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Ce vendredi 6 mars, après une journée de tensions entre Ukraine et Hongrie, Kiev a annoncé que ses employés de banque qui étaient détenus à Budapest ont été libérés. Plus tôt, le gouvernement hongrois a annoncé l’arrestation puis l’expulsion de sept Ukrainiens pour blanchiment d’argent. Kiev a dénoncé des arrestations arbitraires et convoqué le chargé d'affaires hongrois.

In Japan, the youth group donated the proceeds from their recycling to single-mother families with hospitalized children through the NPO Keep Mama Smiling. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto.

By Karuta Yamamoto
TOKYO, Japan, Mar 6 2026 (IPS)

From the beginning, this project was a collaboration between student teams in Japan and Korea. Although we live in different countries, we shared one common question: How can young people reduce waste while supporting families facing food insecurities?
Our journey began with a problem we could see clearly in our communities.

In Japan, food insecurity often hides behind quiet dignity. According to a recent survey by Save the Children Japan, over 90 percent of low-income households with children reported struggling to afford enough food, with many families forced to cut back on even basic staples such as rice due to rising prices.

The Japan and Korean team of all 11 students presented ‘The Co-creation of Youth from Waste to Hope’ at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) Thematic Event. Credit: Ticad 9

 

The Japanese team leader, Karuta Yamamoto, and the Korean team presented ‘What we want in Africa for the future’ at the Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, during TICAD 9.

 

Japan and Korea Team Leader, Karuta Yamamoto and Emma Shin, in an interview with UNFPA Seoul. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

 

The Korean team set up a shop at a bazaar at Arumjigi, Seoul, Korea. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

Single-parent households—most led by mothers—face especially high levels of food hardship and are often compelled to make painful decisions about how limited budgets are spent. For some families, this means choosing between symbolic moments of celebration and everyday nutrition. A ¥3,000 Christmas cake may represent joy for one household, but for another, that same amount must stretch to five kilograms of rice—enough to feed a family for several days.

At the same time, vast amounts of edible food are wasted in Japan. Official statistics show that millions of tons of food are discarded annually in Japan, much of it still edible. Seasonal items such as Christmas cakes, which cannot be sold after December 25, are frequently thrown away. This contrast—waste on one side and hunger on the other—reflects the global challenge addressed by SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

As students in Japan and Korea, we asked ourselves, “What role can we play in closing this gap?”

We knew that awareness alone would not change habits. enough. Instead of telling people to feel guilty about food waste, we decided to take action together.

We began locally, but with shared purpose.

In Japan, students at Dalton Tokyo Senior High School noticed that mandarin oranges—one of the country’s most common fruits—often go uneaten, with peels and seeds discarded. In Korea, students identified a different issue: more than 150,000 tons of used coffee grounds are discarded each year, contributing to landfill emissions and greenhouse gas emissions.

Different materials.

One shared goal.

Rather than seeing waste as the end of a product’s life, we saw it as a beginning.

Research shows that citrus peels contain essential oils that can be used in soaps and cleaning products. Studies in Korea also demonstrate that spent coffee grounds can be processed into sustainable biomaterials suitable for eco-friendly design and 3D printing. Plantable seed paper—made from recycled paper embedded with seeds—is another example of how waste can be transformed into something regenerative.

Inspired by these ideas, our student teams turned theory into action.

Japanese students created handmade soaps using discarded citrus peels.

Handmade soaps using discarded citrus peels. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

 

The soaps ready for sale. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

Korean students developed 3D-printed clip-on vases incorporating recycled coffee grounds, encouraging people to reuse empty bottles and cups instead of discarding them.

The Korean students developed 3D-printed clip-on vases incorporating recycled coffee grounds. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

They also produced plantable seed paper from recycled materials, allowing waste to literally grow into flowers and herbs.

Korean students produced plantable seed paper from recycled materials. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto.

These products were not sold as charity goods. Instead, they were shared as examples of responsible consumption—showing that waste can have a second life through our design. Through this work, we directly supported SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, which calls for reducing waste through recycling and reuse, and SDG 13: Climate Action, by lowering emissions through upcycling.

At the same time, the funds raised had a clear purpose.

The profits were used to support families facing food insecurity. In Japan, we donated to single-mother families with hospitalized children through the NPO Keep Mama Smiling (see main photo for the opinion piece).

They also provided essential cooking ingredients to the Karuizawa Food Bank. By connecting environmental action with helping families in need, our project also supported SDG 2: Zero Hunger.

