International Youth Camp in Rwanda: Climate Change Classes

-


It is a fact that climate change is real and that it affects the humanity in different ways. What would happen if we reverse the activities that have led to climate change?

This is one of the questions that was asked by delegates participating in a 5 day youth camp organized by the International Youth Fellowship at St Andre’ College from 15-19 August 2011 in Kigali Rwanda. The youth camp attracted about 1000 youth from different countries, with the majority of them being Rwandans from higher learning institutions and secondary schools. To keep the campers entertained, theatre groups from Nairobi, Kenya were on site with youth friendly skits, plays, poems and other on stage items.

The climate change session was presented by Dr. Landry Ndriko Mayigane, AYICC Regional Coordinator for East Africa, who talked about the effects of climate change. He spoke about the environment, how it was in the past, how it is now, and how it may look like in the future if we do not change our activities. He challenged the youth to take a more active role in curbing the effects of climate change, and stop being just recipients of decisions made at high profile meetings. He emphasized that youth should act more and be more involved in climate change campaigns.

During the highly interactive session, Dr. Landry outlined the effects of climate change with specific reference to how rainfall patterns in Africa have changed despite the fact that Africa contributes least to environmental pollution.

Towards the end of the session, Dr. Landry invited Beatrice Onyango from AIESEC to give brief comments about youth involvement in activities. She spoke about hobbies, and how relevant they should be in person’s life. She emphasized the importance of having hobbies which are connected to one’s vision and interests. This will help the youth to spend their time more productively.

Dr. Landry also mentioned the great activities that the AYICC network is involved in in Africa in and how different organizations and youth can join the network.

Prepared by Beatrice Onyango, AYICC Rwanda

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    Climate change recognizes no borders and so should we when it comes to fighting for the environment. great job Rwanda team! Climate change recognizes no borders and so should we when it comes to fighting for the environment. great job Rwanda team!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IT IS TIME FOR AFRICA TO BUILD ITS OWN CAPACITY

-
By Fredrick Ochieng’ Ouma                                                                                                            In the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), all the countries who are party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the beloved offspring of the Earth Summit, were supposed to submit during the 21 st Conference of Parties, countries outlined their emissions stoppage years and when they expect to start the decline in their emissions. More than three-quarters of Parties to UNFCCC submitted these INDCs with a commitment to specific timelines and figures, whether your emissions were significant or not. In fact, the Underdeveloped and the developing countries with insignificant emissions had the most ambitious INDCs. What stands to highlight the difference between these countries or negotiation blocks, is how they stand to use the period between Paris to the specific years they commit to stop further emissions. This
Read more

Writing compelling motivation letters for your scholarship/degree applications

-
AYICC-Kenya volunteers look into the future-courageously  I am writing this because I know there is a dire need for most of our volunteers to pursue a postgraduate (sometimes even the first degree), get a scholarship or whatever grant it might be. So this is for you. If you would like me to write on something else specific to academic progress, do leave a comment below. And of course additions, and corrections are welcome too! When you are told to write a motivation letter, the selection committee is basically asking you to pitch your dream and make it real so that they can give you the money/opportunity to actualize it . In the first one paragraph, they should (must) know who you are, what your professional goal is, and they must locate your capabilities.  E.g. I am xx years old Kenyan, with a bachelor’s/Msc degree in xx from xx university and applying for this scholarship/degree programme because of my professional interests/experiences in public policy and community develop
Read more

THE KENYA CLIMATE FINANCE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.

-
By Dolphine Magero ACRONYMS CCCF                            County Climate Change Fund WAPC                          Ward Adaptation Planning Committees          PFMA                           Public Finance Management Act     CIDP                            County Integrated Development Plan GCF                              Green Climate fund         ERPA                            Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreement Ci-Dev                          Carbon Initiative for Development     IFAD                              International Fund for Agricultural Development SREP                             Scaling up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries                      SCF                                Strategic Climate Fund CIF                                  Climate Investment Fund CSO                                Civil society GEF                                  Global Environmental Facility. UNFCC                            
Read more