GIYSCC Participation History (2023-2024)
GIYSCC 2024

Watch the recorded virtual dialogue by, for, and among Indigenous youth with global inclusion.
For any questions about GIYSCC 2024, contact your regional Indigenous Youth Leader below.
The second Global Indigenous Youth Summit on Climate Change (GIYSCC) was held 9 August 2024, circling the Earth with the Sun across three 8-hour time zones in 24 hours (00:00 GMT – 24:00 GMT) on the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, hosted by Future Earth with Science Diplomacy Center™ coordination.
This global dialogue built on GIYSCC-2023 that was hosted by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) with 1300+ registrants from 112+ nations across 88+ languages and partners globally, including a legacy contribution with the invited Nature Commentary that Indigenous Youth Must Be at the Forefront of Climate Diplomacy. An emphasis with GIYSCC-2024 is on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Indigenous Youth Leaders

Stephanie Guarachi
Bolivia

Prarthona Datta
Canada

Prokriti Datta
Canada

F. Dermmillah Obare
Kenya

Dr. Godwin Anywar
Uganda

Sushma Shrestha
Nepal
Asia Co-Leads
- Wan Faizah Che Din, Amanah Lestari Alam – Malaysia Development Bank (BPMB), Malaysia; wan.faizah@bpmb.com.my
- Dr. Pfokrelo Kapesa, University of Allahabad, India; pfokrelokapesa@gmail.com
- Dr. Himangana Gupta, United Nations University – Institute of Advance Studies; gupta@unu.edu
- Shaq Koyok, Malaysia; shaqkoyok@gmail.com
- Seira Duncan, International Arctic Science Committee; University of Eastern Finland; s.duncan_@hotmail.com;
- Sushma Shrestha, Beyond Beijing Committee Nepal; sushmashrestha@beyondbeijing.org
- Faris Bin Ridzuan, National University of Singapore; faris.ridzuan@gmail.com
- Muhammad Rauf, The Green FUture, Indonesia; muhammad.rauf498@gmail.com
Arctic Co-Lead
- Seira Duncan, International Arctic Science Committee; University of Eastern Finland; s.duncan_@hotmail.com;
Middle East Lead
- Dr. Ehsan Khalefa, School of the Environment, Geography & Geoscience , University of Portsmouth; ehsan.khalefa@port.ac.uk
Africa Co-Leads
- Dr. Devina Lobine, Global Young Academy (GYA), JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research – Mauritius; devina.lobine@gmail.com
- Dr. Temitope O. Sogbanmu, Evidence Use in Environmental Policymaking in Nigeria (EUEPiN), University of Lagos (UNILAG) & Nigerian Young Academy (NYA); tsogbanmu@unilag.edu.ng
- Thashree Marimuthu, Wits University and Global Young Academy
Eastern Africa Co-Leads
- F. Dermmillah Obare, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS); University of Massachusetts Boston, Staff; Doctoral Student; fridah.obare001@umb.edu
- Yuv Sungkur, UNICEF; y.sungkur17@gmail.com
- Dr. Godwin Anywar, Makwrere University; godwinanywar@gmail.com
- Hasina Faiferana; fiaferana.h@gmail.com
Western Africa Lead
- Dr. Temitope O. Sogbanmu, Evidence Use in Environmental Policymaking in Nigeria (EUEPiN), University of Lagos (UNILAG) & Nigerian Young Academy (NYA); tsogbanmu@unilag.edu.ng
Western Africa Co-Leads
- Sandrine Djakouré, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University (UFHB/LASMES) & JEAI IVOARE-UP; agre.djakoure@ird.fr
- Dr. Chinwoke Clara Ifeanyi-Obi, Department of Agricultural Extension and Development Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Nigeria; clara.ifeanyi-obi@uniport.edu.ng
- Umar Grema, Borno Women Development Initiative; umar.grema@bowdi.org
- Tangi Franklin Tah, One Green Africa; tangifranklintah@gmail.com
- Muhammad Hauwa Tijjani, CIATech Africa; meethawwa@outlook.com
Central Africa Lead
- Kades BEN MABIALA, United Network for Climate Inclusivity Advocacy Livelihoods, Inherent Utilization and Mobilization (UNCIALIUM); kbenmabiala@gmail.com
South Africa Lead
- Dr. Adeyemi O. Aremu, Indigenous Knowledge Systems Centre, North-West University, South Africa; Oladapo.Aremu@nwu.ac.za
South America Lead
- Dr. Luisa Maria Diele-Viegas, GYA, ABECO, Kunhã Asé Network, OWSD, BioDivA Lab, Federal University of Bahia; luisa.mviegas@gmail.com
South America Co-Leads
- Stephanie Guarachi, Global Youth Community UNESCO, Major Group of Children and Youth, Young Woman Leader Dakar GSEF2023, Youth Delegate ECOSOC 2024; sguarachi21@coa.edu
- Nadino Calapucha, Coordinating Entity of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin (COICA); nadino.amazonia@gmail.com
- Lourdes Albornoz, Pueblo Nación Diaguita; albornozlou@gmail.com
Arctic Lead
- Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, Iñupiaq, Nome Eskimo Community; Sauyaq Solutions, LLC; sauyaqsolutionsllc@gmail.com
Arctic Co-Leads
- Prof. Ranjan Datta, Mt. Royal University; rdatta@mtroyal.ca
- Lynda Brown, Students on Ice; lynda@soifoundation.org
- Dr. Jebunnessa Chapola, Mt. Royal University; jchapola@mtroyal.ca
- Prarthona Datta
- Prokriti Datta
- Colleen Charles, Northlands College; colleen.charles@usask.ca
- Dr. Myrle Ballard, University of Calgary; myrle.ballard@ucalgary.ca
North America Lead
- Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, Iñupiaq, Nome Eskimo Community; Sauyaq Solutions, LLC; sauyaqsolutionsllc@gmail.com
North America Co-Leads
- Prof. Ranjan Datta, Mt. Royal University; rdatta@mtroyal.ca
- Dr. Jebunnessa Chapola, Mt. Royal University; jchapola@mtroyal.ca
- Prarthona Datta
- Prokriti Datta
- Dr. Myrle Ballard, University of Calgary; myrle.ballard@ucalgary.ca
Europe Co-Lead and Arctic Co-Lead
- Michael Bro, Inuit Circumpolar Council; sevbro@outlook.com
There are more than 370 million Indigenous people in some 70 countries worldwide. Indigenous cultures and communities are precious intrinsically, but also as guides for all humanity with direct relevance for our sustainable development across generations on Earth. Since the 20th century, humanity has been learning to operate as a globally interconnected civilization, represented clearly by the “common concern of humankind” in our climate with its variability on a planetary scale across decades-to-centuries.
The Global Summit main objectives are:
- Providing a ‘one of a kind’ platform to accelerate global engagement with Indigenous youth communities, cultures, languages, ethnicities, countries and continents across the world;
- Sharing youth perspectives, approaches, observations, concerns, interests and strategies to address the local impacts of climate change across Indigenous communities on Earth;
- Stimulating lifelong learning among Indigenous youth to contribute with knowledge and skills in the evolution of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and related global agreements that have regular Conferences of the Parties;
- Enhancing intergenerational synergies in view of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and other Indigenous declarations;
- Inspiring Indigenous youth leaders to think short-to-long term across their lifetimes into the 22nd century to empower progress with sustainable development at local-to-global levels.
The breadth of challenges posed by climate change at local-to-global levels is a multilateral concern across the spectrum of subnational-national-international jurisdictions. At the same time, rapidly changing climatic conditions have increased levels of uncertainty and anxiety among the youth on Earth. Nonetheless, the unprecedented mobilization of youth around the world shows the massive power they possess as essential contributors to informed decisionmaking on planetary scale, which is symbolized by Earth’s climate. Youth and especially Indigenous youth have key roles to enhance multilateral cooperation on climate action, helping humanity to operate for the benefit of all on Earth across generations.

