Nuclear disarmament has to become urgent, not just relevant but urgent [to get young people’s] mass involvement on a grass-roots level.” – Franco Escobar

All these make it crucial that nuclear disarmament resonates with young people as an urgent issue, rather than a merely relevant one. “We must recognize that the threat of nuclear weapon use is a present-day issue,” says Franco. In that sense, he sees the recent global conflicts with their heightened risk of nuclear weapon use as an opportunity to ignite that sense of urgency.

One positive trend, says Franco, is that more advocacy organizations are beginning to offer compensation for youth contributions, recognizing the value of their time and effort. Peace initiatives traditionally expected young people to volunteer their time, but now, some organizations in North America and Japan pay them, for example, for their participation or for creating and sustaining a student club. 

Franco points out that other ways to facilitate youth inclusion is making sure that the often technical information – concepts like grand strategy, extended deterrence, minimum deterrence – are presented in digestible ways.

It goes to show that young people need not just encouragement and information but also resources or money, so they can be included.” - Franco Escobar