14/10/2026
WVSU DCS Participates in National Youth Consultation on Climate and Environmental Justice
The West Visayas State University Development Communicatorsโ Society participated in the Children and Youth Consultation on Legal Empowerment to Advance Climate and Environmental Justice for Children (LECEJ), held on October 10โ11, 2026, at the UNICEF Philippines office in Mandaluyong City. Representing the organization was Ejay Pasamante, Head of the Community Engagement and Advocacy Committee.
Organized by the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) and UNICEF Philippines through the Kabataang Resilient Program, the two-day consultation convened children and young people from diverse backgrounds and communities. It provided an inclusive platform for participants to share their experiences of climate and environmental risks, deepen their understanding of climate justice, and identify priority actions for relevant institutions.
Through interactive discussions, storytelling, mapping, and co-design activities, participants examined the intersections among climate and environmental challenges, access to justice, and meaningful youth participation in decision-making. They also shared community experiences, identified existing youth-led and community-based initiatives, and discussed barriers to accessing climate information, participating in decision-making processes, and seeking legal support or remedies.
The engagement underscored the importance of creating inclusive and participatory spaces where young people can contribute meaningfully to discussions on the environmental challenges affecting their communities and engage with the institutions responsible for addressing them.
Beyond facilitating the exchange of experiences, the consultation yielded insights that will contribute to developing a children and youth call to action on climate justice. The initiative seeks to identify practical actions for national government agencies and local government units, strengthen existing local mechanisms, and address gaps in policy implementation.
As climate and environmental concerns continue to affect communities in diverse and interconnected ways, meaningful youth participation remains essential to advancing climate justice. Young people must be recognized not only as individuals affected by these challenges but also as active contributors to solutions and advocates for a just, resilient, and sustainable future.