The group provided cooking ingredients to the Karuizawa Food Bank. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

Through this experience, we learned that caring for the planet and caring for people are not separate goals. Waste reduction and hunger relief became connected in one youth-led effort—turning environmental responsibility into community solidarity.

But our collaboration did not stop in Japan and Korea.

Through a partnership with the OneSmile Foundation—an organization that transforms digital smiles into donations—we connected our local initiatives to a global challenge. During workshops, we learned that school meal donations in Lesotho had stopped the previous year. Without reliable meals, many students were struggling to focus in class.

Together, our Japanese and Korean teams raised over 300,000 Japanese yen.

The Japanese and Korean teams celebrate their fundraising efforts. Credit: Karuta Yamamoto

Working with local partners in Lesotho, we organized a community-based food support initiative at Rasetimela High School, which serves 863 students. School feeding programs play a critical role in Lesotho, and recent disruptions have left many students more vulnerable to hunger.

Students at Rasetimela High School in Lesotho receive donations of food. Courtesy: Rasetimela High School

Ninety-one of the most vulnerable students were selected through transparent criteria, including those supported by social welfare programs and those who had previously relied on international assistance. Each selected family received staple foods such as rice and corn flour to make a local staple called pap. Distribution was organized near the school to ensure safety and allow parents to collect the supplies securely.

This cross-border effort—connecting students, NGOs, local leaders, and communities—reflects the spirit of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Although we live in different countries, climates, and cultures, this experience reshaped how we understand global cooperation. The students in Lesotho were not distant beneficiaries. We became peers in a shared world.

They became peers in a shared world. Courtesy: Rasetimela High School

As young people, we often believe our impact is limited because we do not control large resources. This project challenged that belief. We learned that we can create change by designing solutions, raising awareness, and working together.

We even tried to measure what we called a “Happiness Index” by counting the smiles of students who received support. Those smiles reminded us that sustainability is not only environmental or economic—it is human.

Our experience shows that youth are not just future leaders. We are active contributors today. When creativity meets collaboration, waste can become opportunity, and local action can grow into global solidarity.

Turning waste into hope is not an abstract idea.
It is a choice—and young people are already making it.

Edited by Dr Hanna Yoon

IPS UN Bureau Report

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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« Nous ne pouvons plus partir du principe que les solutions d'hier sont adaptées aux problèmes d'aujourd'hui », a déclaré Maria Luís Albuquerque.

The post La commissaire européenne aux finances préconise une refonte du cadre bancaire post-2008 appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Saudi-Arabiens Kalkül könnte ein anderes sein, als viele denken. Zwar fliegen Raketen und Drohnen auf Doha, Dubai und auch auf Riad. Doch einiges spricht dafür, dass sich das Königreich vom Irankrieg auch Vorteile erhofft.

American President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Kurdistan's political parties, threatening to cut US funding to their security forces if [...]

Beijing is formally repositioning Hong Kong from a neutral intermediary between Chinese and global capital into a “vanguard” of the state’s financial security architecture.

Lee has redefined the South Korean executive by trading imperial secrecy for radical transparency and focusing on tangible results.

Carney has opted for energetic, pragmatic action – including repairing ties with India – in the face of U.S. instability.

“By undermining Chinese projects [in Afghanistan], the ISI seeks to remind Beijing that Pakistan remains a critical gatekeeper for regional connectivity, especially through CPEC.”

La BBC a réussi à s'entretenir avec certains Iraniens qui vivent actuellement au milieu des explosions, des difficultés pour s'approvisionner en nourriture et des coupures d'Internet.

La Hongrie a voté contre, tandis que l'Autriche et la Belgique se sont abstenues.

The post Les pays de l’UE soutiennent les mesures de sauvegarde agricoles liées à l’accord commercial avec le Mercosur appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Le Sénégal décide de réguler les médias et des réseaux sociaux, avec la création d'un Conseil national de régulation des médias. Cette nouvelle instance sera chargée de superviser l’audiovisuel, mais aussi, et surtout, les plateformes numériques, avec un pouvoir de sanction élargi, ce que dénonce l'opposition. Les explications de notre correspondant à Dakar, Elimane Ndao.

