During the Summit for Future Generations on June 12th at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, one central theme took the spotlight: how can we build a sustainable, just future together—starting now? In three content-rich sessions, scholars, students, visionaries, and changemakers came together to explore urgent issues like climate, peace, and youth participation in an integrated way.
The summit’s opening session,Melting Ice, Rising Hope, immediately conveyed the severity of the climate crisis. Polar explorer and filmmaker Bernice Notenboom demonstrated how the consequences of Arctic warming are irreversible. Professor of Transition Science Jan Rotmans emphasized that true systemic change only begins when people are deeply moved: "Only then does real transformation happen." Jane Goodall Institute ambassador for the Netherlands, Aniek Moonen, concluded with a call for active hope and empathy as engines of change.
In the second session, Peace in Practice the focus shifted to peace as a shared responsibility. Economist and theologian Jan Jorrit Hasselaar and student Liliana Gaddi described hope as a moral compass that guides us toward just systems. Philosopher Pius Mosima introduced African philosophical traditions, where interconnectedness and justice are central. Evolutionary psychologist Mark van Vugt explained how inner peace and awareness of our behavior are essential to overcoming polarization. Student Sofia Zampedri emphasized the role of education as the starting point for climate action and connection. Rector Magnificus Jeroen Geurts closed with the lighting of a map and words of hope: "Peace is not a destination, but an invitation to collaborate, reflect, and imagine."
The closing session gave the stage to the generation that was central throughout the Summit: youth. In NextGen Solutions: Youth Leading Change, changemakers like VU student Sanne Valkink, Youth Climate Movement board member Rens Holtkamp, and WUR student Yasmin Dijksterhuis advocated for genuine decision-making power, structural support, and trust in their ability to lead change. “What if universities didn’t just reward knowledge, but also courage?” Valkink asked. In a panel with KidsRights founder Marc Dullaert and UNSDSN Youth Council’s John Thwaites, one message was clear: young people are not spectators, but co-architects of the future.
The common thread running through all the sessions was clear: hope is not a naive wish, peace is not a final destination, and youth are not a promise for the future—they are already the driving force of change. That is, if we take them seriously, support them, and give them the space to help build the world of tomorrow.
