Youth as Societal Agents to Mobilize and Resist Autocratization Within Democratic and Authoritarian regimes

Never before have so many young people been involved in movements for change worldwide. They are taking to the streets and using online social networks and communities to connect, express their voices, and campaign for change. They are protesting against authoritarian regimes, corruption, and inequalities. They are fighting for sustainable development and a better future for current and new generations. However, the political representation of young women and men remains limited. They are increasingly demanding more meaningful participation in decision-making processes, so they can have more control over how their lives and futures are shaped. However, their participation in and influence on formal politics is limited.
But today, with the continuous rise of democratic backsliding and autocratic governance, Youth as Societal Agents are at the forefront of movements that advocate for democracy, human rights, social justice, climate justice. This panel seeks to address diverse strategies, tools, and the impact of youth activism in resisting autocratization within both democratic and authoritarian regimes.
This panel seeks to highlight the skills, resources and multi-sited embeddedness of young citizens, which make them particularly interesting agents for mobilisation and engagement. We draw attention to specific strategies particularly their ability to use social media for mobilizing both online and offline support in resisting autocratization. The youth of today are not particularly inclined to work in hierarchical structures and prefer techniques and organisations with a bottom to top approach. This Panel would like investigations on the techniques used by the youth to not only fight autocratisation, but also to issues that concern them and are at the core of their generational aspirations.
We invite scholars to address topics that include, but are not limited to all of the above including Youth-Led Movements in Authoritarian and Democratic Contexts, Digital Activism and Social Media,Case Studies of Youth Resistance and Challenges Faced by Youth Activists.
For this panel, we encourage submissions that provide theoretical insights, empirical research, or comparative analysis across different regions and regimes.