Written by Clare Ferguson

The following debate will see Commission and Council statements on the situation in Iran following the US-Israel military operation, including the need to support the Iranian people. On Tuesday lunchtime, Parliament will celebrate International Women’s Day, with the focus this year on gender stereotypes, disinformation and violence, all of which weaken women’s participation in democracy. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, is expected to address Parliament in a formal sitting on Wednesday.

The 2027 annual EU budget will be the last one under the current multiannual financial framework (MFF), and Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) is calling for a strong focus on delivery for people, the economy, the planet and providing investments for competitiveness. On Tuesday, Members are set to debate the committee’s report, which emphasises the EU budget’s role in strengthening the bloc’s cohesion in the face of a difficult geopolitical landscape. BUDG also calls to uphold a strong external policy and underlines the agreement between EU institutions that expenditure covering the financing costs of Next Generation EU must not reduce funding for EU programmes. The vote on the guidelines for the 2027 EU budget will set Parliament’s position for the forthcoming interinstitutional negotiations.

On Tuesday, Members are due to debate a Foreign Affairs (AFET) Committee report on the European Union’s enlargement strategy. To date, merit-based EU enlargement has had a largely positive effect, bringing peace and prosperity to countries joining the bloc. With nine candidate countries and one potential candidate awaiting EU membership, Parliament’s own-initiative report on EU enlargement strategy underlines its support for the process and for reform of the current procedure for admitting new members. The report also emphasises enlargement’s strategic potential to strengthen the wider region in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. Finally, the report underlines the need for a strong merit-based process where alignment with the EU’s core values is an unconditional principle of membership.

Under the Treaties, Parliament’s role is to scrutinise proposed EU legislation – and also international agreements – on behalf of European citizens. The revised framework agreement on relations between Parliament and the European Commission aims at strengthening Parliament’s prerogatives as regards the Commission’s duties to inform Parliament of its plans. On Monday, Members will discuss a report prepared by the Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) Committee. The report emphasises that the new framework agreement retains the institutional balance intended in the Treaties, while also creating a clearer and more accountable relationship between the institutions, working in EU citizens’ interests.

Ahead of the 2026 World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, taking place in Cameroon at the end of the month, Members are due to debate a resolution setting out Parliament’s position on the multilateral negotiations, on Wednesday afternoon. Here again, global instability and the retreat from global trade rules mean the need to reform the WTO is urgent, not least to replace the long-broken dispute settlement system, promote a global level playing field and make the rules more flexible. Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) has tabled a motion for a resolution underscoring Parliament’s support for the multilateral trading system and emphasising the need for greater flexibility. A delegation from the INTA committee is due to attend the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference.

Closer to home, many citizens are personally concerned about the EU’s housing crisis. While housing policy remains a national competence, Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU (HOUS) has tabled a report recommending action to improve housing affordability. The committee proposes to help tackle the issue through EU rules on short-term rentals, aiming to strike a balance between promoting urban local communities and tourism income. The HOUS committee also proposes action to improve quality in the construction and energy-efficiency sectors and calls on EU governments to support people trying to get into the housing market through tax breaks. Members are due to debate the recommendations on solutions for affordable housing on Tuesday morning.

A shortage of qualified workers in various sectors continues to be an issue in many EU countries. While the EU has already provided a platform to match EU jobseekers with employers, the European Commission is proposing to introduce legislation to create an EU talent pool which would be open to non-EU citizens. Faced with international competition for talent, the proposal would allow EU countries to attract workers, while guarding against creating an alternative pathway to legal migration. Parliament is keen to ensure that the system is fair, protects against discrimination and is rolled out in all EU countries. On Tuesday, Members are set to vote on a text agreed in interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal to establish an EU talent pool.

When using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate text, images or code, many people are unaware of the legal implications of the AI tool’s use of copyrighted material as training data. This can mean that content creators, artists and other rights-holders are neither acknowledged nor paid for their input. On Tuesday, Members are therefore due to vote on an own-initiative report from the Legal Affairs Committee calling for clarification of the legal situation as regards copyright and generative AI.

The EU rules on package travel date back to 2015 and need to be updated to improve passenger protection. Members are therefore due to consider amendments to the Package Travel Directive, following an agreement reached between the co-legislators in December 2025. Parliament’s negotiators succeeded in improving the complaints procedure and consumer information provided on what is included in the ‘package’ they purchase. Parliament is scheduled to vote to conclude its first reading on the legislation to amend the Package Travel Directive on Wednesday.