GIYSCC 2023

The 2023 summit saw engagement from over 1300 registrants representing 112+ nations and communicating in 88+ languages across a continuous Zoom event and parallel YouTube livestream.
Methodology
This inclusive global dialogue by, for and among Indigenous youth was a 24-hour webinar with the Zoom platform across three 8-hour time zones on 9 August 2023 The Summit was coordinated by Prof. Paul Arthur Berkman, who has been convening global dialogues since the Antarctic Treaty Summit in 2009 “with the interests of science and progress of all mankind.”
The Summit involved online and hybrid sessions by design of Indigenous youth teams who are stimulating the South-North dialogues within and between the three 8-hour regions. Considerations of digital access were explicit from the start: seeking to identify local communication hubs within regions; taking advantage of remote satellite linkages where possible; and pre-recording where online access is unavailable. One of the hybrid sessions was be hosted at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, enabling Indigenous youth to interact directly with the United Nations.
The following cross-cutting topics were included for the agenda within and across the three 8-hour regions:
- Climate Change Impact Perceptions / Knowledge by Indigenous Youth;
- Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation / Resilience Strategies;
- Climate Change Communication;
- Current Realities on Climate Change;
- Future Perspectives on Climate Change.
Presentations included speeches, panel dialogues, short documentaries, artwork, music and cultural dance, photo galleries and other formats that are self-selected by the Indigenous youth.
GIYSCC Foundational Partnerships:
- Science Diplomacy Center™
- Springer Nature.
- International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) – Africa.
- University of Lagos (UNILAG).
- Nigeria Young Academy.
- International Institute of Science Diplomacy and Sustainability – Malaysia.
- Kenya Wildlife Services.
- University of the Arctic (UArctic).
- The University of Massachusetts Boston (Umass Boston).
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia (UBC).
- Solving FCB.
- University of Port Harcourt.
- Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
- Institut Senegalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA).
- United Nations Youth Association – Ghana (UNYA-GH).
- Students on Ice Foundation.
- Connecting Climate Minds.
- International Institute of Science Diplomacy & Sustainability (IISDS).
- Amanah Lestari Alam (ALAM) of Malaysia.
- Malaysia Development Bank.
- Northlands College.
- Inter-American Development Bank.
- United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries.
- Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
- EUEPiN at the University of Lagos.
- Child Trends.
- Future Earth.
- Kenitra National Higher School of Chemistry, Ibn Tofail University (ENSCK-UIT).
- Sciences & Development Association (SDA).