Empowering youth in the digital age

**media[26801]**Yesterday, July 15, World Youth Skills Day was observed without much fanfare.This year’s theme, “Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future through AI and Digital Skills,” is both timely and urgent. In a world wracked by climate crises, inequality, conflict, and technological disruption, there is a force we often overlook—the fierce, untapped potential of our youth.Young people are not only the inheritors of tomorrow’s problems; they are our future and the architects of today’s solutions. But their brilliance can only shine when we invest in them, placing the right tools in their hands and harnessing their skills. And in 2025, that means digital fluency, artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, and a reimagined understanding of skills—not just traditional trades or rote academics, but creativity, ethical reasoning, and innovation powered by technology.Across continents, from bustling urban centers to remote rural villages, youth are already leading. They’re coding climate solutions, using AI to improve education access, and challenging systemic injustices with digital platforms. Yet, access to these transformative tools is anything but equal. A staggering digital divide still separates those who can shape the future from those who are shackled by the present. Girls in many regions lack access to STEM education. Refugee youth often go without even basic connectivity. The marginalized remain digitally voiceless.This is not just a failure of policy; it is a moral failing of humanity.Committing to youth empowerment is not merely to invest in job-readiness, but also in investing in justice, in peace, in sustainability itself. Because when youth are equipped with digital and AI skills, they do more than build careers. They build communities, question oppressive systems, and innovate toward equity. They challenge misinformation, design inclusive apps, develop tools for mental health, and use data to make governments more accountable.But empowerment is not just about access to tools; it's about trust. It's about handing over the mic, the code, the decision-making, to young minds unburdened by cynicism and ripe with vision. It’s about educators who move beyond textbooks to teach problem-solving, empathy, and responsible AI use. It’s about policymakers who consult youth voices not as tokens, but as thought partners. And it’s about corporations that train, mentor, and hire not just to fill quotas, but to cultivate change-makers.We must act now. Not in five years. Not after the next election cycle. The time is now. The climate clock is ticking. Inequity is growing. Authoritarianism lurks in algorithmic shadows. And still—young people rise. They march, they code, they create. The question is: Will we rise with them?We view World Youth Skills Day not as a mere celebration, but a call to arms. A call to equip, uplift, and unleash a generation that is waiting to lead us to the future.Let us equip them with the skills. Let us give them the stage. And then, let us get out of the way. Let’s empower the youth for they will be leading us in navigating the future.