Quick links to all our publications for this plenary session:

European Parliament Plenary Session March 2026 – agenda

• Parliament’s guidelines for the 2027 EU budget: Section III – European Commission
• Parliament’s own-initiative report on EU enlargement strategy
• New framework agreement on relations between Parliament and Commission
• Towards the 2026 WTO Ministerial Conference
• Addressing the housing crisis in the EU
• Proposal for a regulation establishing an EU talent pool
• Copyright and generative artificial intelligence – Opportunities and challenges
• Package travel: Improved protection for travellers

The false promise of total victory.

An RAF Typhoon was pictured at BAE Systems Warton carrying two seven round LAU-131 rocket pods, which can be used to fire APKWS guided munitions against surface and, importantly, air targets. 

The images, taken by Tech Digital Photography, mark the first time that we’ve seen a Typhoon outfitted with a rocket pod in the flesh. While rocket pods were integrated with many aircraft that the Typhoon has ended up replacing, until relatively recently these were largely for unguided rockets in an air to surface role and deploying such a non-precision weapon from a fast jet no longer aligned with the operating practices of many air forces.

Now, though, the introduction of the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) guidance kit for Hydra 70 rockets over the past decade has granted such munitions a new lease of life. Initially envisaged as a way to precisely strike softer targets, preserving larger munitions for more valuable, hardened targets, the APKWS kit has now been well proven in an anti-air capacity against the emerging threat of small, inexpensive uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). 

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing, sits at the hot cargo pad after being loaded with rockets at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Jun. 11, 2025. (Image credit: USAF/ Airman 1st Class Nyanda Walker-Potts)

Recently integrated on mainline U.S. Air Force fighters like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15E Strike Eagle, APKWS rocket pods are now very commonly seen carried by these aircraft into combat – including during the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. As well as being less expensive than dedicated air to air munitions like the AIM-9X Sidewinder, these rockets can also be carried in far greater quantities. This allows each aircraft to engage many more targets before needing to return to an airfield to be reloaded, an important factor when being faced with dozens or even hundreds of incoming drones. 

BAE Systems has developed a dual mode laser/infrared seeker for APKWS for precisely this counter-UAS (C-UAS) purpose, which will eliminate the current need for continual lasing of the intended target. 

With the UK Defence Investment Plan (#DIP) due Monday (or so I have been led to believe), we’re all expecting to be put out of our collective misery re #NMH. Another announcement I’ve been told to maybe expect is related to #APKWS rockets on the #Eurofighter Typhoon for low-cost… pic.twitter.com/RmAdpTWCQk

— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) December 12, 2025

The acquisition of APKWS II by the Royal Air Force for deployment from its Typhoon force has been strongly rumored in recent months, with anticipations that such a decision is due to be announced in the still heavily delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP). The timely appearance of rocket pods on this Typhoon – marked with the insignia of the RAF’s 41 Test & Evaluation (TES) Squadron but thought to be in use directly by BAE Systems – should not be taken as a definitive confirmation of this plan, though, as BAE Systems already announced that integrating APKWS II was under consideration.

Any comment on the subject from the Royal Air Force itself has been tight-lipped. 

Both UK and Germany tell me there are no current plans to equip @eurofighter #Typhoon with rockets for the counter-#drone mission, but not to say it won’t happen. Waiting to hear from Italy and Spain. 1/3 https://t.co/OSOKTcLKBT pic.twitter.com/EnXWFOYItJ

— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) June 25, 2025

These trials, then, may be BAE Systems getting out ahead of time with their anticipation of potential future orders by the RAF as well as overseas Typhoon operators. When any procurement decisions are then made, the weapon will be available for use far more quickly. 

 

          View this post on Instagram                      

 

A post shared by Tech_Photog (@tech_photog)

Tech Digital Photography’s images do in fact appear to show that live firing trials of some form have begun, with the Typhoon pictured on the ground with a single round carried in the starboard pod. When the jet is pictured on approach to the airfield, the same pod is empty. 

 

          View this post on Instagram                      

 

A post shared by Tech_Photog (@tech_photog)

Timely Appearance

The debut of rocket pods for the Typhoon comes at a particularly coincidental time, given recent events in the Middle East. Of course, aircraft already integrated with APKWS II have been carrying these into combat amid the threat of Iranian drones, but RAF Typhoons flying from Qatar and RAF Akrotiri have instead had to rely solely on AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missiles (ASRAAMs) as their short-range infrared guided air to air missile. 

