The acronym COP stands for Conference of the Parties. The “parties” are the countries that signed the Paris Agreement, represented mostly by high-level negotiators, the majority of whom are men from the Global North. In the negotiation rooms, silence dominates: only official delegates may speak, and only when it is their turn.
It was in this silence that, at COP-29 in Baku (Azerbaijan), a group of young people found a powerful way to be heard. The “March of Whispers” highlighted both the strict UN rules and limitations on civic expression in the host country. Whispering in unison, participants found a creative way to use silence as expression, drawing attention to climate issues under discussion.
Among the organizers was Engajamundo, a Brazilian youth collective created in 2012 after Rio+20. For more than a decade, Engaja has connected Global South youth with the formal climate negotiations spaces, long dominated by older voices from the North. They combine public demonstrations and advocacy with long-term strategies of training and political engagement. From occupying the streets to occupying negotiation halls, the organization shows that both forms of action are vital, sparking attention, shifting narratives, and ensuring youth voices directly influence climate governance.
“Engaja creates a space for testing, trial, and error,” says Larissa Moraes, director of Engajamundo. “It acts as an entry point for activism, offering a toolbox that young people can adapt to their own realities while fostering new leadership in their fields.” Beyond climate, the organization also engages youth in discussions on biodiversity, sustainable cities and housing, and gender — supported by rotating, affirmative leadership structures that ensure plurality and diversity of voices in its governance.
Youth is often framed as “the future.” But in the face of the climate crisis, there is no time to wait. Around the world, young people are claiming the present—demanding seats at decision-making tables and proving that leadership is not limited by age.
UNICEF’s report “Youth, Protests and Polycrisis” illustrates this shift: from 1990 to 2019, youth participation in non-violent mass mobilizations grew consistently. Young people became central in efforts related to climate action, inclusion, and strengthening democratic processes. Often linking online and offline mobilization, they tend to prefer direct non-violent action — tactics that have generated significant impact, even if not always guaranteeing formal decision-making power.
That gap is exactly what Engajamundo seeks to bridge. The organization was born with the bold goal of speaking at a UN conference — a milestone achieved in just one year.
In 2011, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) had formally recognized YOUNGO, its youth constituency. Since then, Engajamundo has been Brazil’s pioneering youth group in this space, also helping build the Conferences of Youth (COY) that precede each COP. By doing so, it ensures that the diversity of Brazilian youth perspectives is reflected not only in UN corridors but also in local communities.
Today, Engajamundo is a national network of more than 300 volunteers, organized in thematic groups and local hubs clustered by biomes in the Biomatic Houses (Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest). In Belém — host city of COP-30 — Engaja youth are already mapping initiatives and creating safety infrastructure to ensure that activities during the conference can take place peacefully and securely.
At COP-30, Engajamundo plans bold, strategic interventions. The focus will be on three key agendas: adaptation, climate finance, and a just energy transition. The organization will launch high-impact communication actions aligned with the pace of negotiations, and establish a collaborative physical hub in Belém — part creative studio, part meeting point for advocates . A security framework will support safe participation, while an open channel will allow young people from across Brazil to join activities inside and outside the official UN zone. The highlight will be the march led by Peoples Summit's towards COP-30, where Brazilian youth intend to break years of silencing with a collective and powerful voice — “because this is the cry that civil society has been holding back for three years,” said Larissa Moraes, in reference to the conference being held in autocratic contexts.
For those who want to support Engajamundo, there are several pathways. First, through collaboration and visibility: amplifying campaigns, building partnerships, and co-creating projects. Second, through financial support: direct donations sustain the volunteer base and programs like Rebuliço, which provides stipends to young participants from under-resourced backgrounds, reducing dropout caused by financial barriers. Launched in 2022 with 30 diverse youth, "Rebu" combined self-recognition, political education, and collective action, resulting in mobilizations across 18 cities. Engajamundo positions itself as a mobilization agent through advocacy and media in the face of the growing spread of climate disinformation. By focusing on key factors such as data integrity and fact-checking on the climate agenda, especially during the UN Climate Conferences, the organization creates spaces for people to follow negotiations closely and avoid falling into misinformation traps. Through education projects and narrative strategies, Engajamundo equips youth to understand these arenas as contested spaces, where shifting attention and framing are key to advancing just and science-based climate action.
The results are clear: Brazilian youth are no longer mere observers but protagonists in defining climate policies — both internationally and nationally. Their direct actions and policy engagement broaden democratic participation and highlight the challenges of global climate governance, reminding the world that climate justice is impossible without youth leadership.
The present may feel swampy and the future uncertain for the youth of the 21st century. Climate impacts, inequality, conflict , and rising living costs often fuel anxiety and uncertainty. That is why stories like Engajamundo's matter. They show that, faced with challenges, Global South youth can transform concern into collective strength — mobilizing, organizing, and advocating for their rights. And in doing so, they show that building a more just future begins now, in the present.