Giving Compass' Take:

• Below are remarks given recently by Aspen Institute President and CEO Dan Porterfield at the organization's International Partners Dinner, focused on the importance of engaging young people to help save the environment.

• How can we take these words to heart and empower youth leaders across a broad spectrum of efforts? Which programs show the most promise in applying strong research, as Porterfield emphasizes?

• Here's more about the importance of youth voices in community change.

Many of society’s most pressing challenges cross borders and require us to remember how mutually-dependent we are — like climate change, terrorism, the spread of infectious disease, and global economic instability. The butterfly effect has never been more true.

There’s so much we need to learn. That’s why ... research that helps us compose the place for youth is key. Information sharing is critical. Learning to apply research in promising ways is essential. We need to understand what youth in various countries are experiencing and learning and have freedom of exchange and partnership. We need to compose the place for our young people and care for the entire person — every person.

Our agenda together should be grounded in research, cultural respect, a positive mindset, and be future-focused. Together, our many Aspens should explore the development of a multi-national youth agenda and treat that agenda as one of our highest priority items — a “preferential option” if you will.

Read the full article about inspiring our youth for the sake of the planet by Dan Porterfield at The Aspen Institute.