At the end of this month, in just a couple of days, I will lose my job. Not because we're restructuring, shutting down or due to terrible performance, but because this March, I will turn 27 and be too old to work at Oaktree.
When I left university, I didn't expect to be aged out of a role quite so soon.
My time as Oaktree's CEO has been transformative, inspiring, challenging and rewarding. I have worked alongside an incredible team of young leaders who have a vision for a world where justice reigns, and they are prepared to sacrifice much in order to get there. I am consistently amazed by the capacity of young people to change the world, and being in this environment day-to-day is something I will really miss.
A lot has happened at Oaktree in the last two years. We've worked alongside our youth partners in Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, Cambodia, India and Myanmar, learning from young leaders shaping the future of their country through youth leadership and advocacy.
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In Cambodia, we've seen our partners' education initiatives scale from three schools to national education reform - with the potential for greater access to a high quality education for a generation of young Cambodians.
In Australia, we've fought hard for a more generous aid budget and while we are now seeing small monetary increases in aid, our Government's contribution on our behalf is still at an all time low (in percentage terms).
Outside the Oaktree bubble, there have been setbacks. Over the last couple of months, domestically and internationally, populist nationalism and fear of "the other" has been on the rise, along with the protective mind-set that grows from anxiety that the world is getting worse, not better. These themes lead us away from the world we want to see. They stifle innovation, generosity, and the pursuit for equality.
Despite this, there are signs of hope. Young people are challenging the stereotype of narcissistic self-centredness with bold, selfless leadership. I have been consistently inspired by young Papua New Guinean women courageously holding corrupt systems and leaders to account, Myanmar youth playing key civil society roles in an emerging democracy, and young Cambodians leading powerful and effective campaigns to strengthen their government by tackling corruption.
Australia currently ranks number two on the Human Development Index, an index that measures the standard of living and opportunities someone has available to them based on their country of birth. Our closest neighbours, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, rank 158 and 133 respectively. Cambodia comes in at 143, Myanmar at 148 and Solomon Islands at 156.
In each of these neighbouring countries, young people make up the majority of the population. In PNG, over 50 per cent of the population are under 25. In Timor, over 60 per cent are under 27. This generation presents some of the greatest threats and opportunities to Australia's foreign policy. A threat because high levels of unemployment and poverty in a particular demographic can be a recipe for unrest and instability. An opportunity because harnessing this generation, with their access to technology, connectedness and desire for change could see a region transformed, with rapid human development and life-changing poverty alleviation.
We must invest in the next generation of change makers. Young people who will lead us towards a world where decision makers prioritise the vulnerable and invest in the implementation of bold ideas that improve lives. To fully leverage this, those of us with power and influence must work to create space for young people - less experienced, but no less passionate.
After spending the last two years in a youth-led organisation, I have seen the power of young people create change first-hand. In being aged out of Oaktree, space is created so that the next generation of changemakers can be invested in, developed, and achieve greater things than they thought were possible.
Chris Wallace is the outgoing CEO of Oaktree.
