I think we hear big questions like this and get stuck in a loop of despair. Especially if you have kids. Actually scrap that, you just need to be a human to despair. Where I think we get unstuck is when urgency meets hope and imagination.

A few weeks ago, Big Change gathered over fifty leaders on 5th Avenue (huge thanks to Idealist and Global Philanthropy Forum) from all corners of the world. An inspiring group of intergenerational changemakers including old and new friends from HundrEd, EnseñaPeru, Teach for All, Salzburg, WAFF, Restless Development, Pravah, Human Change, School of International Futures among others. We asked the room: “what if society worked together so that all young people were set up to thrive?” 

We wanted to imagine a hopeful future and define what is needed to make it reality, surfacing case studies and leaders showing how it’s done. It was gloriously messy, energetic and human. At UNGA, people usually dip into (typically a panel) session, take a photo for LinkedIn, and vanish. We were chuffed that our room buzzed with one shared instinct: stop staring at the problem and start working towards hopeful organising. 

At Big Change, our ambition is always, funnily enough, big. How might we build a living, learning community of global changemakers that are already at the forefront of change? Through their leadership, experience and imagination, they can create much-needed hope, energy, and momentum for the lasting change we need to see more of.

We’re currently finding and connecting leaders across regions, from India, the U.K. to the US to Peru, who have not only proven that change is possible, but demonstrated it through a different type of leadership: collectively, collaboratively, making change with not to young people. 

Crucially, this isn’t just a ‘hopeful youth movement’. It’s about bridging experience with energy and pairing the wisdom of those who’ve navigated complex change before with the drive and creativity of those just beginning.

There are leaders who are just starting out in this field like  Ziyaan Virji, a UN Youth Delegate, who  joined us at our gathering. Chatting to him, I was hit with his extraordinary presence, insight and generosity as he spoke about the work he does. But he also told me how it had led him to burn out, especially mentoring other young changemakers. He told me “I couldn’t say no. There were too many young people counting on me.”  It took all my professional integrity not to weep and give him a hug. He shouldn’t have to carry that alone - he’s 23. Imagine if Ziyaan could take inspiration from a global peer network - people his age, yes, but also those a decade or two ahead of him; mentors who could guide, support, and help him sustain his mission. That’s what the intergenerational community we are building is all about.

We are calling on global partners, leaders, and allies to join us in investing in a community of  experienced changemakers both showing and sharing the way. Because then we’re not just addressing symptoms, we’re fuelling a global ecosystem of care, courage, and renewal. Imagine if every leader around the world had the kind of support and space to keep creating urgent social impact. What might the next decade look like?

If this question sparks something in you, get in touch, because building a global, intergenerational community of changemakers starts with people like us deciding that young people’s futures can’t wait.

Drop me an email at Hannah.p@big-change.org. I promise I won’t weep and hug you when we meet.