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GSA 2019, Larissa Silvestri has spent the past few months working with the GSA Network to put into practice what she studies and learns — occupying decision-making spaces related to biodiversity and climate. The training, called “Learning About Advocacy in International Conferences,” was conducted remotely and free of charge for those who have participated in the GSA Program, the Elos Institute’s training designed to develop transformative leadership. So far, 679 people from 57 countries have been trained through the Elos Methodology.
Alongside Pâmella Nogueira, Larissa designed a learning path that connected the history of spaces such as the COP — the climate conference that gathers political leaders and, in 2025, will take place in Belém, Brazil — to mentorship sessions for participants interested in actively shaping the climate debate in their countries.
For Larissa, a lawyer with experience in environmental law, the GSA Network makes a unique contribution to public debate because of its cultural and experiential diversity. “I think the discussions within the GSA environment give us access to people, experiences, and exchanges that are essential to nurture our advocacy and mobilization work — whether in international events or in national and local initiatives,” she explains.
She believes that this cultural and experiential richness within the group is precisely what makes its contributions vital for making climate and societal debates richer, more diverse, genuinely democratic, and in dialogue with life, needs, and the dreams of each territory. For that, she says, being present in these spaces and joining the conversations is only the beginning.
“I think it’s important for GSAs to unite to build a collective statement that helps shape and guide the implementation of policies, because we have hands-on experience implementing actions in the territories,” she details, adding that “today’s policies often fail in the design of implementation — in listening to the experience of those who have already witnessed the miracle (the Elos Methodology), that is, the creation of something from scratch.”
In this interview, Larissa shares what it was like to design the training and reflects on how it’s already bearing its first fruits: “We have a participant who was selected for a UN training — that’s a seed we planted, and we’ll harvest many more in the future.”
Let’s start by understanding what the GSA Program was like for you. We know it’s a different experience for each participant, isn’t it?
It was quite intense because I was in a complicated professional moment, questioning my choices — and since my profession has always been a way of life for me, of living well, I wasn’t happy at that time. The GSA Program helped me rethink my choices and realize it was possible to pursue certain purposes.
When you enrolled in the GSA Program, what were you expecting to find during the immersion?
I didn’t really know what that experience would bring, or even if it would lead anywhere. I saw people there so sure of what they wanted — I even felt a little envious of them. But it was all a matter of time and patience. Now I see that the Elos Methodology helped me look inward, to have affection for myself, to respect my own timing — that things happen when they’re meant to. I learned to celebrate my small victories. Now I’m on this path of re-evolution, of self-awareness and care. It’s a cycle.
Diversity is often seen as a threat or a problem around the world. Yet the GSA Network, with nearly 700 people so different from one another, proves the exact opposite. What changes when we bring together such diverse experiences and perspectives to build a better world?
That’s one of the things I love about this network. It’s so important to nurture this exchange, because maybe some GSA somewhere in the world is going through what I went through — and vice versa. It’s mutual support. I believe the GSA Network is an endless source of knowledge, perspectives, cultures, and experiences. Whenever I can, I try to “drink” from that source. GSAs are very supportive and think in terms of community.
And these social and cultural riches take shape in different ways of advancing the climate debate, right?
GSAs already work in several areas that intersect with the Climate, Biodiversity, and Desertification Conferences, among other major decision-making spaces. Some GSAs already have extensive experience in these forums. I truly believe in the power of the collective — each one with their own focus, but together we become more powerful. These discussions within the GSA environment give us access to people, experiences, and exchanges that are essential to nourish our advocacy and mobilization, whether internationally or within national and local contexts.
And this advocacy starts in neighborhoods, in cities — and then spreads outward, doesn’t it?
Acting locally is very important because that’s where things really happen. It’s at the municipal level that public administrations take adaptation and mitigation measures. Projects and investments may come from the state or federal level, but it’s in the municipalities that we see them materialize. In our training, we focused on the Rio Conventions, but the idea was to highlight how these conventions influence — and are influenced by — local and national councils, forums, and events.
I believe every political space should be occupied by civil society — whether it’s a discussion about cutting trees on a street or about climate financing, energy transition, or gender action plans. It really depends on what we want, deep down.
You’ve also said that the GSA Network should position itself in debates as a community, even a movement. Why is that important?
I think it’s essential for GSAs to unite to build a collective statement that shapes and guides policy implementation, because we have real experience making things happen in our territories. And what most policy documents lack today is an implementation plan grounded in listening — in hearing from those who’ve already experienced the miracle, meaning building something from scratch, with little financial resource but with great collective participation and desire to make things happen.
I believe GSAs can be guided toward this kind of action through capacity-building processes like the one we just held. With their wealth of territorial experience, they can positively influence conversations and the direction of negotiations.
Did you enjoy this exchange process? It sounds like a long journey that’s already showing results.
I’m very grateful to have taken part in developing this training and to see that the group we formed is engaged and excited to attend COP 30. Beyond that, one of our participants was selected for a UN training, which is a seed we planted — and I believe we’ll keep harvesting many more. That means more GSAs engaged and mobilized around climate and biodiversity issues, heading toward the next COPs and participating in councils, the G20 (Y20, W20, C20), BRICS, and much more. Maybe we’ll even have more trainings like this in the future.