Gen Z: Nepal and Beyond

In this episode, we’re looking at Nepal’s Gen Z movement, which came to international prominence in September 2025 after the government blocked 26 social-media platforms. What began as a protest over digital freedom quickly became a broader revolt against corruption, nepotism, political impunity, unemployment, and established parties' failure to respond to the pressures facing younger Nepalis. Having grown up navigating politics through digital spaces, young people largely organised the protests via messaging app and social media platforms, using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to stay connected and organize, but the movement was driven by much more than social media. Anger had been building over economic insecurity, inequality and the conspicuous wealth of politically connected families, captured in “Nepo Kids” memes and posts. When security forces responded violently to the demonstrations, the unrest escalated, the government lost control, and Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigned. It took less than 48 hours from the start of the street protests to the prime minister's resignation. In the first half, I’m joined by Janak Pokhrel, an activist from Nepal, to explore what happened beyond the headlines: how the movement organised, what role digital platforms played, why the protests became so powerful, and what happened when a largely decentralised youth movement suddenly found itself facing questions of political power. We’ll also discuss what the movement achieved, what remains unresolved, and what activists elsewhere might learn from Nepal’s experience. In the second half of the episode, I am joined by Teresa Jopson, a political anthropologist and researcher at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute, who studies gender, human rights, and social movements in conflict, peacebuilding, migration, and populist projects in Southeast Asia. We talk about the wider trends in and drivers of the Gen Z movements in various countries, and try and pull out some common lessons. Sign up or leave comments at https://www.100campaigns.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.