COPENHAGEN—In August of 2025, the Youth Democracy Movement voted unanimously to merge with the Global Student Forum. The Youth Democracy Movement will contribute to the forthcoming strategic focus on education in emergencies, sustainable development, and academic freedom, as a formalized initiative under the Global Student Forum umbrella.
On International Youth Day 2022, the Education Cannot Wait Youth Constituency, the first democratic youth constituency in the humanitarian sector, called on humanitarian funds, development partners, and United Nations agencies to democratically include young people in decision-making structures across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and the United Nations system.
Composed of 130 youth-led NGOs from 40 crisis-affected countries and hosted by the 100 Million Campaign at Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, the elected representative of the Education Cannot Wait Youth Constituency, Henry D. Wright, made the call on United Nations TV outside the Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
The call to action was endorsed by the All-Africa Students’ Union, European Students’ Union, Commonwealth Students Association, Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions, La Organización Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Estudiantes, Global Student Forum, Global Campaign for Education - United States, Global Campaign for Education - Germany, and Arab Campaign for Education for All, transforming an aspiration into a grassroots movement.
In May of 2024, the Steering Committee of the Global Student Forum voted unanimously to host the Youth Democracy Movement for a two-year incubation period. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the Youth Democracy Movement conducted dialogues and formed working relationships with the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education (HRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), developing the project of youth inclusion.
