The seeds of democracy begin in youth. Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan once said that when young people are “empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace.” Many great leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Malala Yousafzai began to build their platforms when they were still students. Following in their footsteps as she advocates for the youth voice in politics, Yeeun Park is indeed an agent for change.
Park started the nonprofit organization Youth Policymakers for Tomorrow, and she has a passion for promoting civic/democratic growth and youth representation. “Much of what I do outside of school is centered around bringing young voices into decision-making spheres, especially in government and legislation where we largely go unheard,” she says. Park began her work in the summer of 2024, when she started researching youth law organizations on Instagram. That led to her discovering her passion for domestic policy and current affairs.
Park believes her greatest accomplishment is the act of starting. She says, “People undermine just how difficult it is to start, because the idea or vision seems so abstract and far-fetched, like an unreachable dream.” At first, Park procrastinated filling out the application to receive a grant for her organization. In the end, however, she decided to “start,” just as she had said. After asking on Reddit whether anyone was interested in creating a civic advocacy project, she received over 50 responses from other kids. After just three weeks, she ended up with a total of $7,500, funded by Karma for Cara and Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness. She also gained seven enthusiastic team members to aid her cause. Park’s dedication to start has led to her networking at conferences and speaking in front of large audiences; she has succeeded in “making this far-fetched dream into reality.”
As one can imagine, it is very difficult for the youth to gain recognition in the political sphere; according to Park, many do not have the expected expertise and credibility. This is one of the issues that fuels Park’s aspirations. She says, “This frustration is what makes my passion real and definitive; otherwise, when would we ever get a seat at the table?”
Given the difficulties in this area, Park advises those who are interested in politics, “Just begin. Don’t wait for a green light, someone to give you the heads up, or some divine ‘right timing’ because that’ll never happen.”
Every person she has met who wanted to take part in youth action and advocacy never made a move; they didn’t know where to start. However, Park believes that there is always a place to start. “It’s undeniable that there’s every single tool available at our disposal, so there’s no excuse that one doesn’t know where to begin,” she claims. After all, advocating for youth voices in politics requires one to step out of his or her comfort zone and to put in a great deal of effort.
