate change. This situation can well lead to a sense of powerlessness, indifference and destructive behaviour, and thus it forms a significant risk for the sustainable development of society. In addition, the costs of social exclusion are high: annually several billion euros.

In sum, the reluctance of young people to operate within the current structures of society may seriously hinder sustainable well-being and, accordingly, growth in social and economic terms. Thus, the involvement of youth (here aged 16 to 25) is a major key to sustainable growth. Objectives of the project are to assess the legal and policy barriers for participation, to develop theoretically grounded participatory action research methods, and create new kinds of digital models for youth participation, including persuasive and gamified digital services.