IT’S a timely reminder in these troubled times: While we come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and disciplines, we share a collective responsibility for one shared planet.
And so it is with this theme, Youth: Many Ways, One Planet, that the Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS) returns this Wednesday to Kuching.
Over 700 young people from across Malaysia, Asean, and beyond are expected to gather from June 24 to June 26 at RAYS 2026 with its emphasis on inclusivity, cross-cultural collaboration, and collective leadership.
Amid this diversity, youth are also increasingly stepping into decision-making roles in climate and sustainability spaces – a shift that RAYS 2026 is keen to hone and honour. However, while youth participation in climate discussions has grown in recent years, governance structures remain largely top-down, with limited opportunities for young people to influence outcomes. RAYS 2026 aims to provide the platform to not only reflect the broader shift in youth climate leadership but also position youth at the centre of sustainability efforts.
As Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is Sara-wak’s Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, as well as Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister, put it at the official launch of the summit recently, “RAYS reflects Sarawak’s conviction that youth must not be placed at the edge of sustainability conversations, but firmly at the centre of them”.
Leadership and governance
Since its inception, RAYS, which is organised by the Sarawak state government and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), has brought together more than 1,700 participants, over 50 speakers, and representatives from 80 organisations across 37 countries.
The platform has evolved from a dialogue-based summit into a more structured programme focused on youth leadership and governance with an expanding network of global speakers.
A key addition to this year’s programme is the Planet Futures Forum, a climate simulation designed to place participants in decision-making scenarios. Delegates will engage in negotiations, assess competing priorities, and explore the trade-offs involved in real-world climate governance. The initiative moves beyond discussion, allowing youth to engage with the complexities of policy and decision-making.
The summit will also introduce the RAYS Fellowship Programme, a 12-month leadership initiative for selected participants. Fellows will work on applied governance challenges, engage with indigenous and local knowledge holders, and contribute to proposals linked to regional sustainability priorities.
Grounded in real context
Sarawak is home to some of the world’s most significant rainforest ecosystems, including deep peatlands which play a significant role as global carbon sinks. Hosting RAYS in Kuching anchors climate dialogue within real landscapes and lived contexts, reinforcing the connection between environmental protection, community livelihoods, and sustainable development.
Grounding climate discussions in real environmental contexts is vital, Abdul Karim Rahim concurred.
“You are not removed from the realities you speak about. You are surrounded by them,” he said.
This is also in line with RAYS’ vision to create an inclusive space for young people, indigenous leaders, scientists, and creatives to come together, share knowledge, learn from one another, and explore practical pathways for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and cultural continuity.
“We support youth to understand their role in caring for land and community – and to shape solutions that reflect both local realities and global challenges.
“We believe in a future where youth, indigenous communities, and local knowledge-holders work together to steward living landscapes, nurturing ecosystems, cultures, and communities that thrive in balance,” STB stated.
Climate activists have increasingly framed the climate crisis as a lived and interconnected issue.
“When we talk about the climate crisis today, we must understand it’s not just an environmental issue but a deeply human one,” Zoya Miari, a RAYS 2025 speaker noted.
This is echoed by another RAYS 2025 speaker, youth environmental defender Mitzi Jonelle Tan: “We don’t just fight the climate crisis to survive it. We fight it to live, to love, to dream, and to co-create better worlds.”
With climate impacts intensifying globally, platforms like RAYS hope to be a catalyst for a shift in youth engagement, from awareness to action and, increasingly, towards leadership and governance.
Crucially, it aims to be a constant cog in the dialogue, not a one-off initiative.
Organisers want to tell youth and their partners that the RAYS platform is steady, said STB CEO Sharzede Salleh Askor.
“We want to show that Sarawak is serious about building spaces where environmental dialogue and youth leadership intersect,” she said, stressing that one of the most important outcomes is participation with agency – giving youth the means and space to contribute.
“When youth are trusted to speak, to question, and to lead discussions, the paradigm shift is real. Participation becomes ownership. Dialogue becomes confidence,” she said.
Indeed, past participants have described the summit as a platform for building confidence, networks, and shared purpose. One delegate noted that the experience provided “The courage to speak up ... confident enough to be myself, and unapologetic in my voice”.
By positioning youth not only as participants in climate conversations, but as contributors to the decisions shaping future outcomes, RAYS 2026 hopes to build on this momentum further for real change.
“Because, in the end, the strength of a forest is not in a single tree, but in how deeply its roots are connected beneath the surface,” said Sharzede.
For more information on RAYS 2026, go to www.rainforestyouthsummit.com/
