South Asia’s Youth Moment

South Asia’s Youth Moment: A New Generation Rewriting the Region’s Politics and Shared Future

South Asia’s youth are emerging as a decisive political force, reshaping governance and accountability across the region. Recent Gen Z-led movement in Nepal, alongside youth-led mobilization in Bangladesh in 2024 and mass protests in Sri Lanka in 2022 following economic collapse, highlight how younger generations are playing a more visible role in political life—and the priorities and political participation of South Asia’s large youth population are shaping the future.

Join the Asia Society Policy Institute ahead of pivotal elections in Bangladesh and Nepal as we bring together South Asia’s young leaders to explore what “good leadership” looks like from a youth perspective, which policy priorities young citizens see as essential, and how young South Asians envision a shared regional future amid common challenges and opportunities.

The virtual discussion, moderated by Farwa Aamer, Director of South Asia Initiatives, Asia Society Policy Institute, will feature Tanuja Pandey, Nepal’s Gen Z leader, lawyer, and climate justice activist; Krystle Reid Wijesuriya, Co-Chief Executive Officer, We Are Team Rocket (Pvt) Ltd; and Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, Co-Founder and President, Footsteps Bangladesh.
SPEAKERS
Tanuja Pandey

Tanuja Pandey is a climate justice organizer and lawyer, serving as the co-founder and chair of Harin Nepal, an organization dedicated to advancing intersectional climate justice. Her professional expertise spans in law and public policy. She is a Vajra Eco Award 2025 awardee and a speaker at the Sydney Dialogue 2025. Tanuja envisions a world where communities most impacted by environmental crises are empowered with the resources, opportunities, and platforms necessary for true liberation.
Krystle Wijesuriya

Krystle Reid Wijesuriya is a first-generation entrepreneur recognized as a thought leader, focusing on foresight, intergenerational dialogue, and systems-level leadership that bridges corporate governance and social impact. She is the Chief Executive Officer of We Are Team Rocket and an Independent Director at a leading Sri Lankan nonbank financial institution. A recognized advocate for diversity and inclusion, she co-founded the Enable Lanka Foundation and the GenUth Initiative to advance youth empowerment, civic education and participation, and disability inclusion.

Krystle is a Fellow of the Asia Society, Salzburg Global Inc., and ChangemakerXchange. She was awarded the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year by Queen Elizabeth II, was a Davos50 young leader, and is a Longevity Economy Taskforce member of the World Economic Forum. She is also a NextGen Member of the Council for Business with Britain and a Working Committee Member of the Young Directors Forum of the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors. Krystle is also an Asia 21 alumna (Class of 2023).
Shah Chowdhury

Shah Rafayat Chowdhury is the Co-Founder and President of Footsteps Bangladesh. He is an award-winning Next Generation Humanitarian known for his work in designing social ventures and programs to address extreme poverty challenges. A social entrepreneur and environmentalist by profession, his voice has been vital in enhancing climate action in Bangladesh and is a mentor to thousands of young people across the globe when it comes to addressing challenges related to extreme poverty and climate change. For his work, Shah received the Diana Award and the AFS Prize for Young Global Citizens in 2020, was recognized as a European Commission Young Leader in 2018, was honored as one of the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia in 2022, won a Global Citizen Youth Leaders Award in 2024, and received the Penn State Alumni Achievement Award in 2025, among many other accolades. Shah Rafayat is also an Asia 21 alumnus (Class of 2024).
Farwa Bio Image

Farwa Aamer is the Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) in New York where she oversees the institute’s policy work and projects in South Asia.

Prior to ASPI, Farwa worked at the Stimson Center where she led research on the security, political, and socio-economic dimensions of transboundary river governance in the Himalayan region. Through her work, Farwa has organized and convened high-level Track II dialogues and discussions designed to facilitate greater inter-and intra-regional cooperation on issues and opportunities concerning water, energy, climate change, and sustainable development in South Asia, MENA, and Central Asia. Farwa also worked on highlighting the disproportionate impacts of climate change and water insecurity on women. From 2017 to 2021, Farwa was with the EastWest Institute (EWI) and served as the Director of the South Asia program. At EWI, Farwa worked on promoting non-traditional channels of diplomacy and establishing multi-stakeholder platforms for shared economic, financial, and geopolitical interests by bringing together policy shapers, media influencers, thought leaders, and business experts from within South Asia and across the globe.

Farwa received her Bachelors of Science degree in Economics from University College London (UCL) and has a Masters in Management with Finance from BPP Business School, London.