The Young Bridging Leaders (YBL) Challenge, implemented by the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Indonesia, continues to shape a new generation of purpose-driven youth through its structured mentoring and accountability process. Implementation Calls 5 and 6, held in February 2026, marked a critical phase in the journey, providing participants with focused spaces to reflect, refine, and strengthen their leadership practice while advancing their community-based projects.
Screenshot from the Young Bridging Leaders Challenge webinar
Designed as interactive learning sessions, each call brought together six challengers and three enablers, creating an environment that balanced depth with diversity of perspectives. Across the two calls, a total of 12 participants were actively engaged, supported by six enablers who provided consistent mentorship and facilitation. Participants shared updates on their initiatives, openly discussed challenges encountered during implementation, and received strategic feedback from both peers and mentors. This collaborative process not only enhanced problem-solving skills but also reinforced the importance of adaptability, an essential quality for leaders navigating real-world complexities.
Through guided discussions, participants deepened their understanding of sustainability planning and impact measurement, ensuring that their projects extend beyond short-term outcomes to create lasting change. Emphasis was also placed on storytelling, equipping young leaders with the skills to effectively communicate their impact through both written and visual reporting.
Beyond technical skills, the sessions fostered meaningful personal transformation. Through reflective exercises and peer exchanges, participants gained deeper insight into their leadership journeys, strengthening both self-awareness and confidence in their ability to lead. As shared by Elara Susilo, the experience emphasized how leadership growth is built through continuous learning, collaboration, and the understanding that even small, consistent actions can create real impact.
Screenshot from the Young Bridging Leaders Challenge webinar
“Participating in the YBL Challenge is a valuable experience for me. Through this program, I learned to develop my leadership skills and public speaking, and to level up my networking. I also learned that small actions can create real impact; starting small to make a big impact,” she said.
Other participants echoed similar reflections, highlighting the value of shared learning and diverse perspectives. Moments of exchange and collaboration allowed challengers to inspire one another while refining their ideas, reinforcing the importance of teamwork in driving change. At the same time, discussions around sustainability encouraged participants to adopt a future-oriented mindset, ensuring that their initiatives are not only impactful in the present but also enduring over time.
Together, these experiences reflect the YBL Challenge’s holistic approach to leadership development, nurturing not only capable project leaders but also thoughtful, resilient individuals committed to long-term impact. Implementation Calls 5 and 6 reaffirm the YBL Challenge as an effective leadership incubation platform, one that integrates mentorship, accountability, and experiential learning to transform ideas into tangible community impact. By encouraging youth to take ownership of their initiatives while learning from peers and mentors, the program builds confidence, competence, and a strong sense of responsibility.
Screenshot from the Young Bridging Leaders Challenge webinar
This approach reflects the Global Peace Foundation’s broader commitment to youth leadership development, equipping young people with the values, skills, and global perspectives needed to address today’s most pressing challenges. Through initiatives like the YBL Challenge, young leaders are not only trained to lead projects but are also inspired to lead lives of purpose, grounded in service and collaboration.
As youth continue to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world, programs that combine moral and innovative character development with practical leadership experience are essential. The YBL Challenge stands as a model of how structured mentorship, cross-cultural collaboration, and service-oriented action can nurture a generation ready to lead with integrity, innovate for impact, and contribute meaningfully to building more peaceful and cohesive societies.
Learn more about GPF’s Youth Leadership Development Area of Work.
