Youth Catalyzing Youth: Youth-Led Spaces for Environmental Peacebuilding

Date & Time
Jun 19, 2026 | 9.00 - 10.30

Location
CRX 230

Participants
Chair: Sudha Kottillil, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (India)
Alan Valdes, EcoMaxei (Mexico)
Shruthi Kottillil, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL) (India)
Karishma Goswami, Environmental Law Institute and Environmental Peacebuilding Association (United States); Natalija Vojno, Our Living Waters / Our Shared Futures (Canada)
Breck Flangan-Caldwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States)

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.

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

Alan Valdes, Centro de Colaboracion Civica and 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)

Collaborative Visions of the Future: Conflict-Sensitive Lessons from the Balkan Youth Environmental Assembly and the Water Youth Network

Natalija Vojno, Our Living Waters / Our Shared Futures (Canada)

Water, Youth, and Environmental Peacebuilding: A Diplomacy Perspective

Breck Flangan-Caldwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States)