Signals from the Streets: What Youth Uprisings Are Telling Us About Democracy

“Signals from the Streets: What Youth Uprisings Are Telling Us About Democracy” was a regional discussion convened by the Asia Democracy Network and held online via Zoom on Thursday, 9 April 2026, at 3:00 PM IST. The session built on a pivotal moment across Asia in 2025, when youth-led movements in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Mongolia, and the Philippines emerged as powerful forces shaping democratic discourse. These mobilisations, while rooted in diverse political contexts, reflected a shared reality: young people were not disengaged from democracy, but were increasingly resistant to systems that failed to respond to their aspirations and concerns.

The discussion drew from the report Signals from the Streets: Civic Resistance and Democratic Trajectories in Asia, which examined five country cases to understand how youth mobilisation unfolded, how states responded, and what outcomes followed. Bringing together contributors and regional experts, the session explored how youth activism was reshaping democratic participation, why political openings often fell short of structural transformation, and what these movements signalled for the future of civil society. Featuring speakers including Dr. Rajesh Tandon and moderated by Sabra Zahid, the session adopted a conversational format, highlighting key trajectories of breakdown, breakthrough, and containment, along with opportunities for audience engagement.