Online | May 12, 2026 | 14:00 CET
Stop Gambling Away Our Future: Seeing Existential Risks Through the Eyes of Youth?
A WEBINAR HOSTED BY POP (Protect Our Planet) and EXTRA (Existential Threats and Risks to All), an initiative of the World Academy of Art and Science.
In this joint webinar with EXTRA, Ash Pachauri, current chair of POP, and other leaders of the movement will explore the youth perspective on existential risks with us. ‘Protect our Planet’ – POP – is a major global youth movement for ecological sustainability with a focus on climate change, founded by former IPCC chair and Nobel prize winner Prof Rajendra Pachauri.
Younger generations face a far greater likelihood and, arguably, the near certainty of personally experiencing catastrophic levels of global warming, as well as major disruptions in the wake of AGI, food and water insecurity, and possibly also major conflict under now dangerously unstable geopolitical conditions. These and other challenges are escalating and coalescing into a polycrisis, creating an urgent demand not just for global action but systemic transformation. Watching aging politicians and corporate leaders gamble away their future for short-term gain, young people face considerable frustration and emotional stress, but are also responding by getting organised and taking action themselves. Join us for this lively conversation on generational justice and youth engagement.
Hosted by the EXTRA Team
Ash Pachauri
Director, Center for Human Progress, and Senior Mentor, Cofounder, POP (Protect Our Planet) Movement
Thomas Reuter
Chair, EXTRA
Speakers
Ricardo Delgado Lander, Venezuela/Argentina/Brazil
Communications Lead and Youth Mentor, Brazil
Ricardo is a communications professional and youth mentor based in Curitiba, Brazil. Brand Manager and Youth Mentor at the POP Movement, a multi-awarded international youth-led climate nonprofit in New York. Ricardo is committed to amplifying youth voices in global climate and sustainability conversations, with a multilingual, cross-cultural perspective.
Adanze Christiana Nzeako, Nigeria
POP Initiative Mentor, Nigeria
Adanze is a dedicated ecologist and development professional committed to promoting environmental sustainability and social equity. With a B.Tech and M.Tech in Ecology, her work has a strong academic foundation. Adanze is a certified Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) officer and a proud fellow of the Climate Education Leadership Fellowship. She has a deep commitment to integrating ecological awareness with gender equity, community empowerment, and climate education.
Kamal Tasi’u, Turkey
Academic Programs Manager, Bizim Afrika, Turkey
Kamal is a researcher, youth advocate, and Academic Programs Manager and Board Member at Bizim Afrika. He has numerous academic publications and was part of the team awarded 2nd Prize in the Postgraduate Category of the 3rd International Article Writing Competition 2025. He has facilitated educational, environmental, and youth-led projects at Yeni Dünya Vakfı and is a member of several international organizations, including Social Science & Humanities Research Association and History of Economics Society.
Philo Magdalene A, India
Youth Mentor, POP Movement, Tamil Nadu, India
Philo is a Youth Mentor at the POP Movement. A postgraduate in Literary and Cultural Studies, she has been trained in public policy and management, with experience across grassroots and environmental organizations in advocacy, communications, and participatory research. She has conducted community-based qualitative research on migration, heatwave vulnerability, and intersectional health impacts in the Global South. She aspires to bridge grassroots advocacy and academic scholarship with policy for systemic resilience to climate change.
Lorenzo Rodríguez, Venezuela
Political scientist and International Relations, Editor EXTRA Newsletter
Lorenzo has an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies from Ankara Social Sciences University in Turkey. BA in Political Studies from Universidad de Carabobo in Venezuela. Fulbright Global UGRAD exchange at the University of Mississippi, US. Has worked as a researcher and editor for a World Academy of Art and Science project, the Security and Sustainability Guide. Skills in project management, data analysis, and content creation.
