Long relegated to the role of spectator in international relations, young people have often been perceived as the passive heir of a world shaped by their elders. This paradigm is now obsolete. Faced with mounting threats: the climate emergency, the return of high-intensity warfare, the weakening of democracies, a growing proportion of the younger generation seems to be refusing to accept the inevitability of a bleak future being imposed upon them. Far from giving in to apathy or withdrawing, these committed young people are transforming their concern about the world's turmoil into a powerful driving force for action. 

Can this mobilisation transcend the realm of protest and enter the political and diplomatic arena in order to push new issues onto the global agenda? It is essential to understand the scope of this engagement and whether this movement could give us reason to hope that it may influence the emerging geopolitical order. Does this refusal to acquiesce mark a decisive turning point for the role of youth and for the building of peace on the world stage?