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Ellen: 

Hello Ilan, greetings from Aotearoa, New Zealand!  It is incredible to think that a year has passed since we began our membership on the HLSC Sherpa and Leaders groups. Time flies so fast! 

As we transition roles, I am excited to learn about your experiences on the Leaders Group. What impacted you the most about the role?

Ilan: 

Hi Ellen, great to see you again and warm greetings from the Philippines!  So true, time has gone so quickly! Representing youth on the HLSC Leaders Group has been an enriching experience for me. 

Collaborating with international leaders and stakeholders, I was able to advocate for initiatives that directly address the needs and aspirations of young people worldwide, as guided by the powerful calls from the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education. 

What I found to be the most impactful part of the role was the process of regularly consulting a vast constituency of young people around the world. Not only did this ensure that our contributions to the HLSC discussions meaningfully represented the voices of youth and students but also provided a meaningful process of mutual learning about the realities faced by people from such diverse backgrounds. This was an awakening to our shared journey towards actualizing SDG 4. 

Reflecting on your previous role and my new role in 2025, what did you learn from your time in the Sherpa Group? Also, what would you do differently, looking back on your year?

Ellen: 

Coming from a background in policy, I learnt about the dynamism of multistakeholderism on the Sherpa Group concerning the global education governance agenda. The diversity of actors - multilateral organizations, member states, private foundations, civil society, teachers - means we have to be very clear in articulating the aspirations and experiences of young people into concrete outputs for SDG 4 with other stakeholders. 

Looking back, I would have preferred to comprehend the historic evolution of the HLSC from the Education For All initiative onward and the actors involved, to further comprehend their diversity impacting their aims to further align these with the views of youth and students. 

What challenges did you face in your time on the Leaders Group? How did you manage to overcome these?

Ilan: 

Navigating the complexities of international diplomacy and policy-making, where youth voices can sometimes be marginalized, surely presented its challenges. However, these challenges are expected considering how early we are in the stages of normalizing meaningful youth participation in education decision-making. We have made great strides, but we still have a long way to go. To address these, it helped to ensure my statements were well-researched, evidence-based and centered around the lived experiences of young people.

Moving from challenges to opportunities, what was your most memorable or influential moment on the Sherpa Group?

Ellen: 

My proudest moment on the Sherpa Group was seeing the advocacy for getting youth and students on the Functional Areas of the HLSC, supported with the appointment of youth and student representatives. That was a significant moment to further meaningful youth and student engagement in the HLSC. My most memorable moments are animated debates about the potential removal of Indicator 4.1.1a, and the run into the 2024 Global Education Meeting concerning models of education financing, which were highly influential to the trajectory of the HLSC going forwards.

I was really very issues-focused on the Sherpa Group, but as a Leader you are at the core of decision-making. How did you perceive your impact of contributing to decision-making processes for group outcomes?

Ilan: 

I am immensely proud of all the young people who have spearheaded the movement towards normalizing education systems that meaningfully involve young people in decision-making. Just a few years ago, it is clear to see that certain doors were not open to youth and students, and the work definitely continues to ensure opportunities grow for young people in the future. I am happy to have personally borne witness to our tangible impact on decision-making processes, including recent inclusion of young people in high-level committees and working groups, as well as the participation of youth and students in the development of the Fortaleza Declaration, adopted at the 2024 Global Education Meeting.

As we enter 2025, what do you think I should prepare for as the youth representative in the HLSC Sherpa Group this year?

Ellen: 

I say this regularly about the Sherpa Group, but while we have some incredible high-level education experts on the HLSC we often need to draw more attention from other sectors to address the global education policy agenda. For example, with the International Conference for Financing Development and the World Summit for Social Development coming up, it will be essential to identify how financing national education systems influences other sectors such as health, construction, innovation. The Sherpa Group will need to be strategic – especially in the utilization of youth and student voice – to gain attention from global actors in the wake of competing issues in social development.

What advice would you give me as the student representative on the Leaders Group this year?

Ilan: 

With all that you have already achieved in your various leadership roles within the #LeadingSDG4 space, I have complete faith and confidence in your representation in the Leaders Group this year. Being proactive, building relationships and advocating for inclusivity are strategies that I know you will already bring to the table. You will do a tremendous job!

Ellen: 

Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your insights with me.  It has been a privilege to work with you too across 2024, and I am very excited to see what you will bring for 2025!  I’m sure it will be great!

Ilan: 

Thank you, Ellen. Off to a new start for 2025!