Southern Border Youth Unite for Climate Action at “Alam Rising!”, Celebrating CINTALAM’s Achievements and Amplifying Youth Voices to the Global Stage 

PATTANI, 26 September 2026 – Funded by the European Union, a climate action project in Thailand’s southern border provinces has reached more than 3,000 children and youth in the region since its inception 3 years ago, Save the Children said, as it marked the project’s successes ahead of a global climate summit this year.  

Save the Children Thailand held “Alam Rising!” between 25–26 September 2026 at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, to celebrate the achievements of the CINTALAM project and showcase the work of young people who have been driving climate action across Thailand’s southern border provinces.  

Throughout the project, CINTALAM has reached more than 3,000 children and young people in the region. 

At Alam Rising!, children and young people from groups involved in the project came together to exchange experiences and showcase what they had put into action—from community-led initiatives and environmental awareness activities to campaigns shaped by young people’s own voices and perspectives.  

Highlights included workshops on recycling and upcycling waste into value-added products including turning secondhand fabrics into handmade patchwork clothes and transforming plastic waste into bags and flips flops, short-film screenings, and panel discussions aimed at advancing policy recommendations.  

Participants in the weekend discussions included representatives from the Senate, House of Representatives, National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, and other stakeholders. 

The words “Cinta Alam” in the local, Patani Malay language mean “love for nature,” reflecting the project’s core belief that children and young people should be at the heart of climate action and decision making.  

Funded by the European Union, Save the Children’s three-year CINTALAM project works in partnership with the Green South Foundation and Trash Hero Pattani to support a conducive environment for environmental action in Thailand’s southern border provinces.  

The project strengthens the capacity of civil society organisations, builds children’s and young people’s understanding of the impacts of climate change, and creates greater space for the voices of children, young people and women to be heard and to contribute to policies and practices that affect their lives and communities. 

Hiranya, 22, a youth representative from the Community Natural Way Learning Centre, Chana Rak Thin Network, is one of the young people participating in CINTALAM.  

Hiranya reflected on the experience and said: 

“The processes and tools introduced through CINTALAM have helped our organisation broaden the way we approach our work. Previously, we tended to work on children, communities or local natural resources as separate issues. We have now begun to see how everything is connected—people with one another, people with nature, and people with the beliefs of their communities. It has helped us realise that creating learning spaces for children is not simply about giving them knowledge or organising an activity that ends when the session is over. It is about building relationships that enable children and communities to reconnect with their own home, ask questions and exchange ideas across generations—and for those connections to continue even after the activity has ended.” 

Hiranya added: 

“Participating in the project has taught us that preparing for the impacts of climate change is not the responsibility of any one person, nor is it something that concerns adults alone. It concerns everyone, across all ages. Whether the impacts are direct or indirect, we are all affected. The question is how we can enable everyone to prepare for these changes without always having to wait for outside assistance. We can begin by becoming more self-reliant and recognising the resources and strengths that already exist within our communities—our forests, waterways, food, local wisdom, ways of life, relationships and beliefs. These resources have always been there, but perhaps we have not yet fully connected them or made the most of them in our everyday lives.” 

For Jalwati, 28, from Trash Hero Pattani, which works to improve waste management in local communities, one of the most rewarding outcomes has been seeing schools where the group has worked become better able to sort waste correctly, while students have developed greater awareness of the importance of waste management—leading to tangible changes in behaviour. 

“The financial support from the European Union and Save the Children has made it easier for Trash Hero Pattani to carry out waste management activities and organise initiatives that reach more people and engage more participants. The project has also given us knowledge through training before putting activities into practice, including financial reporting, activity design and problem analysis. We have been able to apply this knowledge to our organisation’s own work—from planning and implementing activities to documentation. This has made our processes more systematic and standardised, while improving the overall effectiveness of our work.” 

Guillaume Rachou, Executive Director of Save the Children Thailand, said: 

“What we have seen through CINTALAM goes beyond the activities and achievements of children and young people. Programmes like this put children and youth who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis at the heart of climate action. Through this initiative, they have discovered that their own voices and actions can create change. When children and young people are given space, support and people who are ready to listen, they can become a powerful force in shaping the future of their communities.  

We hope that what began with CINTALAM will continue to grow, carrying the voices of young people from Thailand’s southern border provinces even further.” 

At the heart of CINTALAM is a commitment to making environmental action a space where children and young people of all genders and backgrounds can participate meaningfully. 

Following the event, youth representatives from the project will bring their experiences and voices from Thailand’s southern border provinces to wider platforms.  

They will participate in activities during Bangkok Climate Action Week (BKKCAW) in Bangkok in October and at the annual UN climate meeting, or COP 31, in November.  

The COP31 Climate Summit focuses on turning Paris Agreement commitments into practical delivery and is scheduled to take place from 9-20 November in Türkiye with Australia leading formal negotiations 

From a “love for nature” rooted in local communities, CINTALAM is now carrying that momentum forward—from young people to their communities—strengthening networks and building the confidence of children and young people to take the next steps. The aim is for them not only to inherit a future shaped by the impacts of climate change, but also to have a meaningful say in what that future should look like.