The solidarity in the rooms inspired the eighteen technical sessions, three plenary discussions, and preparatory events in Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka. Youth representatives from Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the United States, Kenya, Sudan, and South Africa shared experiences of how documentation and archives were used in transitional justice as tools of memorialization, accountability, reform, reparations, and truth-seeking. Listening to them, we were reminded that documenting is not just about recording history but about shaping it to bring about lasting societal transformation.

Across South and Southeast Asia, collective documentation has contributed to diversifying perspectives, honoring memory, and catalyzing dialogue by helping communities confront painful truths together. Activate Rights encouraged deeper collaboration across youth organizations in the region through collective archiving projects. The more diverse the perspectives within archives, the stronger their value and their potential to provide space for all. Solidarity among youth groups and reinforced collaboration help reclaim civic space in transitional reform processes.

We concluded the intense discussions with hope and a shared commitment: to learn from the past in order to build a more just future. The resilience, capacity, and resolve of Bangladesh’s youth inspire confidence that their dreams for a new, kinder, and more just society will prevail.