Creating space for young voices, ideas and social change.
Meaningful social change begins when people have the space to listen, question, learn and speak.
The Urooj Youth Dialogue is a platform for meaningful conversations on the issues shaping young people, communities and society.
Organised by Urooj Development & Welfare Foundation, the Dialogue brings together young people, practitioners, researchers, youth leaders, development professionals and fellows to exchange ideas, question existing perspectives, and engage in thoughtful conversations on issues affecting Bihar and beyond.
Young people are at the centre of change — but not always in the room.
The Dialogue creates a space where young people engage directly with practitioners, researchers, professionals and other changemakers. Through open conversation, it aims to:
- Create space for youth voices and perspectives
- Encourage critical thinking and informed discussion
- Connect young people with practitioners and experts
- Explore social and economic challenges affecting communities
- Build awareness around democratic participation and citizenship
- Encourage conversations on gender, inclusion and justice
- Explore employment and opportunities for young people
- Strengthen connections across the youth and development ecosystem
Six threads we keep pulling.
Youth Leadership
What leadership means for young people, and how youth can contribute to their communities and wider society.
Social & Economic Marginalization
The barriers that keep individuals and communities from opportunities, resources and participation.
Democratic Participation
Citizenship, democracy, participation, rights, responsibilities, and the role of young people in public life.
Gender Justice
Gender, equality, inclusion, and the social structures that shape opportunities and experiences.
Education & Employment
Education, skills, employment, entrepreneurship and the future of work.
Social Change
How individuals, communities, institutions and organisations contribute to meaningful and sustainable change.
Diverse voices, one table.
Youth Leaders
Young people actively engaging with their communities and working towards social change.
Practitioners
People working directly on social and development issues.
Researchers & Academics
Bringing evidence, research and new perspectives to important social questions.
Development Professionals
Working across sectors to address social and economic challenges.
Urooj Fellows & Alumni
Young people from the Urooj Fellowship bringing their experiences, questions and perspectives.
Community Voices
People with lived experience that deepens our understanding of the issues discussed.
The Youth Dialogue is designed to move beyond one-way conversations.
We encourage participants to listen to different perspectives, ask difficult questions, connect ideas with lived experiences, and explore possibilities for action. Our aim is not always to arrive at one answer — it is to create the space needed to understand complex issues, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another.
What people leave with.
New Perspectives
Exposure to diverse ideas, experiences and ways of understanding social issues.
Meaningful Conversations
Direct engagement with practitioners, researchers, youth leaders and other participants.
Knowledge & Awareness
Greater understanding of issues affecting young people and communities.
Connections
New relationships across the youth, development, research and social sector ecosystem.
Space to Participate
An opportunity for young people to share their experiences, questions, ideas and perspectives.
Possibilities for Action
Conversations that inspire collaboration, further learning, and engagement beyond the Dialogue.
Where it began.
The inaugural Urooj Youth Dialogue was organised at Planet Patna. It brought together diverse voices to engage with questions around youth, society, opportunity, gender, employment, technology, democracy and social change.
23 May 2026
Planet Patna
The event marked the beginning of a continuing platform for dialogue and exchange.
Two Dialogues. Every year. Many voices.
The Urooj Youth Dialogue is not a one-time event. We plan to hold it twice every year — a regular space for young people and the wider development ecosystem to engage with emerging issues and build meaningful connections.
Each edition explores different themes and brings in new voices, so that young people are not only participants in conversations about society, but active contributors to shaping them.
A conversation may begin with a question. It can end in a new perspective, a connection, a collaboration — or action.
When diverse voices come together in an open and respectful space, conversations become a starting point for meaningful change.
Planet Patna, in pictures.
We invite you to be part of it.
Are you a young person, practitioner, researcher, development professional, youth leader, or someone working on issues that matter to communities?
Participate in the next Urooj Youth Dialogue
Bring your questions. Share your perspective. Listen to others. Be part of the dialogue.
Join the next dialogueInterested in partnering with us?
We welcome organisations, institutions, practitioners, researchers and professionals interested in contributing to future editions of the Urooj Youth Dialogue.
Partner with Urooj