From Brazil to the World: The Journey of Global Young Leaders
Global Young Leaders: A youth-led movement from Brazil driving social, climate, and territorial justice by empowering Indigenous, quilombola, riverside, and semi-arid communities through education, sanitation, and cultural action.
Global Young Leaders: Empowering Communities Through Youth Action
Global Young Leaders is a Brazilian initiative with international reach, founded in 2020 in Itarema, Ceará, by young people committed to social, climate, and territorial justice. It was born out of the urgent need to develop concrete actions that would positively impact traditional communities.
Our Communities
We work with traditional communities including quilombola, Indigenous, riverside, and semi-arid populations through education, sanitation, culture, and youth empowerment.
Global Network
From our roots in Brazil, we've grown into an international network connecting youth with initiatives in China, Sweden, the United States, and Latin America.
Guided by the mission of empowering young people from their own territories, we promote cultural exchange, political education, social innovation, and sustainability across borders.
Backed by global allies in social change:
75k
R$ Funds Received fromInternational Organizations
+1K
People Directly Impacted
100
Communities Involved
Our Global Partnerships
We build bridges across continents, empowering youth through cultural exchange, education, and sustainable development
China
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Focus of our programs: Our programs focus on building bridges between global youth leaders and the world, aiming to promote understanding, respect, and collaboration between nations.
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Scholarship: Some of our programs provides financial support and resources for global youth to participate in exchange programs. Some are self-funded and some are partially funded and a few are fully funded, depending on the level of sponsorships we can get.
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Diverse Activities: Our programs offer a range of activities including inter-school exchanges, short-term visits, summer schools, summer and winter camps, and International youth Summits and forums.
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Integration of Resources: The programs aim to integrate premium resources from various global schools and universities to provide high-quality programs and platforms for global students, according to the Education Association for International Exchange and other important intercultural organizations.
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Exclusive Certificate: Participants of this program receive a special certificate recognizing their involvement in the exchange of each country visited.
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People-to-People Focus: The initiative emphasizes direct interaction and exchange between individuals from different countries, recognizing the importance of personal connections in fostering understanding and friendship.
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Historical Context: our programs are based on YES program builds upon a long history of people-to-people exchange programs, including President Eisenhower's "People-to-People Program" which aimed to foster international understanding through cultural and educational activities.
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Our current China program started as a response to a desire to strengthen U.S.-China diplomatic relations, which have faced some challenges in recent years.
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In essence, the programs are a deliberate effort to cultivate a generation of young people who are well-informed about each other's cultures and societies, with the hope that these young envoys will play a crucial role in strengthening the bonds between nations and that each experience will change their lives in very positive and impactful ways!
United States
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In the U.S., we launched the Global Young Leaders initiative, with a dedicated team based in California, led by journalist Beatrice de Salles.
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This expansion brings new visibility and opportunities for collaboration between youth in Brazil and the United States.
Sweden
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We partner with the Stockholm Junior Water Prize – Brazil, sending young leaders to a global sustainability award in Stockholm.
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We are also supported by ABES and BrazilCham Sweden, reinforcing our commitment to international cooperation and sustainability.
Our Projects
Ecological sanitation for dignity and sustainability
In traditional communities like Sobral and Itarema, many families still live without access to bathrooms or basic sanitation. Jovens Líderes responds with low-cost ecological solutions, promoting youth empowerment, health, and sustainability.
Internationally recognized by the Genius Olympiad and CIENCAP, the project was awarded R$50,000 by the Youth Climate Action Fund to expand its impact in 2024.
Read more about this project
Nativos Kite: Sports as a Path to Dignity and Peace
In response to cycles of youth violence and lack of opportunity, Jovens Líderes launched Nativos Kite on Ilha do Guajiru. The project offers free kite surfing lessons to low-income youth, combining sport with environmental education and local culture.
Read more about this project2025 - Internationalization and Global Youth Engagement
In 2025, Jovens Líderes will take a major step in its international journey through three programs: the Online Pre-COP Symposium, Youth Participation at COP30 in Belém, and the Cultural Routes initiative. These efforts amplify the voice of Brazilian youth in global climate discussions and connect local territories to the world.
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Pre-COP Online Symposium
International virtual gathering of over 2,500 youth from Brazil and abroad between August and October 2025. A space for education, dialogue, and collective action ahead of COP30.
Features multilingual workshops, panels, cultural showcases, and a competition awarding a fully funded trip to China through the View on China program.
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Youth at COP30
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During COP30 in Belém (Brazil), the Young Leaders Delegation will present their agenda at UN-recognized side events and thematic panels.
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Focus on climate justice, social technologies, and grassroots leadership, highlighting voices of Indigenous, Quilombola, and marginalized youth.
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Cultural Routes
Annual journeys through traditional, Indigenous, and riverside communities. Includes workshops, cultural exchanges, technical support, and microfunding for youth-led initiatives.
Meet the International Board of Global Young Leaders
Beatrice de Salles
CEO & Director (USA & Canada & Asia)
Director of Global Young Leaders in the USA and Asia. Serves as an Academic Advisor, Peace Ambassador, and Multilingual Translator/Interpreter with expertise in Global Affairs, International Relations, and Diplomacy. With a passport stamped with over 100 countries, her work bridges continents, celebrates cultural heritage, and empowers communities through Languages & Legacy.
Beatrice serves on the board of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, UNA, World Affairs Council, Global CSR Foundation, African Views, and Humanitarian Coalition. She is also the California Chair for WEF-G100 in Business & Network and is a Global Advisory Council for UNESCO Culture & Heritage & Contributor on Intercultural Competences as a Global Published Journalist.
She coordinates initiatives across Europe, including France, Italy, the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Malta, Spain, and Turkey, promoting youth leadership and cross-cultural exchange.
Daniel Rubens
Founder & President (Brazil & LATAM)
Founder of Global Young Leaders in Brazil. Legal Advisor at Grupo Serpa, a transnational export and import conglomerate operating in Brazil, United States, and China. Law student at Faculdade Luciano Feijão, with international experience through an academic exchange at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, in Portugal.
Daniel serves as Event Coordinator for the Young Professional Fellowship Brazil, promoting leadership and international cooperation initiatives. Daniel was chosen as a high achiever and young leader inspiration. He supports socially responsible projects in LATAM & Brazil. He has been collaborating with many international and local humanitarian organizations.
His work also extends across Latin America and Central America - including Mexico and Portugal - where he helps strengthen youth engagement and cross-border partnerships.