PS 3.102: Empowering Mountain Youth Overcome Learned Helplessness

Mountain ecosystems and communities are often excluded from national and international environmental agendas, despite their vulnerability to climate change and socio-economic pressures. Young people in these regions face unique challenges, including geographic and social isolation, limited access to education and jobs, and the psychological burden of “learned helplessness,” where they feel powerless to change their circumstances. This issue is especially acute in regions like Central Asia, Nepal, and Latin America, where systemic barriers further hinder their aspirations. At the International Mountain Conference 2025 (IMC), the Mountain Youth Hub (MYH) of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat aims to highlight these challenges and the critical role youth play in advancing the 2030 Agenda through the Five Years of Action for Mountain Development. The session will integrate research findings on mountain youth perspectives, combining frameworks of psychology and sustainable livelihoods to identify systemic barriers and opportunities for empowerment. The event will feature research presentations and a panel discussion with experts in youth development, communication technology, and mountain sustainability. Focus areas include food systems, vocational training, and entrepreneurship. Outputs will include a synthesis report and roadmap for multi-channel communication strategies to sustain the dialogue. This session seeks to amplify youth voices, foster peer-to-peer learning, and build bridges between mountain youth and key stakeholders to advance sustainable mountain development and global mountain agendas.