Inspiring Voices at Third Youth Workshop: Science and Leadership from Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
Written by the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)
On July 30 and 31, 2025, the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) hosted the third in a series of five virtual workshops leading to the launch of an Amazonian Youth Manifesto at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The third workshop in the series brought together participants from Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, for an engaging exchange of ideas, experiences, and collaborative solutions, adding new perspectives to the regional dialogue on ecological, cultural, and economic connectivity in the Amazon.
The gathering featured contributions from two distinguished SPA Amazonian experts: Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen, Guyanese-Brazilian conservation scientist with extensive experience in tropical forest ecology, and Professor Paulette Bynoe, Dean at the University of Guyana and a leading voice in environmental and interdisciplinary policy and sustainable livelihoods. Both experts offered scientific and policy insights that grounded the youth discussions in evidence-based approaches, while inspiring the participants with their dedication to conservation, climate action, and community engagement.
The third workshop delved into ecological, cultural, social and economic connectivity in the Amazon, fostering a truly enriching bridge between Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Amazon’s connectivity is a lifeline for both the region and the planet. It enables the migration of species through vast ecological corridors, nourishes fisheries, sustains the water cycle, and regulates the climate far beyond its borders. The Amazon stores over 150–200 billion tons of carbon in soils and vegetation, while its biodiversity holds priceless medicinal potential and traditional ecological knowledge built over millennia.
Day 1 – The Amazon’s Value and the Pressing Challenges
Participants began with a shared reflection on the unique value of Amazonian connectivity, not only as a biome of unparalleled biodiversity, but as a living system linking rivers, forests, cultures, and livelihoods across borders.
Ecological Connectivity discussions highlighted the Amazon’s role in regulating climate at local and global scales, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting ecosystem services. However, threats such as illegal mining, deforestation, agricultural expansion, and weak law enforcement were identified as urgent challenges.
Cultural and Social Connectivity exchanges emphasized the shared identities and traditions shaped by the forest. Participants raised concerns about the erosion of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK), marginalization in political decision-making, and cultural homogenization driven by external pressures.
Economic Connectivity conversations underscored the importance of territory-rooted economies such as artisanal production, community forestry, traditional agriculture, and fisheries. Yet, unsustainable extractive industries, poorly aligned state incentives, and lack of recognition of Indigenous and Local intellectual property, were seen as undermining these systems.
For Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, connectivity is also spiritual, linking people to their ancestors, landscapes, and oral traditions. This living knowledge is essential for sustainable management, yet often underrecognized in research and policy.
However, these dimensions of connectivity are under growing pressure as unsustainable activities degrade forests and pollute waterways. Mercury and other chemicals accumulate through the food web, threatening health and livelihoods. Climate change magnifies these impacts, leading to increased and more intense forest fires, forest fires, floods, and shifting ecosystem structures. In some areas, the absence of legal recognition for Indigenous, Tribal and Local land rights fuels land grabbing and undermines trust. Roads, dams, and urban sprawl fragment habitats, making it harder for wildlife to move and for communities to maintain cultural ties to the land.
Day 2 – From Challenges to Solutions
The second day focused on turning diagnosis into requests and proposals. Participants worked in thematic rooms to define specific measures for governments, the private sector, academia, and local communities to protect and strengthen connectivity.
Examples of recommendations included:
Governments: Enforce environmental protections, guarantee Indigenous and Tribal land rights, and create funding mechanisms for youth-led conservation.
Private Sector: Commit to genuine social and environmental responsibility, respect traditional knowledge, and invest in sustainable value chains.
Academia: Promote participatory research that connects western scientific, Indigenous, and local knowledge and strengthens community governance.
Local Communities: Foster intergenerational knowledge transfer and establish local monitoring systems for environmental and cultural conservation.
Addressing these challenges requires collective action. Governments must secure land rights, enforce environmental laws, and invest in sustainable infrastructure that protects ecological corridors. Academia can bridge science and policy, connect diverse knowledge systems, and train the next generation of conservation leaders. Civil society plays an important role in raising awareness, shifting consumption patterns, and holding decision-makers accountable. The private and finance sector must actively fund ecosystem services, sustainable livelihoods, and capacity building for local communities. Youth engagement is essential, not only during project implementation but also in early-stage planning and decision-making. Women’s organizations, disability advocates, and grassroots networks must also have a seat at the table, as environmental impacts disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Examples like Professor Naipal’s “Building with Nature” initiative in Suriname, show what’s possible when sectors collaborate, restoring mangroves, protecting coastlines, and conserving biodiversity. This model of cooperation across disciplines and borders is key to conserving the Amazon’s ecological and cultural fabric.
Building a Pan-Amazonian Vision
The workshop concluded with participants co-defining youth commitments, including strengthening of cross-border collaboration, amplifying Indigenous and local voices, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and actively engaging in policy advocacy leading up to COP30.
Across all connectivity dimensions, a common insight emerged: solutions must be co-created through alliances that include Indigenous Peoples, local communities, governments, civil society, and the private sector, working not in isolation, but in sustained dialogue. Ultimately, safeguarding Amazonian connectivity means seeing nature and people as inseparable, honoring the safekeepers of the forest, and creating systems that are socially just, economically viable, and ecologically resilient.
With three workshops completed, patterns are emerging across the region: extractive pressures, loss of cultural heritage, and youth migration are shared concerns, while the call for inclusive, multi-actor governance is unanimous. The insights from Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana will feed into a consolidated Amazonian youth vision, to be presented at COP30, reflecting the diverse realities and aspirations of young Amazonians.
The next workshop, focusing on Brazil, will continue to expand this vision, culminating in a unified, youth-led roadmap to safeguard the Amazon. The stability of our global climate depends on it.
