CIVICUS Youth Global Perspectives Lab Series
What is the Global Perspectives Lab?
The Global Perspectives Lab (GPL), is a CIVICUS youth initiative, co-designed in 2022 with the feedback of the alumni networks of the Youth Action Lab, Youth Ambassadors and Youth Action Team. The GPL is a series of formal and informal spaces organised by young social changemakers to connect, exchange knowledge and mobilise in solidarity. The intention is to shift the space from a purely technical/ development space to a grassroots/ communal space.
Through alliance building and curated spaces for learning and personal connections, it is believed that the work of youth-led civil society groups and movements can be strengthened towards creating sustainable and resilient social justice initiatives. Working as a collective beyond one’s local environment can provide useful tools, networks and strategies to improve one’s impact.
With the leadership of the Youth Action Team, who set the direction for the CIVICUS youth community, the GPL will offer a dedicated space for members of CIVICUS youth and beyond to interact. The format of this space will be designed by members themselves to increase the visibility and legitimacy of their work, exchange knowledge with peers and experts and explore new partnerships. Because of the size of this community, the participants of the Youth Action Lab will be the first to host these global spaces, putting into practice the knowledge and tools acquired during their time in the Lab. The nineteen recently selected CIVICUS youth ambassadors will host similar dialogues with youth networks in their countries. The CIVICUS youth coordination team will provide logistic support and a space to share the outcomes and key messages of the dialogues via CIVICUS communications platforms.Global Perspectives Lab Dates
Virtual International Events
Title: One Planet, Multiple Stories: Climate Change Efforts through the Eyes of Local Activists
Event hosts: Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (Ghana), Rural Development Foundation (Pakistan)
 |
 |
Description:
While it has been happening for a very long time, it is until recent times that the world has started to give more attention to climate change. Melting glaciers, rising temperatures, and more ecosystems being devastated than ever before are some of the current trends. As well, one emerging aspect is the larger involvement of young people to reverse these negative effects on the planet. Global movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion are providing more visibility to this issue, yet more local movements mostly remain in the shadows. This space will be a gathering of climate activists from the Global South to exemplify local efforts and the effects of them in preserving the planet for the future generations.
Date: 10th June, 2022, at 14 - 16 GMT
Language: English with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish, French and Portuguese
Location: Virtual
Registration link: https://civicus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsdu2vrTstHdGCKrTZX65yes_qgscf3HfW
One Planet, Multiple Stories: Climate Change Efforts through the Eyes of Local Activists
Title: Education for All: Local Approaches to Leave no one Behind Globally
Event hosts: Asociación Azul (Argentina), Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union in Zimbabwe, Lybotics (Lybia), Red Mundial de Jóvenes Políticos de Honduras
 |
 |
 |
 |
Description:
Taking into account that, after the Development Sustainable Goal Number 4, the right to education means “inclusive and equitative quality education, and the promotion of long life learning”. In this framework, Takemore will talk about education in a period of crisis using the experience of Zimbabwe, Zaid will talk about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education and its contribution to peace and unity in Libya. Helder will refer to obstacles to education for all in Honduras and Latin America. Susan and Juan will talk about inclusive education as a strategy to teach all children in the same class in order to build inclusive societies. All the contributions will build a unity that will give a clear idea about the difficulties to achieve education for all in the global south, as well as some strategies that should be implemented, so that governments can be sure that nobody is left behind.
Date: 5 October, 2022, at 15h GMT
Language: English and Spanish with simultaneous interpretation available
Location: Virtual
Registration link: https://civicus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqf-iqrzMjHNRtfoCiwjEd7iSZBo723eE3
Education for All: Local Approaches to Leave no one Behind Globally
Title: Land Rights and the Future of Youth: Rural Inequalities and Urban Problems
Event hosts: Red de Apoyo Popular, Manos al Campo, Ñañaykuna
 |
 |
 |
Description:
Nowadays, most of the population lives in urban centers. This trend towards more densely populated spaces has left people disconnected from the source of their food. Despite land rights being an especially prominent issue for the development of countries, particularly in the Global South, it is rarely discussed by urban youth. Little is known about the deep relationship between popular youth problems in the city such as unemployment and land tenure problems and lack of land rights in the rural. This space will facilitate a dialogue between urban and rural youth and connect their efforts of social transformation.