USAF F-15E in full counter drone loadout for Epic Fury. 4 X AIM-120, 4X AIM-9, 28 FALCO APKWS laser-guided rockets + the 20mm. Jet is clean aside from that, so likely has nearby tanker support and can get to where it needs to go fast.

Image via CENTCOM screencap pic.twitter.com/kTvlQCNYBr

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 4, 2026

Typhoons can carry only four ASRAAMs per sortie – the four partially recessed fuselage hardpoints being dedicated for larger radar-guided missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM or MBDA’s Meteor. With just two of the rocket pods, each Typhoon could carry 14 APKWS rockets into battle alongside two ASRAAM. 

The massive cost of using ASRAAM in a C-UAS role has already been a point of criticism in the British press. While the cost calculations are not wrong – and the highly capable ASRAAM is indeed a massive overmatch for these low tier targets – this line of thinking does fail to consider the cost of not intercepting an incoming drone of missile, which could be far higher than the expense of an ASRAAM. 

RAF Typhoon taxiing at RAF Akrotiri in recent days, loaded with four ASRAAM, plus Meteor missiles and a LITENING targeting pod. (Image credit: Crown Copyright)

UK F-35Bs, which recently scored their first ever destruction of a hostile target when a Fleet Air Arm pilot destroyed an Iranian drone with an ASRAAM, would still have to use these higher tier missiles as rocket pods have not been integrated on this type. Theoretically, at the expense of full stealth characteristics (even more so than the already external carry only ASRAAM), there is no apparent reason why this integation could not take place, but it would have to be scheduled through the U.S. managed Integrated Test Force (ITF).

If the U.S. decides to follow this path, we may see this option emerge relatively quickly, but the UK is already plagued by delays to the integration of its weapons to the F-35B to such a point that the fleet’s only available air to ground weapon is the Paveway IV guided bomb. 

On the Typhoon, as well as offering a new C-UAS option, integration of APKWS II adds another munition to its quiver for strike missions alongside the Paveway IV, Brimstone, and Storm Shadow cruise missile. Like with the earlier comparison to the AGM-114 Hellfire, softer targets like light-skinned vehicles, unprotected enemy emplacements, or even small boats can be targeted with APKWS without expending a valuable Brimestone or high-collateral Paveway IV. Many strikes of this nature have been carried out during Operation Shader in Iraq and Syria.

Many thanks to Tech Digital Photography for allowing the use of their images in this article. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Die Lateinamerika-Expertin spricht im Podcast außerdem über radikale Rechte wie Argentiniens Präsident Milei und darüber, warum der globale Süden eine gerechtere internationale Ordnung braucht.

Discussions between the French and Lebanese armies over arms deliveries to Beirut are currently underway, according to Intelligence Online sources. [...]

Plenary session and committee meetings, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Cooking food to distribute free to children. The meals are made with food that is close to its expiry date. Workshop with Karuizawa Food Bank. Credit: Ippei Takemura

By Ippei Takemura
MIYAGI PREFECTURE, Japan, Mar 6 2026 (IPS)

I recently came across a statistic that stopped me in my tracks.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Japan has the highest suicide rate among the G7 countries. Even more alarming, suicide is the leading cause of death among people in their teens and twenties. Among elementary, junior high, and high school students, the most common factors linked to suicide are “school-related issues,” including academic pressure and difficulties with peer relationships.

At the same time, the number of children who do not attend school is rising every year. In 2023, Japan’s Ministry of Education reported that more than 340,000 elementary and junior high school students were chronically absent—a record high. These two realities are not separate problems. They are deeply connected.

Truancy is often misunderstood as a lack of motivation or discipline. In reality, it is rooted in complex emotional and psychological struggles that cannot be reduced to a single cause. Rather than treating truancy itself as the problem, society must ask a deeper question: Are we creating environments where young people feel safe, accepted, and understood?

I know this struggle firsthand. I began missing school just three days after entering junior high. My family had lived overseas for many years due to my parents’ work, and returning to Japan left me emotionally exhausted. I found comfort in playing online games with close friends I had made abroad, but while I was holding on to those connections, I missed the chance to build new ones at my new school. Before I realized it, I was caught in a cycle of frequent absences that lasted nearly three years.

What helped me break that cycle was not a dramatic intervention but a small and unexpected turning point. I joined a monthly, off-campus workshop focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To my surprise, students from my school were also participating. Because we shared a genuine interest in global issues, conversation came naturally as we worked together on projects. Eventually, we began spending time together outside the workshop. For the first time in a long while, I started looking forward to going to school again.

