NextGen Forum in Chennai to Develop India’s First Youth Safety and Wellbeing White Paper
Chennai: The two-day NextGen Forum, focused on youth safety and wellbeing, concluded in Chennai on November 14, bringing together more than 200 students aged 11 to 17 from over 20 schools, along with experts and stakeholders from various sectors.
Organised on November 13 and 14, the forum brought together parents, educators, counsellors, mental health professionals, legal and law enforcement representatives, policymakers and youth advocates to discuss challenges faced by young people.
The discussions will contribute to India’s first co-created White Paper on Youth Safety and Wellbeing, to be compiled by The Kindness Foundation. The document will incorporate young people’s perspectives and inputs from experts across 15 sectors, organised under five key pillars.
The first day focused on student participation through interactive activities, art, clay modelling and group discussions. Sessions covered digital safety, cyber risks, phishing and two-factor authentication. During student town hall and open mic sessions, participants discussed personal privacy, stereotypes, independence and trust between young people and adults. Young competitive sailor Shreya Krishna also shared her experiences of balancing professional sports and teenage life.
The second day brought together around 250 participants for discussions on youth-related challenges and possible interventions. Sessions included a mock tribunal titled Case Files: The Missed Signal, examining how warning signs in young people’s lives can go unnoticed, and Blind Spot, which explored effective youth interventions and barriers to their implementation.
Other discussions addressed decision-making in parent-child relationships, early signs of substance misuse and communication gaps between parents and children. Actress Ekavali Khanna presented a paired-reading session titled Unsent Letters, while a fireside discussion explored the importance of understanding young people’s unspoken concerns.
The conclave concluded with a keynote address by Dr. Shriram Nene titled Before They Become Patients: Why Wellbeing Must Begin Young. Drawing on his healthcare experience and book 21 Days to Good Health, he highlighted preventive healthcare, emotional wellbeing and the importance of developing healthy habits early in life. Journalist Vasanthi Hariprakash moderated the session.
The forum was led by Antara Pandit and Shefali Khatri. Opening the event, Mahima Poddar, Founder of The Kindness Foundation, said the initiative aimed to bridge the generational divide through meaningful conversations between young people and adult changemakers.
She added that the recommendations emerging from the discussions would form the basis of the proposed White Paper on Youth Safety and Wellbeing.
