Youth Catalyzing Youth: Youth-Led Spaces for Environmental Peacebuilding

Theme Icon - Conservation, Conflict, and Cooperation Theme Icon - Law, Power, and Decolonization Theme Icon - Open Theme Icon - Reimagining Environmental Peacebuilding

Date & Time
Jun 19, 2026 | 9.00 - 10.30

Participants
Sudha Kottillil, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (India)
Emmanuel Sindikubwabo, We Do GREEN Organization (Rwanda)
Karishma Goswami, Environmental Law Institute and Environmental Peacebuilding Association (United States)
Alan Valdes, EcoMaxei (Mexico)
Shruthi Kottillil, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL) (India)

This panel brings together three youth-led initiatives—local, regional, and global—that are transforming environmental peacebuilding through collective care & intergenerational collaboration. From Mexico’s Environmental Citizenship Training (ECA), to the Latin American ENJUVES process, to GYBN’s global work on conflict-sensitive conservation, each experience shows how youth are coordinating among themselves while building trusted alliances with older generations. These spaces were intentionally designed to foster resilience, connection, and accompaniment—especially for those navigating complex socio-ecological conflicts. They respond to the emotional and political weight of defending their territories and biodiversity, ensuring young people feel accompanied and supported, not alone. The panel will share tools, lessons, and strategies that empower youth to navigate conflict, protect their territories, and embed peacebuilding into environmental governance. Together, these stories affirm that youth-led spaces are not just responses—they are transformative infrastructures for justice and hope. Speakers: Alan Valdés - ECA Coordinator, EcoMaxei; TBC, coordinator - Youth for Escazu Meeting (ENJUVES); TBC, conflict-sensitivity WG - Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)

Environmental Citizenship Training: An Opportunity for Youth Facing Socio-ecological Conflicts in Mexico

Alan Valdes, EcoMaxei (Mexico)

Living in Harmony with Nature: Youth as Catalysts for Peace and Resilience

Shruthi Kottillil, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (India)

Youth-Led Environmental Peacebuilding: Reflections from Organization of the Path to Ottawa and the Fourth Conference

Karishma Goswami, Environmental Law Institute (United States)

From Action to Lasting Peace: Reimagining Equity in Peace through Youth-Led Green and Circular Innovations in East Africa

Emmauel Sindikubwabo, We Do Green (Rwanda)