5Rights Youth Ambassadors: Leading Global Gigital Change
The 5Rights Youth Ambassadors Programme is in full swing, bringing together over 200 children and young people from over 50 countries. These young activists from across the globe make a dynamic community, dedicated to transforming the digital world into a safer and more empowering space, especially for children like themselves.
Driving policy and innovation
Our Youth Ambassadors are not just participants, they are becoming key players in shaping the digital landscape. Engaging directly with policy stakeholders, tech creators, and global leaders, they are representing the voices of children and young people worldwide. And their insights will spread awareness, shape policy, and ultimately, foster a safer and more empowering digital environment.
“Young people must be active participants in shaping the digital world, with their voices respected and their rights protected at every turn” Arman, 14, Kazakhstan
Through comprehensive training and seminars with renowned specialists, the 5Rights Youth Ambassadors will build the knowledge, skills and confidence to translate their lived experiences into meaningful action. Whether it’s contributing to consultations, attending high-profile events, or driving forward our campaigns, these young leaders are leaving their mark in creating a digital world that values people over profit. And, along the way, they’ll connect with like-minded peers and leading experts in digital policy.
Tech This Out!
One particularly exciting initiative within the programme is our youth-led podcast. Children and young people take centre stage for our first-ever podcast as they host discussions with experts, thought leaders and decision-makers on what a safer, rights-respecting digital world looks like.
In the first episode, Youth Ambassador Nidhi spoke with Chisako from Japan and Gavin from Australia about building an online world that is safe by design — calling out the commercial practices that jeopardise it and the exciting international developments that are steering the digital world in the right direction.
Our latest episode, instead, features Youth Ambassador Haydn speaking with Zamaan, Co-Chair of Design It For Us, a youth-led initiative that advocates for safer online platforms and services for children. Their conversation tackles the urgent need for stronger data protection, the importance of listening to young voices, and the progress of Age-Appropriate Design Codes across the US (and more).
Looking ahead to future episodes, young people will explore and share their vision of the digital environment they want and deserve with thought leaders, experts and policy-makers.
Young voices on the global stage
A cornerstone of our Youth Ambassadors Programme is empowering these young leaders to actively shape the spaces where real-world change is happening. And that is exactly why one of our Youth Ambassadors will be attending the UN’s Summit of the Futurelater this month. World leaders will gather in New York to adopt the Pact for the Future, including the Global Digitial Compact — a tool that 5Rights believes to be essential for bridging the digital divide and addressing the gaps in national laws on topics such as online safety, privacy, and data protection for children. Our Youth Ambassador will be right there, engaging with innovators and offering their insight into how we can make the digital environment safe and more empowering for young people everywhere.
As Maximilian (17), one of our Youth Ambassadors from the UK, eloquently put it:
“What we can do is aspire to make the digital world as safe as possible, almost like a digital playground for children to grow up in. Similarly to an actual playground, steps would be taken to make it as safe as possible — handrails, barriers, safe surfaces. Collaboration between industry and governments is essential to put children’s safety as well as their health and wellbeing before companies’ profit margins and gains.”
Our Youth Ambassadors, including Maximilian, are at the forefront of this mission, actively shaping global discussions, influencing policy, and driving innovation to create a safer, rights-respecting digital world. And their work is just beginning…
