Guatemala City, May 2, 2025 — As part of the Regional Program for Indigenous Political Participation led by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), young Indigenous leaders from Central America gathered in Guatemala City to strengthen their leadership capacities and contribute to democratic and integration processes in the region. The Global Peace Foundation (GPF) participated in this space, reaffirming its commitment to a more empowering, sustainable, and youth-led Central America.

Official photo from the regional gathering in Guatemala City with Indigenous youth leaders from Central America, as part of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s Regional Program for Indigenous Political Participation, with the participation of the Global Peace Foundation.

The gathering brought together emerging leaders from diverse communities across the isthmus. The event is part of KAS’s broader effort to foster political dialogue on Indigenous issues and empower youth to take a leading role in shaping the future of their countries from the grassroots level.

Throughout the day, participants explored topics such as leadership development, civic engagement, the youth’s role in regional integration, and current challenges related to collective rights, social justice, and inclusion. A core goal was to encourage the exchange of experiences and the creation of a shared agenda rooted in the region’s cultural diversity. Central America is home to 63 Indigenous peoples and 30 Afro-descendant groups, making it one of the most culturally rich regions in the hemisphere.

Participants shared community-based diagnoses of the challenges they face, including historical exclusion, limited access to quality education, lack of economic opportunities, and political underrepresentation. Rather than being discouraged, they expressed a strong commitment to transforming their realities through collective leadership, regional collaboration, and active defense of their rights.

Olinda Salguero, representative of the Global Peace Foundation in Guatemala, during her keynote at the regional gathering with Indigenous youth from Central America, organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

In this context, the event featured the participation of Olinda Salguero, representative of the Global Peace Foundation in Guatemala, who delivered a keynote titled “The Role of Youth in the Integration Process.” In her remarks, Salguero emphasized that the Central American dream can only be achieved by building from the territories, with youth as key protagonists, and by embracing a development model rooted in inclusion, sustainability, and ethics.

She also presented the work of the Ecosystem for Social Transformation, a regional civil society alliance that promotes initiatives such as the Esquipulas Regional Forum, the Central American Emerging Leaders Meeting, and other projects that aim to elevate youth leadership and civic engagement across the region.

Still, the event was not centered around a single keynote but rather on the opportunity to build a regional community of Indigenous youth leaders. These leaders are capable of organizing demands, influencing public policy, and contributing actively to integration processes from an intercultural and youth-centered perspective.

Workshops, political training sessions, intergenerational dialogues, and reflections on identity, culture, and territory offered a transformative experience for the participants. Each brought personal stories, community struggles, and a shared belief that a different and more just future is possible when built collectively.

The Global Peace Foundation Central America reaffirmed that investing in the political education of Indigenous youth is part of a sustained commitment to democracy and development with a human face. “We believe in an integrated Central America—one that is also diverse and respectful of its roots. That is why we promote spaces where youth can strengthen their leadership and contribute to change in their countries,” Salguero stated.

The event concluded with a shared commitment among participants to continue organizing in their communities, remain regionally connected, and promote concrete initiatives around local governance, electoral participation, Indigenous rights, climate change, education, and culture.

This gathering confirmed what has long been evident: Indigenous youth are not waiting to be invited to lead—they are already doing it. They are organized, they have concrete proposals, and they are ready to act. The road to a Region of Opportunity must begin by listening to and empowering these voices rising from the heart of Central America.