Date: 27 July, 2022, at 19h GMT
Language: Spanish with simultaneous interpretation available in English and French
Location: Virtual
Registration link: https://civicus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sduqurjgjHtLeSi5eiVh6VxUNNVRMgBoT
Land Rights and the Future of Youth: Rural Inequalities and Urban Problems
Title: Last Virtual Dialogue of 2022: Global Perspective Lab Series
Event Moderators: Alejandra Gutiérrez, Gloria Agyare
Event Panelists: Sabir Ali, Juan Cobeñas, Takemore Mhlanga, Ursul Amos
Description:
This last Global Perspective Lab event of 2022 seeks to gather all the topics discussed during the year into one final roundtable to hear from the different organisers on what concrete actions can be taken to achieve social justice together and what recommendations they have for young people to engage in youth-led efforts around.
- Peacebuilding
- Inclusive Education
- Land Rights
- Climate Justice
- Gender-Based Violence
Language: English (with simultaneous interpretations)
Location: Virtual
Date: 23 November 2022, at 15h GMT+2
Wrap-up
Conversations
Title: Local Stories, Global Impact: Inspiring Youth at the Forefront of Peacebuilding
Event hosts: MY World Mexico, Community Welfare and Development Fund, Arizona Faith Network
 |
 |
Description:
Did you know that 1.3 billion 15-24 years olds in the world and nearly one billion live in developing countries where conflict is more likely to have taken place? Even though young people are seen as troublemakers and violent in different parts of the world, they have been internationally recognised as having fundamental roles in the construction of peace, and the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Yet, most of their stories are untold and they need to counteract negative stereotypes. This space will provide the basis for different local peacebuilders to connect and start a long-term collaboration in highlighting young people as fundamental pillars of peaceful communities.
Date: 21st September, 2022, at 14h GMT
Language: English with simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish and French
Location: Virtual
Registration link: https://civicus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEtduuspzwqHNZdmJ-lk2DMoAaWah_Fmfto
Local Stories, Global Impact: Inspiring Young Women at the Forefront of Peacebuilding
Local Events
Title: “Tuimarike, Wanadada” (Let’s get empowered, Women and Girls)
Event hosts: Amazon Theatrix Ensemble, Women Concern Centre, Wise, Kenya Women Environment Pacesetters, Wins World
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Description:
Through the use of artivism, this event will use theater to highlight how women and young Girls living by the shores of Lake Victoria in Dunga Beach fall prey of reproductive rights and sexual health violations as a result of climate change effect. The encroachment of Dunga wetland by human beings for socio-economic purposes has led to the reduction of fish production, coupled with deforestation. This situation increases the vulnerability of women, which might be forced to exchange sexual favors for water or fish. The event will highlight how climate change interconnected with many other social problems.
Language: English
Location: Dunga Beach, Lake Victoria, Kenya
Date: 23 May, 2022
“Tuimarike, Wanadada” (Let’s get empowered, Women and Girls)
Title: How to facilitate access to safe abortion under a restricted legal context?
Event hosts: Association S.O.S Femmes du Congo
 |
Description:
This event would be a space for sharing experiences around abortion in a restricted context, emphasizing the needs to reduce the stigmatization around this practice and having more women making decisions on a subject that affects them. Beyond the conversation, this space will be a convening of several organizations working on abortion issues, with the aim of establishing a national coalition to have a stronger impact and reduce barriers to access to safe abortion.
Language: French
Location: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
Date: 8 June, 2022, at 10:00 am Brazzaville time
How to facilitate access to safe abortion under a restricted legal context?
Title: Local Stories of Peacebuilding: Enacting the United Nation’s Security Council
Event hosts: Jeunesse Voie de la Paix, YALI Centrafrique et SOS-civisme-centrafrique
Email:
 |
 |
 |
Description:
Did you know that 1.3 billion people between the ages of 15 and 24 worldwide and nearly one billion live in developing countries where conflict is more likely to have occurred? Even though young people are seen as troublemakers and violent in different parts of the world, they have been internationally recognized as playing a fundamental role in building peace, as well as in preventing and resolving conflicts. Yet most of their stories go untold and they have to counter negative stereotypes. This space will serve as a base for different local peacemakers in the Central African Republic to connect and start a long-term collaboration in the implementation of the Youth Peace and Security agenda, as well as highlighting young people as fundamental pillars of peaceful communities.
Language: French
Location: Bangui, Central African Republic
Date: 8 November, 2022, at 10:00 am Bangui Time
Local Stories of Peacebuilding: Enacting the United Nation’s Security Council
