Democratization

Inherited and intergenerational trauma produce complex effects at the individual, familial, and societal levels that can impact willingness to participate in public discourse and protest. In the Lebanese context, the mothers of Gen Z daughters have firsthand experience of high-stakes military conflict that often shape their perceptions of danger. Memories of war inform both mothers' responses to later events, such as the 2020 Beirut port explosion and the way they seek to protect their daughters from similar trauma. Daughters, in turn, inherit aspects of their mothers' trauma but nevertheless seek to engage with means of breaking cycles of violence.

The 2025 Gen-Z uprising in Nepal was the culmination of multiple sources of discontent and resulted in the collapse of the government, but the young protesters’ tactics and values were jarring for older generations of Nepalis. The push for change was reinforced by young Nepalis living outside the country, and women also actively took part in various aspects of the uprising, challenging patriarchal norms. In March 2026, Nepalis voted to elect 35-year-old Balendra Shah, the youngest prime minister in the country’s history, signalling a new chapter for Nepali politics.

The 2025 GenZ 212 protests in Morocco erupted due to systemic problems in the distribution of resources and development across the country. Despite the movement’s initial momentum among young people and Moroccan society more broadly, the lack of centralised coordination and outbreak of violence among protesters ultimately caused a reversal in public support. Nevertheless, the protests succeeded in extracting promises from the government to invest more funds into public goods such as education and hospitals.

From Colombo to Kathmandu to Jakarta, a generation raised online is turning digital outrage into real-world protest, challenging power, demanding accountability, and redefining what revolution looks like across Asia. In this report, the journalist Ester Pinheiro speaks with: Sanskriti Pandey, sexual and reproductive rights young activist from Nepal. Sarthak Bhattarai, political reform activist from Nepal. Michelin Sallata, young Indigenous activist from Indonesia. Sulochana Peiris, documentary maker, researcher, writer, and director of the film #GoHomeGota from Sri Lanka. 

Humour has a long history as a means of deflecting responsibility and potential persecution for political criticism. In Gen Z protests in the Balkans, humour has had a special role in conveying public discontent. Recent Gen-Z-led protests in Albania demanding improvements to university conditions and fees utilised ironic memes to get their message across and instigate change. 

In the Brazilian state of Acre, dominated by the Amazon Rainforest and inhabited by a diverse population, members of Generation Z who live in extractive reserves recognise that their future hangs on the effective management of natural and cultural resources and respect for local ways of life. The pressures of economic and state interests have threatened these lands in the past and continue to pose challenges to the preservation of ancestral knowledge and lifestyles. Still, Gen Z dares to dream of a hopeful future, placing emphasis on collective action and community mobilisation to safeguard this territory and its heritage. 

Gen Z movements around the world have captured global attention, and many movements share similar characteristics in terms of tactics and forms of participation. Yet the driving forces behind these movements cannot be treated as a monolith. The protests in, for example, Bangladesh, Nepal, or Morocco, emerge from complex local contexts. At the same time, structurally similar forces exert pressures on youth and society more broadly, and the Gen Z protests represent an unfinished struggle against injustice, inequality, and inadequate governance.