(Jeju-do, Republic of Korea) — Student leaders from Korea’s international schools committed to a Youth Action Pact at the United Nations Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF)“ Peace Is All of Us” Summit on Jeju Island. The pact positions young leaders across South Korea to drive solutions in peacebuilding, gender equality, climate resilience and cultural preservation – turning dialogue into action.
Hosted in partnership with the WPHF Global Luminary GEM Club, Branksome Hall Asia, Korea International School (KIS), and Saint Johnsbury Academy Jeju, the landmark Global Youth Leadership Forum convened young peacebuilders, feminist organizers, educators, and UN leaders on South Korea’s “Island of Peace”. The pact capped three days of intergenerational dialogue, innovation labs, and cultural exchanges, positioning youth leadership as a driving force for peace and sustainability.
“Youth leadership isn’t symbolic, it is transformative,” said Tonni Ann Brodber, Head of the WPHF Secretariat. “When young people act, even in small ways, they shift the course of peace, justice, and human rights. Because peace is not passive. It is a movement powered by young voices, collective courage, and the refusal to stay silent in the face of inequality.”
Reflecting on the significance of convening on Jeju, Brodber added: “We came to Jeju, an island of peace, because its spirit mirrors the mission of the “Peace Is Campaign.” After London, New York, and South Africa, this is where global youth leadership meets a country shaped by resilience, memory, and hope. Jeju reminds us that peace is not abstract; it is built by young people, places, and movements that choose it every single day.”
The event placed a spotlight on the GEM Club of Branksome Hall Asia, one of WPHF’s youngest and most dynamic Global Luminaries.
“The GEM Club (Girls Empowerment Movement Club) reminds us why youth leadership matters,” said Brodber. “Their creativity and commitment move communities, shift mindsets, and advance peace in real and tangible ways. When young people step forward, they don’t just participate in shaping the future, they lead it.”
Earlier this year, the GEM Club mobilized 850 peers and families for a Walk-a-Thon for Peace ahead of International Women’s Day in March 2025, raising funds for the WPHF Window for Women Human Rights Defenders. Building on that momentum, the GEM Club took center stage this past weekend on their home island of Jeju, co-hosting the Youth Leadership Forum and guiding participants toward a bold shared vision for peace.
“Caring for our peers, our community, and our island; honoring our culture and traditions; and ensuring they never fade is our definition of peace,” said GEM Club member and WPHF Global Luminary Yujeong (Olivia) Ha.
They highlighted the role of the haenyeo, Jeju’s iconic feminist free-divers: women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who dive without oxygen tanks to harvest the sea, preserving a matriarchal tradition that has survived centuries but now faces existential threats from climate change, declining youth participation, and environmental degradation. The GEM Club is partnering with haenyeo communities to preserve and translate their stories for the world. It was this living tradition that inspired the Youth Action Pact. It reaffirms youth leadership as a driving force for a peaceful and sustainable future — one rooted in the resilience of Jeju’s women divers and carried forward by the next generation.
One of the keynote youth speakers, Thelma Aisha Ali, a young WPHF-supported peacebuilder and feminist from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines, emphasized the power of narrative, identity, and digital activism.
“Know your roots. Embrace your culture. Share your narratives,” she said. “A generation that forgets its history loses its soul… but a generation that remembers can rebuild what was broken and reclaim what was taken.”
She reminded participants of the role youth must play across online and offline spaces: “As Gen Z and Alpha Gen, your screens are extensions of your voice and values. Activism is not chaos but courage, the refusal to remain neutral in the face of injustice.”
The “Peace Is All of Us” Summit Series is part of the “Peace Is” global movement – a new multi- stakeholder campaign launched by WPHF and its partners to redefine peace as bold, feminist, intergenerational and rooted in local leadership.
Following previous activations in London, New York, and South Africa, this landmark gathering in South Korea is a true reflection of what the “Peace Is” Global Campaign stands for: collective action, shared purpose, and the belief that peace is a living, active practice rooted in inclusion, justice and equality.
“If you weren’t meant to lead, the doors wouldn’t keep opening for you,” said Ali. “Being the youngest in the room is never an accident but proof that your voice carries a promise others see before you fully see it in yourself. Believe in yourself.”
