https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/07/youth-rights-academy-learning-s...
“Knowing our rights empowers us to act. Change is not as far away as it often seems. Every one of us can drive change from where we are,” said Avril Murillo, a young digital feminist activist from Bolivia.
“No one understands the urgency of change like young people do, especially those who’ve grown up watching their futures shrink under injustice,” added Yara Al-Zinati, a youth advocate from Gaza. “That’s why youth must stand up for their rights, to lead and shape a future where communities can thrive.”
For Kenneth Mulinde, from Uganda, young people have a responsibility to advocate for accountability and human dignity for all.
And for Constance Luk, a mental health advocate from Malaysia, connecting youth has the power to build a world free of discrimination and where communities support and care for each other.
Murillo, Al-Zinati, Mulinde and Luk were among a group of 45 young human rights advocates from around the world who participated in a Youth Rights Academy in Geneva on 7-11 July.
The Youth Rights Academy is the result of a partnership between UN Human Rights and and Qatar’s global foundation, Education Above All (EAA), aimed at empowering and mobilizing young people, particularly those living in situations of conflict and insecurity, to stand up for their human rights.
The partnership, implemented since 2022, has previously resulted in the development of the Youth Advocacy Toolkit, which was launched in September 2023 as “YES: Youth Empowerment System”, and laid the foundation for the Youth Rights Academy.
Since its beginning, the project has been guided by a Youth Advisory Board (YAB), a group of young human rights advocates from diverse countries and regions who offer feedback on the project's overall direction and focus. Members of the second cohort of the YAB attended the Youth Rights Academy as participants, and also helped to design and facilitate some of its sessions.
The Academy brought together experts, including UN bodies and mandate-holders, and civil society organizations to equip young rights advocates with the knowledge and tools to defend and promote human rights in their communities.
The program included workshops on international human rights law and international humanitarian law, the right to education, the climate crisis, political participation, social media advocacy, and the protection of human rights defenders, among other topics.
Right to education
Al-Zinati grew up amid war and conflict in Gaza, where “even the most basic rights felt like distant promises,” she said. But education changed everything for her.
“Education opened doors I didn’t know existed. It shaped me intellectually, empowered me professionally, and gave me the tools to imagine a different future. That experience showed me the power of rights when they are actually upheld,” said Al-Zinati, who advocates for the right to education and has led campaigns for inclusive, equitable access to opportunities for youth in Gaza.
The Academy, she said, “gave me a language for things I’ve lived but never had the chance to name,” adding she also learned about useful tools and frameworks for her advocacy. As a Chevening Scholar with an MA in Education and International Development from University College London, Al-Zinati is engaged in humanitarian and development work.
“I want to amplify the voices of those systematically erased, especially women in Gaza who are surviving, leading, and resisting in ways the world rarely sees. I aim to utilize these tools to ensure that children and youth can at least access basic human rights, most critically, the right to education.
“Our rights, our voices”
Murillo, founder of a platform dedicated to gender justice, human rights, and youth empowerment called Revolución Eñame, comes from the Bolivian tropics, a region shaped by stereotypes, inequality and a culture of objectification of women, she said. It was that upbringing that inspired her to do what she does.
“I learned that sharing our stories with truth and sensitivity is a powerful way to defend human rights. I wanted to create a safe space where others could feel seen, heard and represented,” she said.
“To defend our rights is to defend our voices, our bodies, our territories and our stories. This is only possible when young people are placed at the centre of the conversation with their own narratives and proposals,” she added.
Murillo said meeting other women at the Academy was deeply meaningful.
“I realised the power of speaking our truths, and how my personal story and the Bolivian context resonated with others. The Academy reminded me that together we can create an echo rooted in hope and strategy. I now feel more prepared to expand the impact of my digital campaigns and raise awareness and support for Bolivia’s reality.”
“Agents of change”
Mulinde, founder of Youth Arts Movement Uganda, a nonprofit organization based in Kampala that promotes human rights and accountability through art, social innovation and digital media, believes young people have the power to push for policy reforms and to rebuild public trust in democratic institutions.
“We must push for a fair, green, and just economy that is rooted in the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,” he said.
Mulinde said the Academy reinforced his belief that youth are not passive beneficiaries, but also “architects of the future we want.”
“I intend to use the knowledge and skills I gained to strengthen my activism and amplify the voices of my peers. I want to empower youth to understand and exercise their rights, and to reclaim, rebuild, and expand civic space in Uganda and beyond.”
“
Youth are not just the leaders of the future, we are today’s agents of change.
“
Kenneth Mulinde, youth advocate and founder of Youth Arts Movement Uganda
Mental health
For Luk, the founder of People’s Health & Emotional Wellbeing (PHEW), today’s rapidly changing world needs to listen to its youth more than ever.
“Youth from across the globe bring a rich tapestry of cultural perspectives, fresh ideas, and inclusive approaches that are essential in addressing the challenges of today,” said Luk, who is the Chair and Co-Founder of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Council of Malaysia.
She said her main takeaway from the Youth Rights Academy was a deeper understanding of international human rights, especially how they relate to the right to mental health, and the right to accessible and good quality care.
“I realized that I’m not alone in this journey — connecting with passionate young changemakers from around the world helped me see things more clearly. I hope to strengthen advocacy efforts around mental health and human rights, especially for those whose are often left out of the conversation.”
