A youth-led policy initiative to understand and advance youth perspectives on justice, equity, rights, and relationship with nature

The Young Professionals group, organized under the IUCN-CEESP Theme on Governance, Equity, and Rights (TGER), has been working on a youth-focused policy initiative. The young professionals hail from different countries from across the globe and bring unique perspectives, lived experiences, and stories on our relationship with nature and the environment. The initiative centers youth voices and stories and focuses on movement and place-making across different geographies. The initiative seeks to understand youth perspectives on the environment, equity, rights and marginalization by following stories and exploring positionalities of young people in the work we (choose to) do.

Through creative and flexible ways (like art, poetry, visuals, maps), the project aims to provide a platform for young professionals to document and record our environmental and conservation journeys. The project will connect stories and perspectives from the places we come from, the places we ended up in, and places we chose to work in. It will explore our relationships with our variously diverse environments and hopes and dreams for each place we have lived and worked in. 

Showcasing and centering these stories and journeys will help amplify the issues that young professionals in conservation fields face. It's important not only to recognize and document the perspectives of young people but also to actively identify and (potentially) address our specific needs; some that came up upon initial discussions include financial support, legal guidance, access to technology, allies, and more. For young leaders whose voices are often marginalized, tangible and long-term resources are needed that go beyond token recognition and representation.

Learn more about youth representation at IUCN: https://iucn.org/our-union/expert-commissions/youth-engagement-iucn