Build capacity
Equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to lead environmental action and advocacy.
Youth Environmental Dialogues
YEDx
Local, youth-led exchanges that connect global environmental governance and policy with local youth action and implementation.
What is YEDx?
Youth Environmental Dialogues are fully led by local youth with support from CYMG. Each session creates a practical bridge between multilateral environmental policy and the realities young people face in their communities.
Connect policy to local action
Build awareness of global environmental policy so it can support local, youth-led implementation.
Inform global policy
Channel local youth perspectives upward so international environmental decisions hear community experience.
Foster networks
Connect young environmentalists locally so they can share resources, ideas, and practical support.
Case study
YEDx Botswana showed the model in practice.
The dialogue was self-organised by local youth with support from CYMG, UNDP Botswana, and Gamodubu Civil Society. It combined capacity building, thematic consultations, and a drafting workshop, then culminated in the Botswana Youth Declaration and Action Framework.
Host YEDx in your community
If you want to bridge global environmental policy and local action, you can express interest in organising a YEDx session with young people in your community.
Local youth lead
Local youth coordinate the session, shape the agenda, and engage young people, partners, and local institutions.
CYMG supports
CYMG provides advice, mentorship, capacity building for events and fundraising, and templates for banners and visual assets.
Who can apply?
Applications identify youth groups and organisations that can form a National YEDx Committee and carry the process responsibly.
- Be a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation in the country where YEDx is proposed.
- Be a recognised legal entity in that country, or partner with one if the youth group is unregistered.
- Maintain an interest in environment, sustainable development, or youth inclusion in environmental processes.
- Be led by children or youth, mostly children or youth, or work for their inclusion in environmental processes.
- Have existed for at least two years at the time of application.
- Have at least one person with experience in environmental policymaking, UNEA, or YEA processes.
Call for institutional partners
YEDx relies on young people donating time and skills alongside school, work, and other responsibilities. Partner support helps cover the real costs of participation and coordination, making youth-led dialogue more inclusive and sustainable.
Financial support
Help cover venues, travel, facilitation, accessibility, documentation, youth participation costs, and small grants for local implementation.
In-kind support
Offer venues, speakers, facilitators, technical experts, event design support, safeguarding guidance, accessibility, or reporting help.
Promotion
Share YEDx calls through newsletters, social channels, websites, and mailing lists, then amplify youth declarations and outcomes.