Young Voices at the Centre: Waves for Change at Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures 2026
From practical prevention tools to powerful youth-led advocacy, Waves for Change joined global leaders and young changemakers to reimagine the future of child and adolescent mental health.
From 18–20 May 2026, the global Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures (BIBF) 2026 conference brought together 384 participants from 47 countries to explore innovative approaches to child and adolescent mental health. With 70% of attendees coming from low-and middle-income countries and strong representation from across Africa, the conference created a space where youth voices, lived experience, and community-based solutions took centre stage.
Waves for Change’s Training and Take 5 team facilitated an engaging and practical session focused on our daily routine-based approach to prevention and psychosocial support. Through movement, play, breathing exercises, and self-regulation activities, participants experienced first-hand how simple, consistent routines can help young people feel safe, connected, and emotionally supported .
The session also featured deeply personal reflections from former Waves for Change coaches, now leaders within the organisation. Junior Training Officer, Sinovuyo Fana, and Communications Officer, Liaan Papier, shared honest stories about the challenges they faced growing up, the importance of caring adults and positive peer support, and how supportive spaces helped them stay on track during difficult times.
As part of the session, participants also viewed A Silence to be Broken, a Take 5 documentary developed in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, highlighting the lived experiences of two local Take 5 champions and the realities many young people continue to navigate. Watch the film here – A Silence to be broken.
The conference reinforced a growing global truth: young people are not only asking for support — they are actively shaping solutions. Across the week, conversations focused on prevention not as theory, but as something deeply rooted in everyday life and community connection. Waves for Change’s approach demonstrated how structured routines, play, emotional regulation, and trusted relationships can create meaningful protective factors for young people facing adversity.
A Youth Manifesto for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
One of the most impactful moments of the conference came when the Youth Advisory Board delivered their final manifesto and global call to action.
For nine months leading up to the conference, Waves for Change Communications Officer, Liaan Papier, worked behind the scenes as part of the international Youth Advisory Board alongside young leaders from Malaysia, Pakistan, Bolivia, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Tanzania, and many other countries.
Drawing from the voices of 221 young people across more than 40 countries, the manifesto highlighted urgent gaps in mental health support systems while also recognising the resilience, leadership, and advocacy already emerging from young people themselves.
Standing alongside peers from across the world, young people called for systems that listen, respond, and invest in youth mental health beyond short-term conversations.
As shared in the manifesto:
We are not passive recipients. We are leaders now, ready to work alongside you with expertise born of lived experience.” – Youth Advisory Board
That message echoed throughout the conference halls and in every story shared by young people who continue to turn lived experience into leadership, advocacy, and hope.
“We are not waiting for a better future; we are building it now.”
One of the manifesto’s message is clear:
Nothing about us without us.”
The document called on governments, schools, health systems, researchers, and organisations to meaningfully include young people in designing, implementing, and evaluating mental health programmes and policies.
The Reality We Live In
Young people continue to face overwhelming barriers to mental wellbeing:
86% live in environments where mental health is minimised or ignored.
68% feel pressure to always be “the strong one” for others while struggling themselves.
70% report difficulty accessing professional mental health support, while 7% say it is completely inaccessible.
Nearly half (47%) do not know where to turn during a mental health crisis.
Youth Voices
Despite these challenges, young people remain hopeful, engaged, and ready to lead.
44% of respondents identified making a positive impact in the world as their greatest hope for the future.
69% are ready to advocate for mental health in their communities.
Young people are already supporting one another, creating safe spaces, and driving conversations around mental wellbeing. What they need now is meaningful partnership and action from decision-makers.
Our Commitment as Young People
We commit to:
Normalising conversations around mental health through storytelling, peer support, and community action.
Claiming our place in spaces where decisions about our wellbeing are made.
Caring for ourselves and each other while building sustainable movements for change.
“Our vulnerability is not weakness — it is the beginning of change.”
Call to Action
To young people: your voice matters, and you are not alone. Whether through conversation, advocacy, or supporting a peer, your actions make a difference.
To organisations and conference partners: ensure youth engagement continues beyond events and translates into measurable action.
To governments and policymakers: move beyond short-term solutions and invest in long-term, inclusive mental health systems shaped alongside young people themselves.
Read the full manifesto here
At Waves for Change, we left BIBF 2026 reminded that meaningful prevention begins with connection, safety, and belonging and that when young people are trusted to lead, brighter futures become possible. For Waves for Change, this reflects the heart of our work. Whether through Surf Therapy, Take 5, peer support, or youth leadership pathways, we believe young people must not only benefit from programmes they must help shape them.
📍 Location: Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures Conference 2026 – Cape Town, South Africa
👥 Partners & Programme Involved: Waves For Change, UNICEF , UNESCO , INSTITUTE FOR LIFE COURSE HEALTH RESEARCH
📸 Images : Courtesy of Waves for Change / BIBF 2026
👉 Support Waves for Change and help more young people access safe spaces, supportive relationships, and mental health support through Surf Therapy and Take 5 programmes.
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