Anti-rights actors have long understood that young people are key to consolidating power. For decades, conservative movements have invested in young people to advance their political agendas—particularly against sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and LGBTQI+ rights. These efforts have produced new generations of politically engaged, well-networked youth leaders who are today responsible for driving much of the anti-rights movement, from the national to the global level.

Conservative youth networks, and the powerbrokers who support them, are a sophisticated, coordinated force intent on future-proofing the anti-rights movement and shaping social and political landscapes with damaging ramifications for human rights and democratic frameworks.

To effectively counter this formidable block of anti-rights youth movements, progressive actors must not only understand this long-term strategy built by conservative and regressive movements but how it continues to evolve and broaden influence and appeal among young people. The report, Future-Proofing: The Professionalization of an Anti-Rights Youth Generation, examines the recruitment, funding, coordination, and mobilization of young people within anti-rights movements.