By Salem Helali, Asesor Técnico Superior, Workforce Development and TVETIn the Education and Youth sectors, we honor young people as key changemakers in their communities and their countries. We celebrate them across our interconnected world. And now is the time to move past platitudes and pursue progress. From mitigating climate change to digital innovation, if we open our eyes, youth will show us the way. Young people are not an impediment or risk to be managed; they are a gift, a resource, and the path to a positive future. With seismic adjustments to aid budgets and rapid demographic and technological shifts, the key question is: how do we support and empower youth to lead the way?
Youth at the Heart of Local Development
El 2025 Día Internacional de la Juventud (IYD) Concept Note, issued by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), highlighted the importance of localizing the SDGs—turning global goals into community-led action. The Note served as a strong reminder that youth are active creators of resilient futures. Con 65 percent of SDG targets linked to local governance, youth involvement is not optional; it’s essential to ensure access, participación, and representation where decisions are made. Más, we must be mindful not to place additional burdens on young people in the name of progress, but instead support them to pursue their agenda and reach their goals.
Asociados creativos internacionales (Creativo) has decades of experience in youth programming and has long championed this approach. We support young leaders in fragile and transitioning contexts to design solutions that reflect their realities, aspirations, and needs. Whether through civic engagement, educación, or workforce development, our work aligns with the landscape of youth-led and youth-owned initiatives.
En creativo, we believe that when young people succeed, communities succeed. That’s why we’ve dedicated years to working worldwide to help youth develop the skills, confianza, activos, agency, and opportunities they need to thrive. Rooted in market-led and demand-driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training (EFTP), and workforce development, Creative’s youth engagement approach is anchored in Positive Youth Development (PYD), which is built on four interconnected domains:
- Assets – Skills and resources youth need to succeed
- Agency – Youth’s ability to make decisions and act on their goals
- Contribution – Opportunities for youth to lead and give back
- Enabling Environment – Supportive spaces, políticas, and relationships
Examples of programs that embody our youth-led and PYD approaches include:
Creativos Sembrando Esperanza Project, implemented by a consortium of Honduran organizations, was one of several youth-centered and community-driven initiatives. It embraced localization by:
- Empowering local actors to lead violence prevention and migration mitigation efforts.
- Strengthening local systems through strategic partnerships and capacity-building.
- Fostering locally led solutions that are context-specific and sustainable
Emphasizing a positive youth development approach, el Comunidad, Programa de Resiliencia Familiar y Juvenil (CEREZA), worked to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence as part of a larger goal of creating a safer, more prosperous Caribbean. CFYR supported vulnerable youth at different levels of risk, aged 10-29, de santa lucia, Calle. Kitts y Nevis y Guyana fortaleciendo a la juventud, sistemas de apoyo familiar y comunitario; Mejorar las habilidades de los jóvenes para resistir la participación en la violencia.; Ampliar el acceso a la educación y a las oportunidades de empleo.; y proporcionar servicios especializados a los jóvenes con mayor riesgo de involucrarse en la violencia.. Engaging more than 7,500 youth across all its program areas, CFYR provided a continuum of services, including life skills and technical/vocational workforce development training for youth, and provided job placement support.
Navigating a Dynamic Foreign Aid Landscape
Youth Voices Matter
A continuously evolving foreign assistance landscape may present challenges; sin embargo, it also opens the door for local talent to address local needs while simultaneously tackling global development goals. Con esto en mente, Creative recommends keeping youth-led programming center-stage by:
- Ensuring young people have a seat at the table in shaping programs and are supported to sit tall and shape the agenda;
- Designing initiatives that have the broadest reach by including a wide range of participants, including youth with disabilities, ethnic minorities, juventud rural, y mujeres
- Embedding soft skills like leadership, emotional regulation, social emotional learning, and problem-solving into training so participants can truly meet their potential.
Alternative Financing Models: A New Path Forward with Private Capital Mobilization
In order to do this critical work, we must all explore new ways of working and engaging funders. Creative will continue to explore innovative financing models such as:
- Revenue-Based Financing: Providing flexible repayment options linked to business performance: perfect for young startups.
- Community-Based Finance: Using local savings groups and peer lending to boost financial literacy and trust.
- Youth Venture Funds: Funds managed by youth organizations to invest in early-stage ideas.
- Digital Finance & Crowdfunding: Leveraging fintech to democratize access to capital and connect youth with global supporters.
- Challenge Funds & Innovation Prizes: Supporting innovative solutions to local issues through funding and mentorship.
By co-designing programming and priorities with youth, partnering with local organizations and experts, and identifying and leveraging new funding streams, Creative hopes to continue empowering young people to succeed, to thrive, and to lead.