South African and Brazilian Youth Leaders Reimagine Global Mental Health Care

Turning lived experiences in resource-limited settings into youth-led solutions

South Africa, Brazil — The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute convened a forum with 31 youth mental health advocates from the South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH) and Young Peacebuilders, Brazil.

During the virtual event, which took place on June 17 in celebration of National Youth Day in South Africa, young mental health leaders, spanning ages 14 to 24, presented the different initiatives they are involved in their communities from solution-focused models of advocacy, integration of mental health care in schools, and advisory mechanisms to strengthen systems and influence policy change in Brazil and South Africa.

Eduardo Vasconcelos, director of youth engagement at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute, said striking parallels were revealed during the dialogue — particularly related to stigma — while unique cultural approaches and community resilience were also highlighted for their capacity to accelerate transformation.

“True safety is built through empathy, community, and trust, and that only happens when students are not just part of the conversation but at the center of it. That’s how Young Peacebuilders, Brazil, was born,” said Anna Laura Praxedes, the 18-year-old director of operations at Young Peacebuilders, Brazil, a participant of the forum.

Young Peacebuilders, Brazil, empowers students to promote a culture of peace in the school environment through dialogue, empathy, and leadership. Through a unique partnership with the Ministry of Education, they are transforming schools into welcoming and inclusive spaces, where conflicts are resolved collaboratively and where respect and diversity are valued. Their methods focus on building skills that help reduce anxiety — including breathing, movement, and meditation techniques — as well as innovative participatory processes that make teaching professionals active participants and multipliers for peace in their schools.

In South Africa, as in many places around the world, young people have faced exclusion from important mental health policy and decision-making spaces, resulting in policies and practices being developed without their voices included. To change that, SAFMH, an SNF Global Center partner, piloted the first-of-its-kind national youth advocacy and advisory forum for mental health.

“I joined the South Africa Federation for Mental Health Youth Forum because I’ve seen how mental health struggles affect so many young people — for my university friends, in my community, and even in my own life,” said 23-year-old Angel Mdluli at the forum. “So many of us don’t talk about it because we are scared of the stigma, and sometimes we don’t know where to go for help. So, I wanted to be part of something that creates real change.”

During the forum, many commonalities arose. Youth leaders from Brazil shared with their colleagues in South Africa tips on how to get buy-in from school leadership, and youth leaders from South Africa shared with their new colleagues from Brazil how to write memos and policy briefs for government stakeholders. Both groups shared challenges they face in integrating racism and sexism into conversations around mental health. They had very important conversations around the skills necessary to take care of oneself in order to be a leader in the mental health space. These cross-cultural dialogues are an invaluable way to share learnings and insights for the next generation of mental health leaders and an important part of the SNF Global Center’s work.

“The SNF Global Center continues to be in awe of incredible young advocates committed to engineering evidence-informed, scalable solutions that reimagine mental health care understanding and delivery. We are honored to have led this meaningful connection between Brazil and South Africa,” Vasconcelos said. “By partnering with children and adolescents and positioning them as primary architects of equitable, quality, and culturally attuned mental health care reform, this dialogue session transcended traditional models.”

The SNF Global Center continues to lead and support cross-cultural partnerships and elevate youth-driven solutions that authentically reflect the needs of diverse communities, which have been historically underrepresented.

About the SNF Global Center at the Child Mind Institute

The SNF Global Center brings together the Child Mind Institute’s expertise as a leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) deep commitment to supporting collaborative projects to improve access to quality health care worldwide. The center is building partnerships to drive advances in under-researched areas of children and adolescents’ mental health and expand access to culturally appropriate training, resources, and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. This work is conducted by the Child Mind Institute with support from SNF through its Global Health Initiative (GHI).

About the Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.

About the South African Federation for Mental Health

The South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH) is a leading nonprofit, nongovernmental organization committed to advancing mental health and well-being across South Africa. Founded in 1920, SAFMH works to ensure equitable access to quality mental health care, with a focus on serving vulnerable and under-resourced communities.

About the Young Peacebuilders, Brazil

Young Peacebuilders, Brazil (Jovens Líderes pela Paz) is a youth-driven initiative that empowers students to foster a culture of peace within school environments through dialogue, empathy, and leadership. The program aims to transform schools into inclusive and welcoming spaces where conflicts are resolved collaboratively and diversity is embraced. Believing in the power of youth as agents of social transformation, the initiative provides young leaders with the tools and support they need to inspire positive change in their communities.

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