Building cross-cutting skills and landscapes knowledge for effective youth leadership

Abstract

Conferences and committees the world over are recognizing the
importance of youth
representation. However, youth participation
is still largely limited, particularly in the international arena, to a
‘demand to be heard’. Youth involvement can also often be
tokenistic – where young people are given a voice but no decisionmaking
power. Extensive surveys and interviews were conducted following the GLF showing a significant uptake of practical
skills amongst youth leaders and masterclass participants that helped to maximize their participation in
the GLF. Interviews conducted with senior professionals involved in youth activities at the GLF suggests the
activities helped to foster intergenerational learning. This report offers our experiences, lessons, and suggestions from youth activities at the Lima Global
Landscapes Forum (GLF 2014) as a concrete example of how meaningful participation of youth in conferences
can be realized.
A three-year ‘youth engagement in conferences’ strategy is currently under development, with the aim to
secure long-term funding support in 2015. As part of this, we are exploring the possibility of a 12-month
‘youth in landscapes’ fellowship and mentoring program under the auspices of GLF.