Youth Futures for Systemic Justice

The report details a research project in East and Southern Africa aimed at shifting the role of youth from passive recipients of policy to active architects of 'systemic justice'. Through a hybrid approach of participatory futures and action research, the project engaged youth innovators and changemakers to develop 'anticipatory praxis'—a method of combining strategic foresight with intentional action. The findings emphasize that systemic justice requires reimagining deep-rooted economic, ecological, and social structures, moving beyond simple job creation toward regenerative economies and inclusive governance. The report identifies key 'leverage points' for change, such as shifting cultural narratives and embracing iterative learning, and provides recommendations for funders, policymakers, and civil society to institutionalize youth co-governance and support futures literacy.

• The project defines 'systemic justice' as a fundamental transformation of deep-rooted economic, ecological, social, and epistemic systems. It moves beyond fairness in outcomes to challenge the structures and power dynamics that determine whose knowledge is valued, envisioning economic well-being as participation in regenerative, locally rooted economies rather than just access to jobs.
• African youth face a 'metacrisis' of compounding challenges, including climate disruption, economic inequality, and political instability. While the youth population in Africa is growing rapidly—expected to make up 42% of the world's youth by 2030—significant barriers remain, such as 72 million young people classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training), with two-thirds being women.
• The research identifies several 'leverage points' for driving systemic change, including the need to change underlying cultural narratives, engage diverse perspectives early in policy development, and focus on the relationships within an ecosystem rather than isolated components like funding or infrastructure.
• The project developed 'anticipatory praxis heuristics'—mental shortcuts to help youth navigate complexity and uncertainty. These include questioning unquestionable dominant narratives, embracing the discomfort of change, and recognizing the interconnectedness of history, place, and people.
• The report advocates for a shift in how youth are integrated into governance, moving from symbolic inclusion to 'youth co-governance'. It recommends that policymakers reform education systems to embed futures and systems thinking and that funders invest in 'ecosystem enablers' and process rather than just final products.
• The research implemented 'safe-to-fail experiments' to test systemic innovations, such as a Low-Code AI Bartering Dashboard for resource sharing, circular economy projects involving electronic waste and plastic recycling, and the 'Speed Dating Café' in Madagascar to foster collaboration among change agents.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Youth Futures for Systemic Justice. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Youth-Futures-for-Systemic-Justice_Special-Report.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Youth Futures for Systemic Justice. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Youth-Futures-for-Systemic-Justice_Special-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Youth Futures for Systemic Justice |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Youth-Futures-for-Systemic-Justice_Special-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndyouth, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Youth Futures for Systemic Justice}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Youth-Futures-for-Systemic-Justice_Special-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }