Reimagine our Future Declaration

The Reimagine our Future Declaration is a statement by over 150 South African children and youth (aged 14-24) outlining their vision for a future characterized by climate resilience, social equality, and active youth participation in governance. The document identifies systemic failures in economic support, environmental management, and social services, while providing specific recommendations for government and private sector action to ensure a just transition and inclusive development.

• The youth of South Africa report that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic crises, leading to an unemployment rate of 32.5%, which primarily impacts the youth population. They express disappointment in the government's lack of proactiveness in addressing the needs of youth in the informal sector, resulting in increased financial and digital inequality for marginalized groups.
• The declaration calls for a transition to a clean energy economy that is orderly and just, specifically requesting the reskilling of the energy workforce. It advocates for divestment from fossil fuels and calls for stricter regulations and harsher penalties for high-emission businesses, specifically naming SASOL and ESKOM.
• The authors identify a critical need for integrated climate change education within the basic education curriculum to empower young people to drive sustainable change. They also highlight the negative health impacts of poor waste management and the burning of fossil fuels, which disproportionately affect women and children in underprivileged areas.
• The document demands a shift from tokenistic participation to meaningful youth involvement in policy and decision-making. To achieve this, the youth propose the implementation of a youth quota to ensure their representation across all governmental spheres at local, provincial, and national levels.
• Significant social concerns are raised regarding the increase in gender-based violence, femicide, and human trafficking exposed by the pandemic. The declaration calls for the establishment of specialized gender-based violence and femicide units within police stations to improve reporting and rehabilitation.
• The declaration advocates for systemic educational reform, calling for education to be free, decolonised, and equal. Specific recommendations include an annual 10% increase in the national budget for youth business development and the inclusion of personal financial management and healthcare skills in the school curriculum.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Reimagine our Future Declaration. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Youth@SAIIA-Reimagine-our-Futures-Declaration.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Reimagine our Future Declaration. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Youth@SAIIA-Reimagine-our-Futures-Declaration.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Reimagine our Future Declaration |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Youth@SAIIA-Reimagine-our-Futures-Declaration.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndreimagine, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Reimagine our Future Declaration}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Youth@SAIIA-Reimagine-our-Futures-Declaration.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }