By Elio Villaseñor G.

“Youth is not just a stage of life, it is a force
mental and spiritual, is the will to innovate and change the world”

Albert Einstein

From July 29 to August 2, Mexico City hosted the Hilton Foundation's Opportunity Youth Initiative Mexico City Convening, a meeting that brought together 200 participants from Kenya, the United States (Los Angeles and New Orleans) and Mexico. During the event, attendees shared experiences and solutions to the challenges facing youth in relation to access to education and formal employment, both in Mexico and globally.

Over the course of five days, it was clear that the convention became a space where the spirit of collaboration prevailed. Young people from different parts of the world exchanged knowledge and learnings, committed to continue building a resilient community. This event transformed the stage into a platform that brought together countries, languages and cultures to address global challenges and promote an equitable and sustainable future.

The panels reflected the power of reflection, creativity and innovation, outlining paths for young people to transform their environment. Leadership was highlighted as a key tool to bring together aspirations and ideals, with a focus on multi-sector collaboration and participatory design of solutions. Themes such as social, racial and gender equity, change in favor of youth, and the amplification of their voices in the world, were intertwined in a critical and optimistic vision of the role of young people in a context of profound changes and transitions.

In this context, we can say that we are in a period of profound transformation, driven by the technological revolution, geopolitical changes, climate change and new forms of communication. These elements reflect the social, economic and political synergies that are reconfiguring global society.

We are witnessing the emergence of a new era that demands the creation of innovative ideas and novel ways to face current challenges. Technology is emerging as a factor that will transform human interaction, work and life in general. This in turn requires adjustments in geopolitical and social structures, to offer rapid and effective responses to the demands of societies worldwide. In this context of transformation, the urgency of adapting and developing new ways of thinking and acting stands out.

Young people are at the forefront of this change, exploring new ideas and seeking answers to their concerns. They are opening up spaces to express their proposals with unprecedented enthusiasm. However, they often face structural and social obstacles that limit their ability to present effective solutions to their problems. This recognition underlines the need to create more inclusive and supportive spaces that allow young people to realize their creative potential.

We live in a time of transition, where the old has not yet disappeared and the new has not been fully established. This creates a tension between the old and the emerging, which in turn creates uncertainty and resistance to change. However, it also offers an opportunity for young people to boost their creativity and find innovative ways to overcome current challenges. Transition, therefore, presents itself as both a challenge and an opportunity for creativity and innovation to be translated into concrete solutions to everyday problems.

This is the essence of the reflections of Andrea Fernanda Rivera Vidaña and her vision on “Empowering Youth”; Tania Gayosso Domínguez and her perspective on “The power of women in technology”; Daniela Cobián Navarro and her approach to “Youth and their power to build community”; and Alexis Javier Esparza Reyes and his presentation on “Youth and the Open Parliament” in this edition of Plataforma JuventudES.

Likewise, we would like to highlight the perspective of young people from other latitudes, such as Rajab Salim (Kenya) and her proposal “Investing in people: the power of community participation”; Jacqueline Jepkoech Kiplagat (Kenya) and her experience as a “Visionary Leader and Mentor Committed to Youth Empowerment and Community Development”; Joel Miranda (USA) and his perspective “Celebrating Leadership and Community Commitment at the meeting 'Collaboration between Places: Building Better Futures with Opportunity Youth'”; and Yamilin Rivera Santiago (Puerto Rico), who shares her vision on “Creative Advocacy for Juvenile Justice and Sexual and Reproductive Health in Afro-descendant Youth”. 

From this perspective, creativity, combined with imagination, boldness and enthusiasm, becomes the key for young people to overcome obstacles and transform their reality. Innovation should not be just a wish, but a pressing need to address complex and multifaceted problems.

This optimistic vision places creativity at the heart of young people's ability to shape their future, and aims to ensure that, with concrete and decisive actions, they can not only face the challenges of the new era, but also be the protagonists of change and find new routes, ways and proposals to address the problems they face today and in the immediate future.