JUnTOS Fest 2025: A Platform for Youth Dialogue and Action

On September 26 and 27, Mérida, Venezuela, will host the second edition of JUnTOS Fest, a youth-led event designed to highlight the crucial role of young people as agents of change in building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable societies.

This festival is an initiative of the project ” Jóvenes Unidos para Territorios Organizados y Sostenibles – JUnTOS “, a program led by the CISP and the Mons. Oscar A. Romero Chair for Peace and Human Rights. Funded by the European Union in Venezuela, the project also has the strategic support of Fundación SES as part of its global Olympism 365 strategy. This partnership strengthens the festival’s focus on local participation and aligns its activities with the values of Olympism and the Sustainable Development Goals.

More than 150 young people from the municipalities of Libertador, Campo Elías, and Rangel will gather to discuss, create, and mobilize around four key themes:

• Social Cohesion and Youth: Promoting rights, equality, and inclusion as foundations for overcoming structural exclusion.
• Youth Participation and Governance: Strengthening youth leadership and their role in public decision-making.
• Innovation, Opportunities, and Digital Transformation: Exploring creative solutions for sustainable development and job creation.
• Sustainability and Climate Action: Fostering environmental commitment and community resilience.

The festival will feature a dynamic format of workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, and shared experiences. Participants will also learn about the achievements of the JUnTOS project, including the creation of nine youth-led social enterprises and seven new spaces for youth participation and inclusion.

A key outcome of this collective effort will be the formation of a group of young spokespeople. This group will be responsible for following up on the actions agreed upon during the event, launching advocacy campaigns, and presenting recommendations to key stakeholders. The young participants will also work together to develop a document of recommendations focused on empowering youth and fostering collective leadership to address the region’s challenges.

Through JUnTOS FEST 2025, young people are reasserting their vital role in shaping fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable communities and demonstrating their unwavering commitment to social cohesion. 

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