An ambitious program for young people across Asia is training participants to champion justice, human rights and solidarity on the continent.

The inaugural Asian Youth Leadership Academy (AYLA) 2026, held from 24-30 June, 2026 at the International Youth Training Centre (IYTC) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The event brought together young leaders and young professionals from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Under the theme “Leading Change for Justice and Solidarity in Asia,” the Academy provided a unique platform for dialogue, learning and collaboration among young people from diverse cultures, faiths and professional backgrounds.

The event was organized by the IYTC in collaboration with the North South Initiative, Pax Romana International Movement of Catholic Students, the Communal Life of Love and Unity of the Mountain People Foundation, and Life Skills Academy

The week-long AYLA program aimed to strengthen ethical leadership while encouraging young people to respond to the social realities facing Asia with compassion, courage and solidarity.

“Asia is home to extraordinary diversity,” William Nokrek, international head of the Pax Romana movement told Crux Now.

“We have rich cultures, languages, religions, and traditions,” Nokrek said.

“At the same time,” he noted, “many communities continue to face poverty, inequality, discrimination, environmental degradation, migration, and shrinking civic space in some contexts.”

“These realities affect millions of people’s everyday lives,” he said.

Nokrek told Crux Now the AYLA is not just a one-week program, but “the beginning of a growing community of young leaders across Asia.”

He said his hope is to see every participant return home inspired to take small but meaningful actions in their own communities, while staying connected the Academy through the AYLA Alumni Network.

“Together,” Nokrek said, “we can continue learning from one another, sharing our experiences, and working across borders for justice, human dignity, solidarity and a sustainable future for all.”

Participants included journalists, educators, psychologists, researchers, development practitioners, community organizers, social workers, youth leaders and university students.

Although they came from different countries and experiences, they quickly discovered that many of the challenges facing Asia today are shared.

Human rights, migration, inequality, climate change, mental health, social exclusion and peacebuilding became common topics of conversation throughout the week.

Rather than relying on traditional lectures, AYLA encouraged participants to learn through dialogue, reflection and experience, to challenge their assumptions and explore practical ways to create positive change in their own communities.

“The most meaningful part of AYLA has been the people,” AYLA participant Astha Barsagade from India told Crux Now.

“Coming from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds,” Barsagade said, “we discovered that many of the challenges we face, whether related to inequality, climate change, gender, or social justice, are deeply interconnected.”

Barsagade told Crux Now programs like the AYLA really matter because they create something that is increasingly rare in today’s world: Spaces for genuine dialogue across cultures, identities, and borders.

She said AYLA transforms networking into solidarity and brings together young leaders who are not competing with one another but learning from one another.

Adrian Anthony Pereira, a resource person for the training program, spoke with Crux Now about the AYLA philosophy.

“Leadership is not about power or position,” Pereira said. “It begins with listening, understanding different realities,” he said, “and walking alongside people, especially those on the margins.”

“Asia’s challenges,” he said, “whether migration, inequality, climate change or human rights, cannot be solved by one country or one organization alone. They require dialogue, trust and solidarity across borders.”

Pereira told Crux Now he hopes AYLA “inspires young people to become compassionate leaders who work together to build more just, peaceful and inclusive societies.”

Crux Now heard how some of the most meaningful learning at AYLA 2026 did not come from presentations alone, but from participants’ experiences of listening to one another’s stories, sharing meals, reflecting together and building friendships across cultures, faiths and national borders.

Participants said those relationships became one of the academy’s greatest strengths, reminding everyone that dialogue and solidarity remain essential for addressing the complex challenges facing Asia today.

Preparations, meanwhile, have already begun for a specifically Catholic-focused event – CAYLA – the second of its kind, from November 3 to 13 of this year, also at at the International Youth Training Centre (IYTC) in Chiang Mai.