A book celebrating the global South, grassroots organizing and the knowledge of youth
“Il est bon a savoir” (It’s good to know) ― attributed to Joan of Arc, 15th century France
In this era of unprecedented civil unrest and discord, it can be illuminating to step back and explore how the everyday actions of citizens can still ignite breakthroughs, collaboration and foreground institutional change.
We see this happening on the ground in frontline communities dealing with environmental change and/or conflict, as well as in multilateral spaces, facilitated through a climate movement that is global and uniquely youth-led.
Imagery of youth protest in today’s global mediascape provokes a gut reaction. With the support of Dr. Stuart Price and the Media Discourse Centre at De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom, I found it interesting to look to and beyond the street to see how young people are questioning the power dynamics in decision making corridors-whether it be at their school, multilateral conferences or their local community.
Propelled to probe deeper on this theme, for the past few years emerging scholar-practitioner and youth activist Helena Branco and I collaborated on what became “Breaking Barriers to Sustain Youth Participation in and Beyond Brazil” -a co-authored study amplifying youth activists’ perceptions and experiences, including their participation in multilateral conferences such as the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP).
This study and several others coalesced into the earthy, multidisciplinary Global Youth Protest, Climate and Education, a composite of place-based learning, ranging from youth agricultural cooperatives in the West Bank to consultations with rural populations on their concepts of climate and justice throughout Ireland. Research conducted by Dr. Emily Diamond at the Wright Institute of Berkeley, California depicts youth mental health in light of the impacts of natural disaster and climate destabilization.
Dr. Diamond’s evidence-based research not only provides rich data but thoughtful questions and considerations for educators and youth-serving practitioners. Along similar lines, the work of leading social entrepreneurs Jamil Wyne and Roshan Paul makes a compelling case for investing in climate responsive livelihoods, so that young people are equipped with the critical thinking skills necessary to access meaningful employment and be part of solutions to address global polycrisis and conflict.
We were mindful that youth activists often feel tokenized at events, seen, photographed, but not necessarily heard. It was vital that young people were active, informed and informing, co-designing our research process from concept to completion.
Some of the feedback from our Breaking Barriers case study in Brazil was harsh and crucial: often, invitations to high-profile events were a disjointed experience, excluding those with fewer social media followers, lack of funds and a limited ability to travel for conferences- which is the case for many young people.
These insights are being taken seriously among many youth-serving practitioners. These difficult conversations across sectors are incrementally inspiring real change in multilateral agencies, schools and organizations-which frames the arc of Global Youth Protest, Climate and Education, published by Routledge in the summer of 2025.
One such innovation is the Leading Minds fellowship initiated by UNICEF. Rather than a one-day or weeklong conference, this six-month fellowship provides skills development, a financial stipend, and robust support for navigating policymaking, advocacy, and financing to empower local impact and global relevance. Another is Students for Sustainability (SOS UK), a youth-led entity that is driving forward original research, curricula transformation and intergenerational exchange.
Another is La Escuela Viva de la Amazonía (EVA) or Living School, an impactful learning experience designed to protect the rainforest, safeguard Indigenous knowledge and empower the region’s youth with the skills, training and mentorship needed to be future leaders of the Amazon. The chapter “Defenders of the Rainforest: Building the Living School of the Amazon” co-authored by María Loida Andi López, Steven Carlson, Diana Chavez, Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai and Arianna Schindle charts the bold origins of EVA’s values-driven curriculum and how a school in the forest co-created by the community’s Indigenous elders and youth takes root.
As the school grows and finds global support, its very existence challenges us to think and act outside the box on activating and sustaining youth participation, community engagement and transformative, place-based pedagogy. Leading Minds, SOS-UK and EVA are all fascinating, iterative approaches that help us create new spaces for cross-sector, intergenerational collaborations across ideological and regional boundaries.
These “living schools” light up a new path that keeps us, in the words of contributor Fie Neo, “in search of hope.”
