Tuesday, October 27, 2009

CALL FOR PAPERS: UNCSD 18 THEMATIC TOPICS



Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The CSD Youth Caucus is an international network of over 2,000 youth leaders from hundreds of individuals and organisations, many of which are themselves national networks, that brings together young people with a desire to build a more sustainable world. The focus of the caucus is two-fold. First, to facilitate youth input into the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the primary international forum concerned with issues of Sustainability, and secondly to foster information sharing and communication between a diverse network of youth organisations who share a common interest in sustainability. www.yoen.org
The Youth Caucus is calling for inputs from youth in Africa on it 4th Implementation Cycle: Review Session (UN CSD 18).
As a Review year, the session will focus on the following thematic issues:
 4.  Mining
5.  10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/dsd_aofw_scpp/scpp_tenyearframprog.shtml .
The kind of inputs that we are looking for are:
-          Case studies
-          Policy research and other conducted researches related to the topics
-          Regional needs/challenges which include local, national, regional needs. eg needs for education, etc with a focus on principles and rights such as right to health, education, etc.
 Please send your input to africayouthcaucus@gmail.com.

 Warm regards
Esther Agbarakwe





Saturday, October 24, 2009

International Youth Preparatory Meeting for COP 15, Malmo, Sweden 23rd-25th October, 2009

Dear All,

Yesterday was the first day that of the International Youth Preparatory Meeting organised by Swedish National Council of Youth Organisations (LSU) and the European Youth forum (YFJ) here in Malmo, Sweden.

The event is participated by about 80 young leaders of various different network from those of the European Union, Nordic Youth and from other Developing countries.




This is the beginning of a 48 Hours crash course to bring the youth from all over the world up to speed and start to strategize ourselves towards COP15.

Below are what was covered on just half the day:
European Environment Agency & the Road to Copenhagen
Basic Crash Course of what UNFCCC is and what is happening up till now
Climate Negotiations (Advance info on negotiations)
Youth Regional Coordination: State of play of the youth efforts in the respective regions

Today, more are being covered and everyone is taking it well even though it can be information overload. So well done young leaders here for IYPM!

Hopefully, this will inspire many of you to be able to do some level of regional stratergizing or consultation so when we convene, we can confidently mention how many youth we have managed to involved beyond just those who are at COP itself.




44 more days to COP and we want your participation! Join the various working groups and you can start taking the lead to create the vibrancy within YOUNGO toward COP, at COP and beyond COP.

Among the four African Delegate is Esther Agbarakwe of Nigerian Youth Coalition(NYCC)

Warm Regards,

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Changing seasons in India. Telling the EU to act on climate change.


A view from inside the EU parliament. Credit: Stack coordinator

The climate witnesses looked nervous as they took to the podium. It wasn’t surprising considering that in front of them were two hundred or so people, inside the grand building of the European parliament.

The parliament building is pretty overwhelming for anyone who goes inside it for the first time. Endless corridors, lifts and stairways, all busy with people in smart looking suits marching from one meeting room to the next. But Mohit was here for an important reason and had no need to be nervous.

He gave a very personal account of how climate change has altered people’s lives in Tallikhiya village, Uttar Pradesh. Farmers there are struggling as the seasons begin to merge. Winters are getting warmer and monsoons are becoming more intense, they’re also lasting for shorter periods of time.

This makes knowing when to plant crops increasingly difficult. All of which matters a lot when you’re a small-scale farmer. If a crops are planted at the wrong time or are washed away, it has devastating consequences.

What struck me most was when he said that they used to know when the seasons were changing by which birds were in the sky. This would help them to know when to plant crops, or when to prepare for the harvest.

Life would go in cycles and while there would be the odd drought, or particularly heavy monsoon, the people could cope. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the people of Mohit’s community are struggling.

Then it was the turn of the EU politicians to speak. Artur Runge-Metzger is the EU chief negotiator on climate change. He said that he “wants the EU to take a leadership role in Copenhagen and convince others to take things forward.”

Over the next few weeks the EU is set to agree their position for the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. His warm words will mean nothing if they don’t agree a position that leads to a fair and safe deal at Copenhagen.

By bringing people like Mohit to politicians from the European Union we are cutting down the space that exists between our officials and the millions of people that are affected by their decisions. As we hear more and more stories of lives being turned upside down as the weather changes, it’s clear that time is running out for the planet and the poorest people who live on it.

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Friday, October 16, 2009

..From the Heart!





Daries from my Fellowship in Germany!

Hi,

During the last weekend of September, the World witness catastrophic floods in the Philippines rendering hundreds of people homeless and many killed. At least one town was completely under water. Power has been cut off to parts of the capital, Manila, where hundreds of people were trapped on rooftops.

The equivalent of a whole month's rain fell in six hours as Tropical Storm Ketsana, also known as Ondoy, lashed the island of Luzon, causing the worst flooding in Manila for 20 years.




We watched this sad news over over CNN (the only English News Channel) together with Denis, our co-fellow from the Philippines whose Family was affected. We Prayed for her and for the safety of her family members and i was inspired by the support of the fellows and the D&F to Denis but then personally something else was on my mind... CLIMATE CHANGE!!

Could this be an impact of Climate Change? This crisis happened after the UN Climate Change Summit in New York (SEPT.22ND)and hopefully the Government of the world will "seal the Deal" in COPENHAGEN!!

I wish Denis's Family and other Affected people quick recovery and let us remember that we live in one global world and we have a shared Responsibility and Accountability..Please support the victims/survivors of the Floods in PHILIPINES and GO GREEN!