LIVING ROOTS FOUNDATION
A Youth-Led Agenda for Meghalaya
Report of the Young People's Action Group (YPAG) 2025-2026 supported by UNICEF India
About the initiative
Building on Meghalaya's prioritisation of engagement with young people at the center of its development and climate agenda, the Young People's Action Group (YPAG) bridges the gap between young people's lived experiences and public decision making, ensuring that their perspectives inform state government policies and programmes. It is an initiative of UNICEF India and the Centre for Policy, and has institutional support from the Government of Meghalaya.
62%
youth surveyed* felt they are rarely consulted in policy making
138
young people engaged in consultations to shape the focus of the YPAG
105
workshop participants, primarily from climate-vulnerable blocks in four hubs across Meghalaya
Priorities identified by the YPAG's inaugural cohort
A cohort of 20 young members of the YPAG, selected through four regional workshops under the initiative, collaborated to identify four priority areas for stakeholder attention. These areas represent the collective perspectives of young people and highlight critical domains requiring sustained focus and action.
Access to healthcare during emergencies
Keep children in school
Recognise and respond to mental health impacts
Youth participation and community-led solutions
Stakeholder discussions are essential, because solutions emerge when we engage with all stakeholders. Equally important is the inclusion of youth in decision-making, since the choices we make today will directly shape their future
H.E Mr. Wailadmiki Shylla
Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs and Health & Family Welfare of the Government of Meghalaya, speaking at the YPAG’s inaugural roundtable in Shillong.
HIGHLIGHTS
Focus
The initiative recognises that climate change extends beyond environmental concerns, posing significant risks to healthcare systems, education, livelihoods, mental well-being, and access toessential public services. By placing young people at the center of these conversations, YPAG aims to foster innovative, locally relevant solutions while strengthening community resilience and promoting youth leadership.
Regional workshops in Meghalaya
YPAG was designed through a participatory process to ensure that its priorities reflect the realities experienced by young people across Meghalaya. Building on the pre-cconsultation engagements, four regional workshops were held across the state between May-June 2026, bringing together 105 participants which included participants from climate-vulnerable blocks within four regional hubs: Shillong, Nongpoh, Tura and Jowai.
YPAG's Inaugural Cohort
From the participants engaged through the regional workshops, an inaugural cohort of 20 young leaders were selected as members of the Young People's Action Group for a period of one year. Throughout their tenure, members will receive administrative support from the Government of Meghalaya and technical guidance and capacity-building from partners including UNICEF India, the Centre for Policy among others, enabling them to effectively engage with policymakers and communities in Meghalaya and beyond.
YPAG's Report
Over four district-level workshops, young people across Meghalaya consistently identified three interconnected areas where climate change is affecting their lives, their communities and their futures. These are drawn from lived experience, from journeys to school through flooded rivers, from families struggling after crop failures, from communities grieving losses that could have been prevented. To learn more, please access the YPAG report at the bottom of this page (coming soon).
About us
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.
The Centre for Policy is a non-profit and independent think-and-do tank under the Living Roots Foundation based in Shillong, India. The Centre partners and collaborates with a broad range of stakeholders to drive impact through policy engagement, strategic advocacy, and partnerships focused on people, peace, and the planet.