“A society reveals its future not by the monuments it builds, but by the attention it gives to the voices still learning how to be heard.”
There is a quiet paradox at the heart of modern society. We speak constantly about the future, yet too often fail to listen to those who will inhabit it. We invest enormous energy discussing what children and young people will one day become, while overlooking what they already are: citizens, thinkers, dreamers, innovators, and participants in the life of their communities.
That reality stood at the center of the seminar Invisible Generations? The Challenges of Ageism in Childhood and Youth, held at the Academy of Youth and Arts on Terceira Island as part of the celebrations marking World Children’s Day. The gathering offered an important reminder that age should never determine the value of a person’s ideas, nor define the significance of their contribution to society.
Speaking at the opening session, President of the Azorean Parliament Luís Garcia challenged a perception that remains deeply embedded in many institutions: the notion that young people must wait their turn before their voices matter. His reflections were shaped by months of visits to schools throughout the archipelago during the commemorations of the fiftieth anniversary of Azorean Autonomy. What he encountered was not passivity or indifference, but curiosity, engagement, and an eagerness to participate in conversations about the present and future of the islands.
His observations echo a broader truth. Across the Azores, young people are already leading projects, creating businesses, engaging in civic life, producing art, defending environmental causes, and contributing ideas to their communities. They are not merely preparing for the future; they are helping shape it now. Yet many still encounter structures that treat them primarily as future adults rather than as individuals whose perspectives deserve attention in the present.
The issue extends beyond simple representation. It touches on a deeper question about democracy itself. Healthy democracies require participation, dialogue, and the constant renewal of ideas. When children and young people feel that their opinions are dismissed because of their age, society loses access to creativity, innovation, and perspectives capable of challenging assumptions that older generations may take for granted.
Praia da Vitória Mayor Vânia Ferreira addressed this challenge directly. She argued that involving children and young people begins with a simple commitment: ensuring that their voices are heard without restrictions or conditions. Such a commitment requires more than good intentions. It demands schools that encourage participation, families that cultivate dialogue, and public policies that genuinely recognize the role of young people in society.
Her argument carries particular relevance in the Azorean context. The islands face significant demographic challenges, including population decline and youth emigration. Political leaders frequently speak about attracting and retaining younger generations, yet retention involves more than employment opportunities or housing policies. It also requires creating communities where young people feel valued, respected, and included in decision-making processes.
Belonging emerges not merely from living in a place but from feeling that one’s voice matters within it.
This is especially important in an age defined by global connectivity. Today’s youth grow up with access to ideas, opportunities, and communities that extend far beyond the islands. They can study, work, collaborate, and communicate across continents. If the Azores wish to remain attractive to future generations, they must offer not only economic opportunity but also meaningful participation in civic and cultural life.
Initiatives such as the Youth Parliament provide encouraging examples. They demonstrate that young people are fully capable of engaging with complex issues when given the opportunity. More importantly, they reveal something often forgotten: participation is a skill that grows through practice. Young citizens become active citizens when institutions invite them to contribute rather than merely observe.
The discussion surrounding ageism in childhood and youth therefore goes beyond questions of fairness. It concerns the kind of society the Azores aspire to become. A community that listens only to established voices risks stagnation. A community that listens across generations creates the conditions for renewal.
Perhaps the most powerful observation made during the seminar was that children often remind adults of values that become obscured over time: empathy, curiosity, fairness, and the courage to imagine alternatives. Their questions can be uncomfortable precisely because they expose assumptions that older generations have stopped questioning.
That capacity to imagine different futures may be one of the greatest resources any society possesses.
As the Azores look toward the next fifty years of Autonomy, the challenge is not simply to prepare young people for the future. It is to recognize that they are already part of the present. Their ideas, concerns, and aspirations are not footnotes to the regional story; they are among its most important chapters.
The question, then, is not whether young people are ready to participate. The question is whether society is ready to listen.
For when we truly listen to children and young people, we are not merely respecting their rights. We are enriching our democracy, strengthening our communities, and investing in a future that is more inclusive, more creative, and more humane.
And perhaps the generations we call invisible have been visible all along. The challenge is learning to see them.
Translated and adapted from a Press Release.
