Quito hosted the Youth Leadership Meeting on Global Transformation

Quito hosted the Youth Leadership Meeting on Global Transformation

Quito, Ecuador. On July 17 and 18, the Youth Leadership Meeting on Global Transformation was held in the Ecuadorian capital, an initiative promoted by SIGNIS Latin America and the Caribbean (SIGNIS ALC) , together with SIGNIS Joven , SIGNIS Ecuador , Amawtay Wasi University , the National Anti-Mining Front and various allied social and environmental organizations.

The event brought together more than 80 young people from Indigenous communities and organized groups across various territories, all committed to defending common resources and protecting the environment. The gathering served as a space for dialogue, reflection, and the exchange of experiences regarding the social, environmental, and cultural challenges facing communities in the region.

During the sessions, participants shared initiatives related to the protection of territories, the promotion of sustainable development alternatives, and the strengthening of youth leadership as a key actor in social transformation processes.

 

Holding this meeting reaffirms the commitment of the convening organizations to the participation of new generations in building more just, inclusive and nature-friendly societies, promoting networking among communities, social movements and academic spaces.

The scope and scale of this experience can be appreciated in the following link, where María José “Majo” Centurión , vice president of SIGNIS ALC, shares her impressions of the meeting in an interview conducted by RadioLío : https://www.youtube.com/live/QOHC9ufKNt0

The president of SIGNIS ALC, Professor Carlos Ferraro, addressed the community with the following welcome speech:

Dear young people:

Please accept my warmest greetings on behalf of SIGNIS Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is a great joy to welcome you to Quito, a city that today brings together cultures, experiences, dreams, and commitments. We are honored that this Youth Leadership Encounter for Global Transformation is taking place within the framework of COMLAC, an initiative born in Latin America with a vocation for global dialogue.

We are united by a common concern, but above all, by a shared hope. We live in complex times: we experience extraordinary scientific advances while inequalities, exclusion, violence, forced migration, and environmental degradation increase. This reality is often presented to us as inevitable. However, history shows that alternatives always exist, and it has often been young people who have driven them forward.

That's why this meeting has a special meaning. We haven't come here just to analyze problems or denounce injustices. We've come to build solutions, imagine alternatives, and actively participate in shaping the future.

The motto that unites us, “We build alternatives together”, expresses a deep conviction: true transformations are born from communities capable of listening to each other, dialoguing and working together.

At SIGNIS ALC, we firmly believe in the transformative power of young people. We see it in those who drive community projects, defend territories, promote grassroots communication, and work for human rights, peace, inclusion, and the care of our common home.

You don't just represent the future; you are the protagonists of the present. And this present needs your creativity, sensitivity, and courage.

We know that many face difficult circumstances, marked by exclusion, extractive economic models, and frustration with structures that seem incapable of responding to current challenges. But we also know that alternatives exist. We find them in agroecology, solidarity economies, cooperative networks, community media, and initiatives that place human dignity and the care of nature at their core.

This meeting does not aim to offer definitive answers. It seeks to raise questions, generate dialogue, and build bridges between people from diverse backgrounds who share the conviction that humanity needs a change of course.

From Latin America, we want to offer a perspective that recognizes the value of Indigenous peoples, understands that nature is not a commodity, and affirms that social justice and environmental stewardship are inseparable. A perspective that understands communication as a human practice capable of fostering connection, participation, and transformation.

As an organization of communicators, we believe that today it is not enough to simply inform: it is necessary to help people understand. It is not enough to connect devices: we must connect people. It is not enough to multiply messages: we must build meaning. For this, we need young people capable of thinking critically, engaging in respectful dialogue, and acting responsibly.

During these days, take advantage of every conversation, share your experiences, and learn from those who come from other cultures. The world we want to build will be diverse, pluralistic, and intercultural, and therefore it must be based on respect and cooperation.

We hope that this meeting will produce a Declaration of Youth Defenders of Human Rights and Nature. But we hope for something even more important: new friendships, networks, projects, and leadership committed to life.

Great transformations don't begin with documents. They begin with people, when someone decides to commit and discovers they're not alone. That's precisely what we're building here.

Thank you for accepting this challenge. Thank you for believing that another world is possible. Thank you for reminding us that hope is not an illusion, but a decision.

Welcome to Quito. Welcome to this space for meeting and collective building.

Before concluding, I wish to express my gratitude to those who made this meeting possible.

To SIGNIS Global, for trusting our region to drive this global initiative. To our Global Vice President, María José Centurión, for her commitment and dedication. To Alejandro Caro, Vice President of SIGNIS ALC and coordinator of COMLAC, and to Jaime Carril, for their crucial work in planning and coordinating this event. To Alex Dávila, President of SIGNIS Ecuador , and to the team at that organization, for their hospitality and the effort that has made Quito a true common home.

To Amawtay Wasi University, for providing us with opportunities for thought production and intercultural development. To the Lauritas Sisters for welcoming us with sensitivity in their home, despite a last-minute adversity. To the organizations, networks, movements, universities, and youth groups that collaborated in organizing this event. To the technical, academic, communications, and logistical teams, as well as the facilitators and presenters who will share their knowledge during these sessions.

And, in a very special way, to each and every one of you, young participants. To those who traveled long distances, to those who connected from different continents, and to those who, despite personal or economic difficulties, decided to be here because they believe it is worthwhile to work for the transformation of our societies.

This meeting demonstrates that when people and institutions unite capabilities, resources and dreams, spaces can be built that transcend borders and generate hope.

To all of you, on behalf of SIGNIS Latin America and the Caribbean, our most sincere recognition and gratitude.

ENJOY THE MATCH!!