That experience taught me a powerful lesson: shared interests and common ground are the foundation of human connection.

Learn about the Internet of Things (IoT) using a toy. ‘Let’s upcycle’ workshop with the One Smile Foundation. Credit: Ippei Takemura

 

What’s the importance of gender in Japan? Workshop with Plan International, Japan. Credit: Ippei Takemura

 

Provide children with free meals made from food that is close to its expiry date. Workshop with Karuizawa Food Bank. Credit: Ippei Takemura

A place where someone feels safe and comfortable is different for everyone. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg describes this idea through the concept of a “Third Place”—a space that exists beyond home (the first place) and school or work (the second place). Third places allow people to relax, connect, and simply be themselves. Finding such a place was the catalyst that inspired me to want to create similar spaces for others.

Social connection is not optional for human beings. It is essential for mental and physical health, helping to reduce stress, strengthen cognitive function, and foster a sense of belonging. However, people connect at different speeds. Some are naturally outgoing, while others need time and distance before they feel ready to engage. A truly inclusive third place respects these differences.

Based on my experiences, I believe there are three key elements that make a third place successful. First, it must include both spaces for solitude and spaces for interaction, with a clear separation between the two. Some people need time to observe and feel comfortable before speaking. A quiet area allows them to exist without pressure and to join others when they are ready.

Second, there should be shared activities. When people gather around common interests—whether environmental issues, crafts, or sports—conversation becomes easier, and relationships develop more naturally.

Finally, many people struggle to take the first step socially. Having facilitators or mentors who can gently initiate activities or conversations can make a huge difference.

One place that embodies these principles is the Moriumius Summer Camp in Miyagi Prefecture, which I have attended since elementary school. In high school, I joined for the first time as a staff intern. The organizers intentionally build community by using shared work as a catalyst for connection.

Campers collaborate on everyday tasks such as cooking (photo ①), preparing fish, starting fires (photo ②), and cleaning. These shared responsibilities create trust and a sense of equality. Beyond that, participants can deepen relationships through activities aligned with their interests, including crafts (photo ③), marine sports, gardening, and farming. During one workshop, I befriended an elementary school student who was making a bamboo fishing rod and shaping slate into a knife. We connected naturally through our shared love of creating things. Because everyone at the camp already enjoys outdoor life, friendships form more easily—and shared hobbies strengthen them even further.

Campers help with cooking. Credit: Ippei Takemura

 

Campers can collaborate on starting fires and cleaning. Credit: Ippei Takemura

 

Participants can deepen relationships through activities aligned with their interests, including crafts. Credit: Ippei Takemura

A place can be more than just an escape. It can be the first step toward healing, renewed confidence, and hope. When young people find a space where they feel safe enough to be themselves, they often rediscover the courage to reconnect—with others, with learning, and with their own sense of possibility.

This is why I want to continue supporting the creation of spaces that can become “someone’s own place”—places where young people feel seen, valued, and free to grow at their own pace. Sometimes, finding the right space is all it takes for someone to realize that they belong.

Yet this need for belonging is not unique to one school or one country. Around the world, young people are facing increasing isolation, academic pressure, and mental health challenges. Rising youth suicide rates and growing school disengagement reflect a global crisis. When young people are left without spaces where they feel safe, heard, and supported, the consequences extend far beyond classrooms and households—they shape the future of entire societies.

Creating and protecting “third places,” therefore, is not merely a personal or local effort; it is a global responsibility. Governments, schools, communities, and international organizations must work together to invest in inclusive environments where young people can connect through shared interests, express themselves without fear, and rebuild a sense of belonging. Doing so directly supports the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education), by addressing mental health, social inclusion, and equitable access to supportive learning spaces.

Every young person deserves a place where they feel safe enough to take their first step forward. By listening to youth voices and turning commitment into action, we can move from awareness to impact—and from isolation to hope. The future depends not only on how we educate young people but also on whether we give them places where they truly belong.

Edited by Dr Hanna Yoon

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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« Le bloc n'a pas de réponse mature en matière de défense », a déclaré Christophe Gomart à Euractiv.

The post Christophe Gomart, vice-président de la commission de la sécurité et de la défense au Parlement européen, appelle à la nomination d’un nouveau chef d’état-major de l’UE appeared first on Euractiv FR.