The Youth Cafe is pleased to join The Beyond Lab, the collaborative space at the United Nations in Geneva where people and organizations come together to shape a more sustainable future.
In partnership with UNCTAD and Rethinking Economics International, this initiative empowers young people to reshape how we define progress. It opens space for youth to share bold ideas about moving beyond GDP, contribute directly to global policy conversations, and break the “intergenerational glass ceiling” in economic thinking.
Created by the United Nations in Geneva, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (civil society), and the Government of Switzerland, it is built to be multistakeholder from the start. That means we don’t just talk about cooperation, we practice it every day, by working side by side with governments, youth, researchers, NGOs, international organizations, and the private sector.
It is a trusted and evolving space where new ideas are tested, honest conversations happen, and diverse voices are heard, across sectors, generations, and disciplines. Everything we do is about helping the world move toward real, long-term and regenerative sustainability.
Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we look ahead and ask: What comes next for global development after 2030? To answer that, we focus on four big areas of systemic change:
Rethinking our systems, especially economic ones, and applying a values based approach to development through initiatives like Youth Moving Beyond GDP that explore better ways to measure progress and well-being.
Promoting intergenerational impact, with a focus on fostering meaningful youth engagement in policy and decision-making and amplifying the voices and perspectives of generations yet to be born.
Using psychology, emotional and behavioral science, to change harmful narratives, inspire hope, and empower people to take action for sustainable futures.
Exploring new technologies and the unknown through creativity, data, systems and futures thinking to better navigate uncertainity and complexity, and prepare for what’s coming
At the heart of it all is a simple but powerful goal:
To bring alternative and new ways of relating and thinking — the “Beyonds” — into the center of how policy and decisions are made.
What We Believe In
We believe in a future where both people and the planet can thrive — not just today, but for generations to come.
Our vision is simple but bold:
A sustainable world where current and future generations flourish, together, and in solidarity. A world where we don't only sustain, but regenerate.
Creating long-term change means shifting how we think, how we measure progress, and how we make decisions. That’s why we put intergenerational equity and planetary well-being at the heart of everything we do.
Sustainable development must go beyond fixing problems, it should be regenerative. That means restoring what has been harmed, building what’s missing, and imagining new ways of living that are fairer, healthier, and more connected.
Today’s biggest challenges, from climate change to inequality, are deeply intertwined. They won’t be solved by quick fixes or working in silos. They require collective action, imagination and honest reflection, and the courage to question and go beyond the status quo.
We see ourselves as part of a growing global movement calling for a paradigm shift, one that balances short-term with long-term thinking and promotes a values based approach to development where the well-being of people and planet is placed at the centre, and not as an afterthought.