Nepal Changing the Face of Youth Activism

We live in disparities – from Global North to Global South, between the rich and the poor, between classes of capitalism. And it is the youth that can act as a bridge. Do you remember the time when you first heard about Greta Thunberg protesting in front of the Swedish Parliament with the sign ‘ skipping school' every Friday. The vision and purpose to be fulfilled in her mind was misunderstood and joked about. She received criticism because being a child she had more brain cells, morality, and accountability than the leaders in authority. Her words were taken lightly – the warnings are now alerts in messages on our phones. There is no such thing as being too young to speak up. And one thing the youth can be trusted with is - how to make everyone listen to them - whether it is by cracking the algorithm, or hitting the government where it hurts.

In the quiet valleys and busy streets of Nepal, a revolution is redefining the vocabulary of struggle. What started as a series of ignored voices of opposition has become a strong chorus of youthful activists, students, and common citizens calling for accountability and reform. These protests are not just a reaction to political frustration, but an expression of a new age of activism, one that is characterized by neither hierarchy nor ideology, but by collective purpose and courage.

This uproar against injustice in Nepal is not the result of traditional protests organized around political parties or existing leaders, but rather of ordinary citizens with extraordinary resolve. Social media is both a rallying point and weapon, so that tales of injustice can spread quicker than before and hashtags can become movements. Peaceful protests, art, poetry, and cyber campaigns are now on par with street protests. Started with just a trend targeting the luxurious lifestyle of political leaders’ families as the common man suffered was the spark that lit up a new fire. At the heart of this revolution is a generation that will not accept silence. Students, artists, and common citizens have organized with smartphones and social media, utilizing platforms like Instagram and X (previously Twitter) as tools of rebellion. In the recent protests against government mismanagement of funds and government inaction on jobs, the hashtags #EnoughIsEnough and #NepalUprising went viral, bringing thousands across geographical and class lines together. Over 50,000 youths took part in non-violent protests in most of the country's major cities, a number that has not been seen in Nepal since the pro-democracy Jana Andolan movements of 1990 and 2006, according to the local news outlets.

But it is not only Nepal. Across the globe, youth movements have begun the conscience of political change. The case of Fridays for Future, where Greta Thunberg's personal walkout escalated into an international climate movement, to that in India's Shaheen Bagh, where children and women became the face of opposition to questionable laws. Activism today is going local, online, and very personal. What is noteworthy about the Nepal protests is not just that they are demanding systemic transformation – but also how leaderless, innovative, and non-violent these protests are in nature. Street murals, and door-to-door conversations now accompany marches and sit-ins, demonstrating that protest is no longer limited to slogans and megaphones.

This generation does not and will not wait for a sign to fight back. And there is success in this as well, to teach the future young minds to not be afraid to be upfront for what you deserve. They are reimagining what it means to be political. Not as followers, but as changemakers. And in the process, they are broadcasting a loud message: the future belongs to those who dare to question the present.

The Nepal protests remind us that activism is changing! It is younger, more diverse, more intersectional. It no longer rests in the hands of the veteran revolutionaries. It rests in the hands of anyone who has the courage to dream up a better tomorrow. And that, maybe, is the greatest revolution of all.