The 197 Initiative is a global youth-led movement documenting how business and economic systems shape real lives—in real voices. While corporations and policymakers dominate the narrative about "growth" and "progress," we center those who experience these forces daily. Our network of Youth Ambassadors conducts 5-minute interviews in their communities, asking one pivotal question: How does business affect your life and neighborhood? These stories—from street vendors in Casablanca to entrepreneurs in Kyiv—create a living archive of unfiltered economic truth.

We reject the idea that economics belongs in boardrooms or spreadsheets. By equipping young people with recording tools and amplifying their findings, we challenge top-down narratives with grassroots testimony. Our open archive serves as a tool for researchers, journalists, and advocates who believe data should include human voices. This is economic justice, one interview at a time.

The 197 Initiative

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