NE EDUCATION/YOUTH BUREAU
CHENNAI, NOV 9

What if the most effective way to safeguard the next generation begins not with adults speaking about young people, but with young people being heard? Seeking to turn this principle into meaningful action, The Kindness Foundation is bringing together parents, educators, healthcare professionals, legal experts, technology specialists, policymakers and young people for the NextGen Forum, a distinctive, co-created youth safety and wellbeing conclave, at Taj Coromandel in Chennai on November 14.

  • The Kindness Foundation brings together 250 stakeholders from diverse fields for a landmark youth safety and wellbeing conclave on November 14
  • Parents, educators, healthcare professionals, legal experts, technology specialists and policymakers to explore solutions to emerging challenges confronting young people
  • Innovative formats, including a mock tribunal, seek to uncover overlooked warning signs and turn promising interventions into wider practices
  • Nearly 200 schoolchildren aged 11–17 to set the agenda through a Town Hall and interactive sessions on November 13
  • Youth voices and expert deliberations to culminate in a co-created White Paper in 2027, translating dialogue into actionable recommendations

Designed to move beyond conventional conferences and ceremonial speeches, the one-day forum will create a collaborative platform to confront the complex realities shaping young people’s lives and identify practical, collective responses. Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., the conclave is expected to bring together around 250 participants representing diverse professional and social backgrounds.

The programme seeks to address a fundamental concern: how can families, educational institutions, communities and policymakers work together to ensure that young people are safe, supported, understood and empowered?

From conventional speeches to compelling conversations

According to a press release, the NextGen Forum will feature engaging and unconventional formats designed to challenge assumptions and encourage meaningful participation.

Among its distinctive highlights is The Case Files, a mock tribunal examining how critical warning signs in a young person’s life can go unnoticed and what society must do differently to identify and respond to them.

The Blind Spot will spotlight promising approaches that deserve wider recognition and adoption, while focused conversations will explore parenting, mental health, digital safety, identity and belonging.

Bringing together voices from the judiciary, law enforcement and mental health sectors, alongside youth advocates and young achievers, the forum aims to connect professional expertise with lived experiences.

Giving young people the first word

The larger initiative begins a day earlier, on November 13, when nearly 200 schoolchildren aged 11–17 will participate in a Town Hall and interactive sessions to share their experiences, concerns and aspirations.

This youth-led engagement is central to the forum’s philosophy: young people should not merely be recipients of decisions concerning their welfare but active participants in shaping them.

Mahima Poddar, Founder of The Kindness Foundation and the NextGen Forum team, underlined the thinking behind the initiative:

“NextGen Forum is rooted in the belief that young people deserve to be heard, understood and included in conversations that directly impact their lives. By creating a safe, inclusive and non-judgmental space for them to express themselves, we hope to bridge the gap between young people and the adults responsible for their well-being. “This forum is not just about listening; it is about translating their voices into meaningful action. Through collective dialogue and collaboration, we aim to build a future where every young person feels safe, supported and empowered.”

From dialogue to a roadmap for change

Significantly, the initiative is envisaged as more than a one-day gathering. The discussions, youth perspectives and expert insights will feed into a co-created White Paper in 2027, intended to translate the collective deliberations into actionable recommendations.

This forward-looking approach gives the forum an opportunity to build bridges between families, schools, institutions, professionals and policymakers, while ensuring that the concerns articulated by young people do not end with the closing session.

At a time when the challenges confronting adolescents increasingly cut across mental health, online interactions, social identity and personal safety, the NextGen Forum seeks to advance a compelling proposition: protecting young people is a shared responsibility, and their voices must be at the heart of every solution.

Registration: https://bit.ly/NGF-Nov14