Maria Sosa-Segnini Facilitator and Youth Coordinator at Earth Charter International
We are excited to share that the February 2026 edition of the Leadership, Sustainability & Ethics (LSE) online course has just concluded. This cohort brought together over fifty young participants from fifteen countries across four continents, creating a global space for dialogue, reflection, and action rooted in the principles of the Earth Charter.
Participants joined from China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Kenya, South Korea, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, the United States, Zambia and more, each bringing the richness of their own cultural and professional backgrounds into the conversation. The diversity of the group made every session dynamic and full of perspective, the kind of exchange that only happens when people from different contexts meet around shared values.
Throughout the ten weeks of the course, participants explored ethical leadership, sustainability frameworks, and systems thinking, while connecting the Earth Charter’s principles to the realities of their own communities. One of the most memorable threads of this edition was an invitation for each participant to connect sustainability to an artistic or cultural reference from their own tradition. Poetry, music, painting, film, and craft all found their way into our sessions, reminding us that the values at the heart of the Earth Charter have always lived in the stories and creative expressions of cultures around the world.
The course also featured the development of individual final projects, where participants applied what they had learned to issues they genuinely care about. Topics ranged from ethical artificial intelligence in the aviation sector to sustainability and film and food waste management, reflecting both the breadth of the cohort and the depth of their engagement with the material.
“The Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics Course is a crucial programme for education leaders in today’s world. Modern education must intentionally embrace sustainability as a central concept of learning. Education should not exist in isolation from the realities facing society. It must remain relevant to the pressing challenges of our time and climate action is undoubtedly one of them.”
Daniel Mwendwa Katula, Kenya
The Earth Charter Education Center celebrates the dedication and creativity of this cohort and looks forward to seeing their projects and ideas grow beyond the course. Co-facilitated by Nnaemeka Phil Eke Okocha from Nigeria, this edition was a reminder of why the LSE course continues to be one of the most meaningful expressions of the Earth Charter’s commitment to youth. When young people from across the world come together around these values, something beautiful happens.
Our next edition will take place in September 2026, and we cannot wait to welcome a new group of passionate young participants.
