Intergenerational Power: Amplifying Youth Voices and Uniting Communities Against Divisive Forces
Across movements, classrooms, and communities, young leaders are not waiting for permission to lead - they are already reimagining what power, justice, and belonging can look like. In this moment of polarization and fatigue, their voices rise as both challenge and invitation: a reminder that transformation is not a handoff from one generation to the next, but a practice of walking together toward liberation.
This month’s CHOIR Conversation, Intergenerational Power, brought together voices from within and beyond the nINA Collective to reflect on how we can amplify youth leadership and build communities that resist divisive forces. What emerged was a deep and resonant truth: movements for justice must make space for both wisdom and wonder, the grounding of experience and the courage of imagination.
As Mateo Marek shared, the heart of youth leadership is rooted in humility. “We all have the ability to engage with our humility in a way that reminds us we always have the capacity to grow,” he reflected. For him, humility is not about shrinking, it is about expanding our willingness to listen and learn across generations, to admit what we do not yet know, and to build the kind of relationships that make collective growth possible. Through his work creating Storytellers Connect, an Indigenous community platform born out of Beloit College, Mateo models what intergenerational collaboration looks like when we move from isolation toward shared legacy.
That theme of legacy echoed throughout the conversation. Mathias Lemos Castillo described how leadership means “lifting as you rise” - an act of generosity that sustains movements beyond any one person’s journey. He spoke of mentorship as a daily practice, one that includes bringing people along, creating space for younger voices to lead, and opening doors that were once closed. “The older generation should be extending their hands,” he reminded us, “helping the next generation over the wall so they can preserve their energy for the next obstacle.”
Create Spaces of Shared Power
Dr. ananda de oliveira mirilli reminded us that true intergenerational leadership requires more than symbolic inclusion, it requires real shifts in power. “Leadership cannot just exist as, ‘go ahead and lead while we step out of the way,’” she said. “We have to curate spaces for young people to express themselves, and we have to ask what they need to feel supported and to belong.” Her words challenged us to reconsider the ways adultism and paternalism can quietly show up even in progressive spaces.
Build Ecosystems of Belonging
Youth leadership flourishes when we nurture relationships of reciprocity, curiosity, and trust. Intergenerational power is not simply about transferring authority, it’s about reshaping the ecosystem. When we create cultures where young people are valued as thinkers, visionaries, and co-creators, we widen the path for collective transformation.
Practice Freedom Dreaming Together
This understanding closely aligns with what artist and activist Tourmaline calls Freedom Dreaming: the radical practice of imagining a world of joy, ease, and liberation as not only possible, but inevitable. Freedom Dreaming invites us to locate hope even in struggle, to envision futures where the boundaries of race, gender, class, and age no longer divide us. It becomes a shared practice when we build it into the rhythm of our organizing, our storytelling, and our everyday choices.
Be Willing to Change Based on What You Hear
Listening is not enough. We must be moved by what we learn. Community engagement means being willing to change based on what we learn. Across generations, that willingness to shift, adapt, and evolve is a form of respect. It is also how we build movements that remain alive, relevant, and rooted in the wisdom of those most impacted.
The conversation closed with reminders of what sustains us: food, storytelling, laughter, and the courage to keep showing up. Mathias offered a grounding truth: “Food is one of the best ways to bring people together - to feed not just our bodies, but our souls.” When we gather across generations to share meals, stories, and strategies, we cultivate the soil where new possibilities can grow.
As we look toward the next chapter of this work, we are reminded that movements are not inherited; they are practiced, renewed, and reimagined every day. Youth leadership calls us back to that truth: liberation is a collective act, one that depends on each of us showing up with humility, courage, and love.
If conversations like this inspire you, join our Community of Practice to learn, reflect, and build with others who believe that another way is possible. Together, we can continue amplifying voices, bridging generations, and practicing the world we dream of.