RDY

A Global Youth-Led Initiative, Responsible Digital Youth Advisory Council and World-Scale Action

Responsible Digital for Youth

For Them, By Them. Their world, their future. Their right to lead.

Young people have the right to decide their own digital world.

Convened by the Global ESG Leadership Organization (ESGIN), RDY is registered under the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance–AI Dialogue Partnerships Hub and linked to the UN Doha Solutions Platform for Social Development. In 2026, RDY was selected to host a Digital@UNGA Affiliate Session during UN General Assembly High-Level Week, and was invited to Google's New York campus.

12–24Age range, led by youth
20,000+Young people in the 2027 Global Action
2027Guinness World Records attempt
2028First cohort enters the boardroom

Why RDY

Adults design the systems. Young people live with the consequences.

RDY is a global initiative led by young people aged 12–24.

Every young person deserves a digital world that respects their rights, protects their wellbeing and lets them thrive. Yet algorithms dictate what they see, cyberbullying and harmful content erode their mental health, and their data is harvested without their knowledge. Adults design and govern these systems; young people bear the consequences, with no say.

AI accountability, digital governance and youth participation are widely debated. But most youth programs stop at digital literacy or token consultation.

What Makes RDY Different

Beyond digital literacy.

RDY equips young people to govern and brings them into corporate boardrooms, where their voices inform decisions and drive substantive change.

Most initiatives
RDY
Digital literacy
Youth self-governance
Classroom teaching
Real-world practice
Token consultation
Board-level participation
Young people as audience
Young people as decision-makers

Youth self-governance

RDY builds governance capability step by step, from understanding and judgment to decision-making, negotiation and communication. Not classroom theory, but real-world practice.

Enter the boardroom. Make real change.

ESGIN is the only organization worldwide that empowers young people to enter corporate boards and the governing councils of international organizations, driving digital reform as decision-makers.

Why ESGIN

Social and governance sit at the heart of ESG.

Many ESGIN advisors sit on corporate boards or have long led on these issues. They open the boardroom to young people, not just the public gallery.

ESG asks how institutions should act responsibly.

RDY asserts: young people have the right to decide their own digital world.

How RDY Works

Three Components

01

Responsible Digital Youth Advisory Council

The youth governing body that sets priorities, adopts shared positions and directs the initiative.

 02

The RDY Initiative

Council-led learning, research, AI simulations, mentorship and peer responsibility circles that build youth capacity and drive youth-led change.

 03

2027 Global Action

At least 20,000 young people in a global responsible digital action, pursuing a Guinness World Records title.

Component 1

Responsible Digital Youth Advisory Council

The youth governing body that sets priorities, adopts shared positions and directs the initiative. Where young people learn to govern, on their way into the boardroom.

Learn & Research→Set the Agenda→Decide Together→Govern in Practice→Enter the Boardroom

  1. Set the agenda

    Young people learn to use AI and digital technology responsibly, then research issues, exercise judgment and agency, and set RDY's annual agenda.

  2. Decide together

    Through the age-appropriate, asynchronous Global Youth Digital Governance Assembly, young people worldwide deliberate and vote on the annual Global Youth Digital Compact:

    • Youth Priorities: what must change.
    • Youth Principles: what digital systems must uphold.
    • Youth Recommendations: what businesses, platforms, governments and schools must do.

  3. Govern in practice

    Negotiation, public speaking, boardroom practice and policy literacy, learned by doing.

  4. Enter the boardroom

    ESGIN advisors introduce and accompany young people as they carry the Compact into corporate boards, international governing councils and policy bodies.

Adults do not decide for young people. They:

Open doorsto boardrooms and decision-making spaces.
Accompanythrough the Global Mentorship Network and High-Level Expert Consultative Group.
Protectwith safeguarding and professional support.
Hold institutions to accountfor substantive responses to youth decisions and proposals.

Children aged 8–12 join in age-appropriate ways: education, mentor support and Insight Survey Groups.

Component 2

The RDY Initiative: Five Pillars

Council-led learning, research, AI simulations, mentorship and peer responsibility circles. Grounded in rights, wellbeing, equity, inclusion and meaningful youth participation.

