Young people speak out at climate change summit
29 October 2009
“God help us to make the world a better place, help us to see the errors of our ways, so that we can change our actions to better protect the environment and save the climate.”
These were lyrics from a song by Dauda Naseehn, one of the participants at the Young Commonwealth Climate Change Summit taking place at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London. The summit runs from 28 to 30 October 2009.
Another participant from Singapore said: “Let us jazz it up. Let us do something to mobilise our fellow young people and the grassroots so that each one of us, individually and collectively make a difference to protect the environment. Time is running out. There is need for collective action now.”
And another from Trinidad and Tobago stated: “I believe there is power in partnerships among young people, government, the private sector and civil society to address the adverse effects of climate change.”
A participant from Sierra Leone asked: “Are the rich countries which have developed through degrading the environment doing enough to pay the cost?”
These voices are at the heart of the worry and concerns young people have about the future of the planet which they will inherit if no action is taken now to reverse climate change.
But the voices also speak to the hope and determination young people have to be part of the solution, not the problem.
Speaking at the opening of the summit on 28 October, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith emphasised that young people have a vital role to play in galvanising action to combat climate change.
“You speak to and represent important global and Commonwealth constituencies and, even more critically, are active on the ground where the impact of climate change will be most keenly felt by millions of the vulnerable in cities and villages across the planet,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith highlighted the fact that the Commonwealth’s interest and concern about climate change was not a recent phenomenon, stating that “long before it was fashionable, the Commonwealth entered the debate on climate change - and we are pioneers on this issue.”
He said it was in 1987 that former Maldives President Gayoom described how unprecedented waves had caused great destruction in his country, and Heads of Government called on the Secretary-General then to examine the implications of rises in the sea level and other natural disasters, including floods.
“An expert group was established and a flush of early political work by the Commonwealth helped to raise the international profile of climate change and sea-level rise concerns,” he noted.
The Deputy Secretary-General said he hoped that by the end of the three-day meeting, the young people would have a deeper understanding of climate change issues; a set of suggested and focused priority outcomes for member states in climate change negotiations; and a concrete forward-looking strategy and action plan to take the process forward as a group - and to feed into the forthcoming Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago from 27 to 29 November 2009.
The participants also heard from Dr Farah Faizal, the High Commissioner of Maldives to the UK, who stressed that for her country, climate change is not a matter of academic debate, but a matter of life and death.
“We are at the front line of the climate change war,” Dr Faizal said.
The passion the young people attending the conference have about the future of the planet is telling. In the several sessions they had - be it about case studies on climate change responses or climate change advocacy - there was intense debate and a call on policy-makers, government leaders and all those involved in negotiations to reach a deal to combat climate change. To act - and act now.
For example when Glenys Kinnock, Minister of State at the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, spoke at the closing plenary on the first day, they engaged her - asking her whether developed countries were prepared to ‘walk the talk’ on climate change, and whether they were prepared to assist poor vulnerable developing countries with the finances and technology they badly need to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Baroness Kinnock said there “was no plan B” on Copenhagen, stressing that “the implications for inaction and failure to reach a climate deal in December would be disastrous”.
“But what can the young people do practically to ensure a deal is reached?” one participant asked the former Member of the European Parliament.
And she replied: “Your voices must be heard. You must press your government leaders when you go back home after this summit to go to Copenhagen ready to agree a strong deal. Tell your MPs, write petitions and letters to the editors in newspapers - be involved, let us act together.”
The summit was organised by a team of dedicated youth leaders with support from the Commonwealth Youth Programme and the Economic Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Commonwealth Foundation, Global Action Plan, the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the Clinton Global Initiative University, the United Nations Youth Programme, and The Roselle Antoine Foundation.
Let's hope the message that the global meat industry is a major cause of deforestation and methane emission is told to as many people as possible. Meat = Heat. Eat less of it or cut it out altogether. There is no cost to not eating meat, and it is something anyone can do.
peer-peer education programms should be encouraged since young people are sturborn : they do not like to be told how to think , but are convinced by getting involved in pratical action.
I would like to commend the Commonwealth Secretariat for hosting such a wonderful programme. The hosting of the conference clearly signifies that young people now have a voice in decision making at corporate levels that will impact them in years to come.It was indeed a fabulous programme and i call on all youths to put into action what have been leanrt in those sessions in our little surroundings to make the world a better place to live.
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