January 19, 2026 Building roots and growing shoots: A week in Malaysia with global changemakers by Elaina Cox, Youth Advisory Council Fellow (2025-2026) Photo: Elaina Cox This past September, I had the honour of attending the Roots & Shoots Global Youth Retreat in Malaysia as the Canadian representative with changemakers from across the globe. Representatives from every continent (except Antarctica) spent a week together in the middle of the tropical rainforest at Rimbamama Farm in the Bentong District of Malaysia. For those of you who don’t know, Roots & Shoots was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991 to bring together likeminded youth to take positive action that benefits the environment and improves the lives of people and animals. Throughout our time together at the Global Youth Retreat, we collaborated on project ideas, built empathy regarding our individual and common challenges, and exchanged stories and ideas from our diverse cultural, academic, and experiential backgrounds. Additionally, we had the opportunity to meet the team from Roots & Shoots Malaysia, where they offered a deep understanding of a different ecosystem, unique cultures, and new ways of seeing the world. I entered the retreat with the intention of integrating both Indigenous and western-Canadian perspectives within my dialogue, my proposed project ideas, and the session I co-hosted on the integration of Indigenous and local perspectives into existing actions and procedures. One of my main goals going into the retreat was to learn more about the relationships other participants have had with their local and Indigenous populations. I gained a plethora of perspectives and l look forward to integrating that with my existing knowledge, projects, and relationships moving forward. In the week following the retreat, we were informed of the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall, the woman who had brought us all together this week in Malaysia to discuss global change and our goals for the future. Jane was a woman who broke the system that most women at the time didn’t even think would bend. She took her love and passion for education, conservation, community, and all living things and committed her life to ensuring a better future for us all. This retreat was aligned entirely with her passions and her life’s vision. Jane strongly believed that young people are some of the most compassionate, creative changemakers our world has ever seen — and now we have the opportunity to prove her right. The retreat provided a powerful example of global citizenship — where a group of strangers from all over the world became friends and developed collaborative opportunities that will span continents and last long after this gathering. This is essential for solving issues that don’t stop at borders, like climate change or social inequality. Away from the rush of daily life, this retreat offered us the necessary time to reconnect with purpose, reflect on our own journeys, and refocus on what truly matters. Each participant at the 2025 Roots & Shoots Global Youth Retreat returned home inspired with a grown sense of confidence, sense of purpose, and awareness of global interconnection. Our time together can be described as nothing less than impactful, and I am excited to continue Dr. Jane Goodall’s work with my new global family. Explore Related Content From The Field 10 Urgent Actions Needed for the 2021 Canadian Election January 19, 2026 Read more Dr. Jane, Good News Stories Just Announced: New Events with Dr. Goodall January 19, 2026 Read more From The Field Village Forest Monitors: What do they do, and why does this work matter? January 19, 2026 Read more