Digital Understanding

AI and algorithms, media and information literacy, privacy and safety, platform impacts on rights.

AI Learning Simulator + MentorsReal-world scenarios to understand systems and recognize healthy digital environments.

Mental Health, Digital Wellbeing and Responsibility

Bullying, harassment, harmful content, social comparison; emotional intelligence, resilience, empathy, help-seeking.

Mentors + Peer Responsibility CirclesSelf-care, peer support and professional help when needed.

Most organizations and schools stop here. RDY goes further.

Youth Voice, Equitable Participation and Agenda-Setting

The right to be heard, diverse representation, gender equality, digital inclusion.

Peer Responsibility Circles + CouncilTurning lived experience into shared priorities.

Youth-Led Design and Action

Rights-based, safe and inclusive design; responsible AI; school and community solutions.

Youth Action Projects + AI Simulator + Expert MentorsYoung people define problems, lead design, test and refine.

Youth Decision-Making, Institutional Accountability and Global Impact

AI governance, digital policy, corporate responsibility, institutional accountability.

Council + Global Assembly + Global Youth Digital Compact + 2027 Global Action

Shared principles: the best interests of the child, non-discrimination, respect for evolving capacities, and leaving no one behind. Safe, accessible and supportive participation underpins every pillar.

Component 3 · 2027

The World's Largest Responsible Digital Action for Youth

RDY is a global youth movement. The 2027 Global Action is where it becomes too big to ignore.

Faster. Louder. Too Big to Ignore.

AI is reshaping how young people learn, connect and build their futures, faster than regulation can keep pace. Young people cannot wait. RDY must move faster, and their voices must be too loud to ignore.

In 2027, RDY will bring together at least 20,000 young people online, free of charge, to complete three tasks in the same window:

LearnA learning mission on responsible AI and digital technology.
ResearchA survey of their local digital experience.
DecideA vote on the Global Youth Digital Compact.

Every participant is a learner, a researcher and a decision-maker.

20,000+young people · 2027

Together, they will deliver the world's largest responsible digital action for youth and achieve a Guinness World Records title.

From voice to change

The record is not the finish line but the starting point: proof that over 20,000 young voices stand behind the Compact.

  1. Launch

    Present the Compact at international forums, including the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

  2. Negotiate

    Use the record's scale to bring major tech companies, the UN and institutions to treat young people as equal partners: to listen, engage and respond.

  3. Respond in writing

    Invite tech companies to answer the Compact in writing by a set deadline, and publicly track every commitment.

  4. Drive change together

    Advance change with institutions and hold them accountable for delivery.

Potential partners

MobilizationGlobal youth and education networks, such as Junior Achievement (JA), AIESEC, the World Organization of the Scout Movement, TakingITGlobal and Teach For All.
International stageUN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, UNICEF, ITU.
Bridge to techCorporate directors in ESGIN's network, and industry bodies such as the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI).
Platforms and researchEdTech platforms; universities and research institutions to analyze survey data.
FundingFoundations focused on digital rights, youth and mental health.

Impact

Impact and Long-Term Change

Youth Capacity → Collective Action → Institutional Change → Systemic Change

For young peopleStronger understanding, judgment, decision-making, negotiation and communication, and greater resilience.
For companies and institutionsFrom 2028, young people join corporate boards as observers or to present proposals; institutions adopt youth proposals and deliver on commitments.
For societyHealthier, safer, more inclusive digital environments, less digital harm, and restored public trust.

Trust grows when young people exercise real authority and institutions respond with visible action. Youth leadership to drive systemic change.

People

Management Team and Potential Advisors

Management Team

MemberBackgroundResponsibility
Chienie TsaiFounder & Managing Director, ESGINFormer APAC Vice President at global listed companies; serial entrepreneur.Founder; overall strategy
Olivier LazarGlobal Chief, FIH, RDY and EEAFormer President, PMI Switzerland; Board Member, JA Europe.Execution and partnerships
Jack HuangUnited Nations ITUSenior Consultant for Asia, ITU; Co-founder, Global SDGs Alliance.Digital governance; international stage
Go MukaiTrusteePresident & CEO, GFIR; former World Bank.Governance and oversight
Sherwin LohTrusteeFounder & CEO, The VAST Initiative; former Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan.Governance and oversight

Potential Advisors

ESGIN's 400+ senior advisors include many corporate directors and sector leaders. Once RDY launches, ESGIN can mobilize 1,000+ experts and leaders to make youth voices heard.

