29/12/2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we look back at the transformative journey of the Fellows of the Future Bridging Leaders Program 6 (FBLP 6) centered on the theme "Youth Action in Regenerating Pathways to Sustainable Futures."
Held last September 29 to October 3, Workshop 1 offered an intensive and immersive learning experience designed to equip youth leaders with the knowledge, skills, and reflective practices necessary to address complex social, environmental, and governance challenges related to sustainability in organizations, communities and societies. The week began with a course overview and an introduction to Bridging Leadership as a social technology for navigating the inequities and divides of the 21st century, guided by Prof. Manuel De Vera. Fellows were then introduced to the principles of designing sustainable futures, exploring how emergent properties shape systems and how tools such as theory of change, challenge framing, and personal commitments can translate insight into impact under the guidance of Prof. Richard L. Cruz.
The program also included a session on global sustainable frameworks and standards, providing an orientation to environment, social, and governance (ESG) practices across the private and public sectors, facilitated by Mr. Ricky De Castro, Independent Sustainability Consultant and Mr. Jed Llanes of Komunidad. Fellows were further engaged in reflective-in-action exercises on connecting to purpose in times of uncertainty, exploring HOME (Healing of Memories and Energies) and CORE (Own productive Responses to manage Emotions) to harness personal power, led by Prof. Milagros D. Lagrosa.
Understanding power for sustainable futures was another key learning focus conducted by Prof. De Vera by introducing the Powercube framework to analyze levels, spaces, and forms of power in shaping community outcomes. The journey continued with discussions on transformative pathways to sustainability from diverse international and transdisciplinary contexts, followed by a deep dive into personal leadership capacities to understand one’s role in navigating and effecting change in communities with Prof. Timothy M. Ting. Fellows were also introduced to Rapid Area Assessment as a foundation for designing change prototypes, culminating in the presentation of their RAA plans under the guidance of the FBLP Faculty.
Throughout the week the faculty facilitated a reflective and action-oriented environment that encouraged Fellows to translate theoretical insights into practical strategies for community impact. Workshop 1 was not only a series of classes but the beginning of the Fellows’ sustained engagement in advancing regenerative, just, and sustainable futures—an engagement that extends far beyond the classroom and into the communities they serve.
