From 11 to 13 July 2026, more than 100 young leaders from 30 countries came together at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California, for the Earth Charter Youth Summit: Redesigning Tomorrow’s World. The event was convened and organized by Earth Charter International and Soka University of America, under the umbrella of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development and the collaboration of key partner organizations. The gathering brought together alumni of the Earth Charter’s Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics (LSE) course, Soka University students, youth from partner organizations, and special guests from every region of the world.
Three days, one shared purpose: to strengthen the Earth Charter Young Leaders (ECYL) Programme, explore new collaborations and give a new generation the space, the tools, and the community to turn conscience into action. The 69 presentations and workshops offered a special opportunity to share knowledge and experiences, build bridges and collaboration. Participants asked what it means to lead with an ethic of care, considered how different worldviews can enrich a shared sense of planetary responsibility, and reflected on the value of hope, resilience, and courage.
Workshops, panel discussions, and informal conversations explored practical responses to today’s sustainability and climate challenges while inviting participants to reflect on the values that inspire meaningful leadership. Each day was guided by a theme that shaped the learning journey:
Day 1: Planting Seeds of Hope and Action Rooted in Wisdom and Care for Mother Earth
Saturday, 11 July opened with welcoming remarks from Ed Feasel, President of Soka University of America (SUA), and Mirian Vilela, Executive Director of Earth Charter International (ECI), who respectively highlighted the core values that guide SUA’s mission and activities: wisdom, courage, and compassion, and on the important role of youth agency in shaping ECI’s work over the past 26 years. Louie Paul John Epifano Valenzuela Robles and Tukwot Hamalu Momt Naka Gollette of the Acjachemen Nation offered an acknowledgment of the land and traditional songs connecting participants with Mother Earth, ancestors and inner power.
Sam Crowell and Maria Sosa-Segnini then delivered a joint intergenerational opening presentation, “Leading with the Ethics of Care and Responsibility,” exploring the meaning of care through the etymology of the word across different linguistic and cultural traditions. Across the day’s panels and parallel sessions — on climate advocacy, the UN Post-2030 Agenda and transformative futures, experiences using the Earth Charter, and hands-on workshops — participants from across the world were invited to shared what they are doing in diverse contexts and areas of action.
The day concluded with the plenary Panel 2, “Seeing More, Becoming More: The Power of a Wider Perspective.”
Beyond the panel presentations, what defined the first day was a spirit of curiosity, openness, and connection, as young people from diverse regions of the world met one another for the first time and discovered that the distances between them — geographical, cultural, and personal — were far smaller than they had imagined.
Day 2: New Approaches to Education and Fostering Symbiotic Collaboration Across Borders
Day 2 began, fittingly, with music and movement. Panel 3, “Seeing Education with New Eyes,” and Panel 4, “Student Agency in Transforming Universities,” shifted the conversation toward the role of youth agency in transforming educational processes and institutions, exploring how the Earth Charter can be integrated into curricula, schools, and universities. The discussions underscored that meaningful and lasting change is most effective when it is driven through collaboration across generations and disciplines.
The afternoon’s parallel sessions covered climate change and systemic health, sustainability in education settings, sustainability and ethical leadership in business, and an art-based workshop on inner connection with the Earth.
Panel 5, “Collaboration Across Areas, Cultures and Generations,” closed the formal programme for the day, exploring synergies across movements and the importance of intergenerational solidarity.
And then came the evening everyone will remember. After dinner, the entire community gathered at the Black Box Theatre for the Cultural Event, a vibrant showcase of global talent that built toward an unforgettable celebration of music and dance from diverse cultures, with performances from Japan, Estonia, Tahiti, France, China, an Indigenous community from Mexico, Nepal, Dominica, Brazil, and South Korea. Voices in different languages rose together, feet moved to the same rhythm, and for a few unforgettable hours, participants from diverse cultures and countries felt like one big, joyful family.
Day 3: Systems Change, Inner Wellbeing and Transformational Leadership
The Summit closed the way it opened: with spaces for sharing, reflecting, and connecting.
Panel 6, “The Practice of Ethical Leadership with Courage, Resilience and Hope,” explored the qualities and practices required to lead ethically in a world that demands courage, resilience, and commitment from its changemakers.
Panel 7, “The Inner Dimensions of Social Transformation,” turned the focus inward, offering diverse and deeply personal reflections on the importance of inner well-being, resilience, and self-awareness in sustaining the work of changemakers.
The summit came to a close with a World Café session called “Propelling Youth Agency and Collaboration: The Way Forward,” where participants shared insights gained during the conference and ideas of how to move forward, converging on a shared arc from personal to structural — starting with vulnerability, a conversation, or a small daily habit, and imagining it scaling into policy or institutional change.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Chloé Bernardino (France) and Michael Bracken (USA), ECI Council members, who reflected on the qualities embodied in Soka University of America’s mission — Courage, Compassion, and Wisdom — and how closely these values align with the principles of the Earth Charter and youth leadership. Chloé concluded by saying,
“The future belongs to those who believe not only that a better world is possible, but who dare to build it, have the compassion to share it, and the wisdom to sustain it.”
Over three days, more than 100 young people from 30 countries did what the Earth Charter has always asked of us: to embrace the notion of Interdependence and of an Earth Community, to lead with care and ethical responsibility, and to imagine, together, a more just and sustainable future. Redesigning tomorrow’s world, it turns out, starts with a room full of people willing to learn, collaborate, sing, dance, and dream about it side by side.
None of this would have been possible without the people and organizations who believed in bringing young leaders together this way. Earth Charter International extends its heartfelt thanks to our host, Soka University of America, sponsors, partner organizations, speakers, facilitators, volunteers, and every participant whose energy, generosity, and commitment made this gathering such a meaningful and inspiring experience.
Convenors
Sponsors
Partner Organizations
