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Indigenous youth discuss mountain solutions at UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum

23.10.2023

Indigenous youth from mountain regions worldwide convened to exchange insights on opportunities and solutions at a side event held during the United Nations Global Indigenous Youth Forum on 18 October 2023. The side event "Mountain Youth Hub: Elevating Indigenous youth voices for a better mountain future" was facilitated by the Mountain Partnership (MP) to launch the newly established Mountain Youth Hub.

Nikki Santos, MP Goodwill Ambassador and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's Center for Native American Youth, moderated the event and set the scene by highlighting the importance of mountains to Indigenous communities. She said, "Being raised in a mountain community, I understand the cultural significance mountains have for my people. To protect mountains is to conserve biodiversity, to mitigate climate change, to preserve culture, and to ensure a resilient future for mountain communities around the world."

Other speakers included Allison Bozzi, Outreach Expert at the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, and Karem Del Castillo Velazquez, Climate Risk Management Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. They introduced the MP and its work on advancing sustainable mountain development, as well as the goals of the Mountain Youth Hub and youth call to action, which were launched at IPROMO 2023.

Mountain Youth Hub members Marycielo Valdez Sanchez, Alpaca Fibre Transformation and Supply Chain Manager at Illariy Threads for Dreams, and Prerana Lama, Project Associate, Department of Forests and Soil Conservation at the United Nations Development Programme, also took the floor.

Marycielo discussed the challenges faced by youth in Tolconi, a small village in the Peruvian Andes, and how Threads for Dreams is working to improve local alpaca farmers' livelihoods. She emphasized the significance of mountains for water and biodiversity, and the wealth of knowledge held by Indigenous Peoples in mountains.

Prerana underscored the importance of preserving Indigenous Peoples' knowledge for future generations and shared wisdom from her Indigenous community in Nepal, highlighting the interconnectedness between nature and Indigenous Peoples' knowledge. She shared a case study illustrating how Indigenous People's wisdom and expertise is rooted in the spiritual, cultural and religious beliefs of Indigenous Peoples.

The discussion that followed with audience members focused on opportunities and solutions to support youth in mountains and how the Mountain Youth Hub can be part of supporting change. Insights were contributed by Indigenous youth from mountain regions in Belize, Canada, Peru, Nepal, the Russian Federation and the United States of America. Outcomes of the discussion included a call for increased awareness of Indigenous-led mountain networks and the recognition of the disproportionate impact of climate change on Indigenous Peoples in mountains. The importance of digital tools for preserving culture and traditions and the need for more youth-driven initiatives to relearn and safeguard Indigenous Peoples' knowledge were also highlighted. Additionally, there was an emphasis on the significance of aligning economic development with environmental goals.

The discussion concluded by underlining the vital role of Indigenous youth and youth-led initiatives as well as the fundamental role mountains play in sustaining Indigenous communities. These outcomes will be presented to the Mountain Youth Hub, where they will serve as a catalyst to empower and amplify the voices of Indigenous youth in mountain regions.

Photo by RosaLaura Romeo