By Witness Radio team.
https://witnessradio.orgFrom September 9th to 11th, 2025, nearly 1,000 young people from across the world will gather virtually for the first Land and Youth Digital Conference, organized by the Land Portal Foundation, a leading organization in land rights advocacy. This unique digital format, scheduled just weeks before COP30 (Conference of the Parties) in Brazil, aims to put youth voices at the heart of discussions on land rights and climate governance, highlighting their role as both those most affected by global crises and the drivers of change. The pressing nature of the climate crisis underscores the significance of this event.
The event, which will accommodate a diverse range of participants, including young Indigenous leaders, rural youth, land practitioners, climate activists, and beyond, is convened by the Land Portal Foundation, in partnership with various organizations. This diversity ensures that organisers will present a wide range of perspectives at the conference, fostering a sense of inclusivity among the audience.
Romy Sato, Research & Knowledge Lead at the Land Portal Foundation, says the conference is a platform for young people to share their struggles, propose solutions, and shape action plans.
“Young people are not just at the forefront of the climate and land rights movement; they are the future. They are the ones who will suffer the longest from these consequences. It is why we want this conference to be their stage,” Romy told Witness Radio. Their role in shaping the future is both inspiring and crucial, underscoring the significance of the event.
The conference will feature nine thematic sessions including the; Youth-Led Solutions for Land Restoration (GEF) which involves exploring land, jobs, and youth in the context of environmental recovery, Criminalization of Territorial Defenders (GATC & TINTA) where session holders will highlight the risks faced by young land defenders, and preparing youth for climate resilience which focuses on equipping youth with tools to face future climate realities. These sessions, among others, are aimed at addressing key issues at the intersection of Land, Youth, and Climate Action.
Organisers will provide simultaneous interpretation in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese to ensure broad participation.
Antonio Nyanana, founder and president of Vision for Humanitarian Aid, represents the voices of young land defenders in Mozambique. As a nurse and emerging clinical psychologist, Antonio has spent years empowering youth along the Zambezi River, helping them confront climate change and its impacts. At the Youth and Digital Conference, Antonio and his team will highlight the risks faced by young land defenders in the “Criminalization of Territorial Defenders” workshop session.
He reveals that youths in his country face repression for opposing corporate abuse. “We have much repression coming from the police, government, and corporate companies.” He added.
According to Antonio, challenging this repression is difficult because those in power do not give attention to those affected.
“Our biggest problem is the lack of opportunity to sit at the table with government and lawmakers. We have no chance to present our ideas or vision. We need to work as a team to make them understand that we are fighting to defend our communities. We are going to fight against these repressions,” Antonio explained.
Corporate exploitation adds another layer of challenge. Oil and carbon farming projects rarely benefit local communities, and community participation in decision-making is seldom seen, with social responsibility initiatives captured by elites close to power.
“When you bring an idea that contrasts with the government’s, you have no space to implement it. Corruption keeps opportunities in the hands of those close to power. But I think that it’s a time to include the communities as a part of land makers in the design of these projects to be more inclusive and to bring more participation. We selected this area to call attention to, to share with the youth that we can do anything to protect our interests,” he further said.
At the conference, Antonio will focus on building climate resilience, promoting youth leadership, and fostering cross-country collaborations. “We want to transform this small movement into a big movement. The youth are tomorrow’s leaders, and by including them now, we prepare them to carry this vision forward.”
Megha Seth, who represents India, is also part of the International Land Coalition Youth Group. She will lead a session titled: “Women’s Rights to Land in a Changing World: Influencing Her Agencies and Choices.”
In an interview with the Witness Radio team, she highlights the disproportionate burden women bear in rural livelihoods, despite controlling less than 10% of land ownership in many regions:
“When you spend a day on a farm, in a forest, or on grazing land, what do you see? Women. They farm, collect forest produce, care for livestock, and milk animals. They make up more than 70% of this labor. And yet, when you ask how much land they actually own, the answer is very heartbreaking, and that is less than 10%. This imbalance is not just a statistic; it is a profound injustice, she revealed.
Her session will explore intersectional barriers, including caste, tribe, religion, ethnicity, and class, underscoring that securing land rights is not just empowerment; it’s a transformation of communities, economies, and governance.
“We are participating because silence is not an option. As young women, we have the energy, vision, and responsibility to reshape the future. Lands are not just land; they are about dignity, justice, and the survival of communities.
I look forward to the dialogue, the exchange, and most importantly, the solidarity we build through this conference.” Megha said.
The Land and Youth Digital Conference aims to influence COP30 discussions by linking youth-led insights to global climate policy. It is fully digital and free, removing economic, geographic, and logistical barriers to participation. “What we want to bring to this conference is energy. The energy of young people to inspire, inform, and transform policies. That energy is what the world urgently needs.” Romy concluded.
The Conference of the Parties is the annual United Nations climate change conference where parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meet to assess progress, negotiate, and decide on strategies to address the climate crisis.
