This story appears in the May issue of VICE magazine. Click HERE to subscribe.It's a time of flux: from Brexit to Donald Trump to the protests in Romania, from increased awareness of environmental issues and income inequality to the rise of global nationalism and racism and diminishing faith in democratic institutions—change has come suddenly and rapidly. Many things young people took for granted or held dear are at risk, and the future seems much less familiar than it once did.
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As the media's coverage of these issues has consistently overlooked the views, voices, and actions of the young throughout the world, a new generation of activists from across the political spectrum have taken matters into their own hands. We sought them out.What do young people think? How are we feeling? More important, what are we doing about it?Who are the young people engaging in grassroots political organizing and preparing to run for office to reflect the values they feel best represent them and their interests? What are the programs being put in place to develop new leaders? Who are the social entrepreneurs creating companies around important causes? How is social media changing activism, for better or for worse? How are protests developing and changing after the US election, and because of the Black Lives Matter movement and greater emphasis on LGBTQ rights?This issue tells the stories of the young men and women campaigning for the change they want to see in the world. Their struggles and efforts reveal the vitality, glaring contradictions, and ever-growing complexities of youth protest in the 21st century.—THE EDITORS