The approaches we had developed through our partnership with USAID gave us the momentum to move forward. Climate change was already affecting communities, cities, and livelihoods across the region, demanding action at every level. AI moved faster than policy could keep up, with young people navigating platforms and tools that will define their futures, often without a say in how they’re built. Both issues were at a point where the right people needed to be in the right conversations at the right time.

We responded by anchoring ourselves in what we do best—designing and implementing programs grounded in research, built around convening, co-creation, and capacity building. Across both issues, we created spaces where youth, creators, and the communities most affected by these changes could participate meaningfully in conversations influencing their futures and contribute as experts in their own lives.