Seizing the Moment: Leveraging Gen-Z Political Power

Matthew Cebul is the Lead Research Fellow for the Ash Center’s Nonviolent Action Lab, where he conducts applied research on the dynamics of contemporary nonviolent protest movements, especially in eroding democracies.
Matthew’s broader research interests include authoritarian politics, US support for pro-democracy movements abroad, US coercive diplomacy, and US foreign policy in the Middle East. His scholarly work has appeared in peer-reviewed and policy outlets, including the Journal of Politics, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Comparative Political Studies, the Journal of Global Security Studies, World Politics Review, The Washington Post, and the US Institute of Peace.
Before joining the Ash Center, Matthew was the lead researcher for the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Program on Nonviolent Action. He received his MA and PhD in political science from Yale University and holds a BA in political science from Haverford College.

Meg Muchoki is a communications and civic engagement leader working at the intersection of youth governance, gender justice, and democracy innovation across Kenya and the wider Pan-African region. She has extensive experience supporting multi-stakeholder coalitions, policy dialogues, and youth-led reform processes, with a specialization in strategic communications, coalition-building, and public narrative design. Meg currently leads communications at the Feminists for Peace, Rights and Justice Centre (FPRJC). She has collaborated with UN agencies, regional democracy networks, and civil society coalitions to elevate youth voices, strengthen democratic accountability, and promote inclusive policymaking. Grounded in principles of human-centered governance rooted in Utu, Meg is committed to ensuring that young people—particularly young women—are meaningfully engaged in shaping national and regional decision-making spaces.

Zamil is a youth human rights advocate from Bangladesh with over a decade of experience working across grassroots, national, and global levels on advocacy, peacebuilding, and disarmament. He began his activism at the age of 14, campaigning for child and girls’ rights, and later went on to lead one of Bangladesh’s largest child-led organizations. Over time, his work expanded from community-based action to influencing national policy processes. Currently, Zamil serves as Organizing Secretary of Youth Engagement for Sustainability (YES) Bangladesh, where he leads nationwide campaigns on youth democratic participation and accountability. He has also served as a Youth Adviser to UN Human Rights, contributing to the Youth Declaration on Human Rights, and as a UN Youth Champion for Disarmament with UNODA, connecting youth perspectives to the global Youth, Peace and Security agenda.

Daryna Onyshko is a YDN Founder & Manager, she is building a global Youth Democracy Network of politicians and active citizens. An experienced international speaker, Daryna is the former President of the European Democracy Youth Network, a coalition of over 700 members from 23 countries across Central and Eastern Europe. A vocal advocate for Ukraine, Daryna frequently speaks on the importance of Western support for the resilience of liberal democracy and European stability. She has been recognized by NATO as one of the top 20 women combatting disinformation and has been named an emerging leader by GLOBSEC, the Warsaw Security Forum, and the OSCE. She is also a former fellow at the U.S. think-tank CEPA and an alumna of the European Academy of Diplomacy.

Rachel E. Mims is an inclusion specialist with expertise spanning global development, citizen participation, and youth inclusion. Rachel is currently a Program Director in the Democracy and Innovation Lab at the National Democratic Institute (NDI). In this role, she supports the design and implementation of international programs to make democracy more inclusive, accessible, and participatory. This work includes facilitating Institute-wide learning, resource development, and training for staff and partners. Rachel has a background in social work with a focus on community development and social action. Her most recent work focuses on democracy narratives, participatory democracy, LGBTQI+ inclusion, and cultivating the next generation of civic leaders.