This paper examines youth social mobilization amid the polarized culture war affecting perceptions of young people's lives and abilities. Discussions about youth engagement often focus on the more "radical" individuals who participate in dramatic protests, leaving less attention on the quieter forms of participation exhibited by moderate youth and their strategic approaches. Drawing on a cultural-political analysis of youth engagement in Hong Kong over the past 15 years, along with ethnographic interviews from a civic leadership program conducted post-COVID, we explore the discursive conditions that foster a youth-driven "care commons." We argue that this care commons emerges from moderate youth's involvement in local and transnational causes, oscillating between a liberal consciousness and a discourse of "conscience awakening." This connection cultivates a change-maker mentality among youth, coupled with a moral conscience seeking redemption. We suggest that such a framework promotes a practice of care through "restorative commoning", which encompasses collective actions centered on recovery, healing, and social stability. By investigating this interplay between consciousness and conscience, we aim to enhance our understanding of moderate youth's political identities and the leadership they can provide.

Authors:
John Nguyet Erni, The Education University of Hong Kong, China

About the Presenter(s)
John Nguyet Erni is Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Chair Professor of Cultural Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong.

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