If you missed the latest “We are not waiting” webinar, you can still dive right into the action. The session, “Building new systems from regenerative economies to climate justice and circular living,” served as a masterclass in grassroots advocacy. Moderated by Louise Steel from the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES UK Hub, the session featured two powerhouse young climate leaders: Walter Osigai and Prasiddhi Singh. They broke down why we need to move beyond traditional, top-down approaches to systemic change. Read on for the key takeaways and insights from their conversation.
Meet the leaders
- Walter Osigai (Uganda): Founder of the Pan-African Youth Climate Action Organization, Walter focuses on climate justice, policy advocacy and tackling climate-induced migration and water insecurity. He is a fierce advocate for community consultation, ensuring marginalised voices—especially refugees and indigenous communities—are at the table when decisions are made.
- Prasiddhi Singh (India): A young environmentalist and founder of the Prasiddhi Forest, Prasiddhi has already led initiatives that have planted over 200,000 trees. Her work prioritises nature-based solutions like mangrove restoration, agroforestry and lake rejuvenation, alongside promoting climate literacy in rural schools.
Changing the game: core themes
The speakers argued that global climate policies often fail because they aren’t informed by the lived experiences of local communities. Here is how they are doing things differently:
- Bottom-up vs. top-down: We need to integrate grassroots solutions directly into policy frameworks rather than relying on outdated top-down models.
- Youth-led innovation: Young people aren’t waiting for permission. They are actively building sustainable systems, such as solar-powered water infrastructure and school-based green brigades, to create immediate, positive change.
- Consistency and partnership: When facing scepticism due to age or gender, Prasiddhi suggests approaching stakeholders as a partner rather than just an expert. It’s about building trust through long-term commitment.
Essential insights for advocates
The discussion touched on critical strategies for anyone entering the professional or policy space:
- Listen first: Effective leadership starts with active listening. Arrive as a partner ready to learn from the community’s existing wisdom, not just as an expert looking to lecture.
- Frame it right: Walter emphasised that climate change should be prioritised as a human rights issue, not just an economic one, as it fundamentally impacts the dignity of the most vulnerable.
- Cultural alignment: Any solution, no matter how technically sound, will fail if it ignores local cultural attitudes and behaviours.
- Intergenerational collaboration: We need a fusion of the “experience of the past” with the “energy of the present”. Elders provide structural context, while young people bring innovation.
Advice on getting started
When asked how to overcome the intimidation of starting systems-change work, the advice was practical and empowering:
Take the first step: Prasiddhi advises setting ambitious targets and focusing on collective action, even if the goal feels massive.
Co-design everything: Walter warned that initiatives must be co-designed with the community. He cited projects in Vanuatu that failed precisely because local women were not consulted.
Let impact speak: To handle resistance, rely on consistency. People’s perceptions change when they see genuine, surviving results over time.
The session concluded by highlighting that the “We are not waiting” initiative aims to further champion youth-led innovation in global governance, discussing the upcoming youth anthology that these webinar sessions feed into.
Learn more:
If you want to discover more about the initiative, the six themes, and how to submit your work, please visit https://the50percent.org/programmes/we-are-not-waiting/.
You can also watch the recording of the webinar Building new systems from regenerative economies to climate justice and circular living: