On 27 September 2026, The Japan Times published an opinion article by Nafissa Insebayeva (Research Fellow and Academic Associate, UNU-IAS) and Héctor Esparra-Escalera (RCE Regional Youth Coordinator, Americas) underlining the importance of providing young people opportunities to handle meaningful roles in sustainability.
Excerpt:
Typically, we focus on youth engagement, as though “participation” is the final goal itself. However, if we truly expect future generations to shape more sustainable communities, we must go beyond merely encouraging participation by developing meaningful opportunities and mentorship that enable leadership — empowering young people not only to contribute, but to influence decisions and have their voices heard.
The full article is available on the Japan Times website and in print.
The Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs) is a global network of 200 local hubs facilitating learning and action on sustainability in their communities. RCE Regional Youth Coordinators (RYCs) play a vital role in strengthening youth engagement and facilitating youth-centred and youth-led RCE initiatives at the regional and global levels.
