239 The Eco Youth Encounter

What is an Eco Youth Encounter?

The "Eco Youth Encounter" is a monthly webinar series designed for youth aged 13 to 25 who are passionate about environmental sustainability and climate action. The Laudato Si’ Movement and the Don Bosco Green Alliance have partnered to launch this initiative. Through this initiative, young people can connect with like-minded peers, gain valuable insights into environmental issues, and develop the skills and knowledge needed to effect positive change in their communities and beyond.

About the first session

The first session was conducted on Saturday, 26 August, 2023 for the youth of Asia and Oceania. In this encounter, the focus was on biodiversity conservation and creation care and the participants got to know some youth who are engaged in biodiversity conservation, both at the local and global level. There were a total of five speakers on the panel who addressed the forum namely Mark Raquino from Philippines who is the Coordinator of Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), South East Asia, Irvan Prasetio from Indonesia who is also from GYBN and also a project officer for the Sumatran Tiger Conservation, Leann D’Souza from India - Executive Secretary of the Don Bosco Green Alliance, Isaura Baptista Barros from Timor Leste - Co-founder and National Coordinator of the Laudato Si’ Movement Timor Leste and also a fellow of the YSEALI(Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative) and lastly, Antony Judy from India who is the founder of Green India and also the President of The Indian Catholic Youth Movement. A round of questions was presented before the panel of speakers and each speaker was given an opportunity to answer the questions turn by turn.

The speakers shared what got them involved in taking care of the environment, giving a brief overview of their journey and what motivates them to be dedicated to this cause. Later on, Antony Judy spoke on "embracing nature's call" and how young people relate to this call from creation. Leann D'Souza gave a gist about her experience at World Youth Day 2023 and how it influenced her perspective on environmental stewardship.Isaura shared some inspiring stories of young people in Timor Leste who are actively engaged in environmental advocacy while Mark highlighted the mission and objectives of the GYBN and how it empowers and engages young people in biodiversity conservation efforts worldwide. Irvan spoke on what he thinks about how young people can effectively advocate for biodiversity conservation and influence policy decisions.At the end of the session, all the panelists gave a message for young individuals who are eager to take meaningful action in areas they are passionate about.

Come join us and spread the word!

Participants came together from different countries of Asia Oceania namely Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, India and Timor Leste.

Going forward, the next youth encounter will be in November 2023. To know more about the Eco Youth Encounter, write to us at alliance@donboscogreen.org