AdvisorBackgroundRole in RDY
Terry ThorntonHonorary President (Education), ESGINMSCI executive; built ESG education platforms at MSCI, Moody's, CFA and UN PRI.AI and digital learning
Jennifer TurliukExecutive Fellow, Harvard Business School; Lecturer, MIT Sloan; Co-founder, MakerKids.AI governance and ethics; youth tech education
Robert D.F. ThomasFormer Head of Legal and Compliance, Apple.Legal; bridge to tech
Monica SandersAdjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown University.Legal; AI governance
Sherman KongDigital governance strategist; Editorial Subcommittee Lead, Data for Policy.Digital governance and global policy
Long NguyenFounder, TruthInTech.Youth-led responsible technology
Emmalyn GreenDirector of Learning Design, JA Worldwide.AI education; educator development

Roadmap

Implementation Roadmap

NOW – JAN 2027

Fundraising and Preparation

  • Secure seed funding from corporate directors in ESGIN's network and foundations focused on digital rights and youth.
  • Form a Preparatory Committee of 3–5 advisors to lead planning and set up safeguarding and compliance.
  • Confirm first mobilization partners, starting with existing partners such as JA.

FEB – MAY 2027

Launch and Pilot

  • Launch the agenda: set the first-year agenda and timeline; launch the initiative.
  • Form the Founding Youth Council of 15–30 members, starting with youth who have joined RDY events.
  • Pilot online: test "learn, research, vote" with the founding council and partner youth; refine, then scale.

FROM JUN 2027

Global Action

  • Apply for the Guinness World Records title with a target of at least 20,000 young people; confirm the record category and verification; complete mobilization planning.
  • Run the global action: young people worldwide learn, research and vote to complete the Compact.
  • Launch and respond: present the Compact internationally and invite written responses from tech companies.

2028

Into the Boardroom

  • Match companies: from late 2027, corporate directors in ESGIN's network introduce companies willing to host young people.
  • First cohort enters the boardroom: young people attend board meetings as observers or present Compact-related proposals. Those 18 and over may serve as observers; those under 18 present proposals, accompanied by adults.

Budget

Budget Estimate

Each phase is budgeted separately and begins once funded. Estimates, subject to quotations.

Phase 1 · Fundraising and PreparationProject coordination, advisor fees, legal and safeguarding frameworks
USD 40,000
Phase 2 · Launch and PilotProject coordination, advisor fees, toolkit and learning content, online platform, recorded and live sessions, community operations
USD 70,000
Phase 3 · 2027 Global ActionProject team, advisor fees, action platform, Guinness World Records application and verification, mobilization, research, communications, international launch
USD 250,000
Phase 4 · Into the BoardroomProject coordination, company matching, agreements and compliance, boardroom training, mentoring, youth travel
USD 190,000
Total
≈ USD 550,000

Youth Council membership: USD 85 per member per year, covering the toolkit, recorded and live sessions, and community operations. Approx. 500 members in year one.

USD 42,500

Partner with RDY

Income and Partnership Options

Founding Corporate Supporters

FROM USD 10,000

Founding Partner

Public recognition as a Founding Partner; impact reports.

FROM USD 25,000

Action Partner

Named in the 2027 Global Action and Guinness World Records attempt.

FROM USD 50,000

Principal Partner

Named across all phases; invited to the Compact's international launch.

Other income

  • Sponsored membershipsCompanies cover the USD 85 fee for youth facing financial hardship, so cost is never a barrier.
  • Boardroom Pioneer CompaniesHost companies contribute USD 5,000–10,000 each toward matching, training and mentoring.
  • Foundation and institutional grantsFor the 2027 Global Action.
  • School packagesBulk memberships for toolkit and live-session access.
  • Annual Youth Digital ReportTitle sponsorship of a report based on global youth survey findings.
  • Donations and crowdfundingAround the Guinness World Records action: "Give USD 85, bring one young person in."

Sponsorship never influences young people's decisions or the content of the Compact and reports.