When young people from different cultures, different kinds of activism, and vastly different backgrounds with a common commitment for the future of our world meet, connect, and speak out, the result is nothing short of miraculous. The youth movement for global environmental justice needs leaders that are empowered, confident and healthy. Many of today s young activists are over-worked and carry a great burden of responsibility for some pretty overwhelming global problems. Their stress often leads to compromised effectiveness and burn-out. Additionally, there is a serious lack of communication between youth activist groups.
Some groups even find themselves in competition with each other.
The potential for an effective unified response is severely compromised. In a global village, we can no longer be reconciled to work in isolation. We need to bring together what s working in each of our own local areas of the world and share them with each other. We need leaders without borders who are committed to working powerfully within their own arenas and yet who have a clear understanding of and connection to the global context in which we live. These events are uniquely designed to empower youth who are in positions of influence and leadership throughout the world.