Youth populations are critical to instigating salient cultural, societal, and political shifts. Today, Generation Z—the largest, most globally connected, and increasingly influential cohort—gears up to enter the domestic and international frontlines of an increasingly interconnected world. The forthcoming shift in population dynamics, coupled with ever-growing globalization, highlights the need to engage youth in meaningful and crucial conversations on issues that will define their futures.

To this end, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center is launching A Day in the Life: South Asia’s Youth, a youth-oriented social media initiative that reflects the Center’s commitments to empowering young professionals as agents of positive change in their communities, and to deepening US engagement in South Asia. This initiative, realized through Instagram, enables individuals across the region to discuss topics of their choice within a people-to-people space that bypasses the “middleman” of the partisan media, to foster positive perceptions of South Asia both at home and within the international community, and spread awareness of each country’s unique lived experiences. If interested in contributing, please refer to the guidelines below.  

Eligibility

  • Individuals must be between the ages of 18 – 35.
  • Individuals must be a citizen of a South Asian country (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka), OR they must have family ties and extensive lived experiences in the region.
  • An Instagram is not required.

Guidelines

Individuals wanting to contribute should fill out the submission form below, adhering to the following: 

  • Written submissions may cover any appropriate subject of the author’s choice. Examples include challenges faced due to COVID-19, a personal anecdote, or a walkthrough of one’s daily life. For a more comprehensive list of examples, please refer to the sample prompts linked below.
  • Participants interested in providing a picture should e-mail cquerenet@atlanticcouncil.org 
  • Pictures must be the participant’s original photo and of the highest quality possible. 
  • Participants must provide a valid email address. 
  • Written submissions should be no longer than 300 words.

By submitting the following form, the participant is voluntarily giving the Atlantic Council the rights to share their image, story, name, and Instagram username from the South Asia Center’s Instagram, @ac_south_asia. The participant also acknowledges they fit the eligibility criteria and will not receive any form of compensation from the Atlantic Council for their submission.

Submission Form

The South Asia Center (SAC) is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​

At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.