The world today stands on the edge of history. Its restless youth—scarred by corruption, nepotism, and elite capture—are no longer silent spectators. They are reclaiming the future that has been stolen from them. Generation Z—the students, the unemployed, the underpaid, the silenced—has become the spirit and vanguard of this awakening.

The first tremors of this global youth uprising were felt in Sri Lanka in 2022, when masses led by students and young citizens stormed the streets.

Anger over corruption, nepotism, authoritarianism, soaring inflation, unbearable cost of living, and crippling power cuts reached a breaking point. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to resign and flee abroad, chased away by the very people he had ignored. It was a stunning display of the power of the people—students and frustrated youth at its core—demanding nothing less than change. That moment in Colombo echoed around the world: a new generation had found its voice.

Two years later, in Bangladesh, the fire reignited. Once again, students—this time from Dhaka University—rose in defiance of Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s entrenched and repressive rule. They denounced her corruption and tore apart the suffocating web of dynastic politics and the stagnant status quo.

The uprising forced her to flee to India. In the aftermath, youth-led movements safeguarded democracy from the ambitions of generals and oligarchs, turning instead to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to guide the nation towards free elections and a renewed democratic spirit. It was an inspiring assertion of civic will over tyranny.

The epicenter then shifted to Nepal. What began as an attempt by the government to ban social media—after a viral video exposed the extravagant lifestyles of “Nepo kids,” the privileged offspring of the ruling elite—ignited a full-scale rebellion. For Nepal’s youth, social media was not merely a pastime; it was........

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