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Showing posts from December, 2011

The African Youth Climate Justice Caravan comes Home

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I always pride myself in my fluency and ease of writing, but this is one of those occasions where you have to reflect on the moment, look for the right words and savour the moment before setting to write. The ' We Have Faith-Act Now for Climate Justice'  African Youth Climate Justice Caravan, henceforth referred to as the Caravan, made its grand entry into Nairobi, Kenya, on 15 th December 2011, after 42 days of road travel to Durban, South Africa, and back, for the COP17 climate change talks. And, as was the norm – defying all odds – the mood of the caravan youth was euphoric and greatly optimistic, despite all the fatigue from the long travel. The reception luncheon on 16 th December 2011 was the actual testament of what had just happened. The Caravan family poses infront of the Caravan trucks  after the Luncheon in Nairobi In the history of the African continent, this was undoubtedly the biggest youth mobilization project ever! Going through six countries (Keny

Text of Youth Statement to US Delegation at the ICC in Durban

Dec 8, 2011 The Honorable Todd Stern Special Envoy for Climate Change U.S. Department of State Dear Mr. Stern:   We are writing as youth from across the African continent, the Pacific Islands, and around the world to ask you not to sign our death sentence here in Durban. If the United States is not going to lead the world in solving the climate crisis, please stand out of the way.  Delaying a climate deal until 2020 would slam the door on avoiding catastrophic climate change. In order to save our future here in Durban, nations must save the Kyoto Protocol and then urgently push for more ambition.  President Obama said, “The need to drastically change our energy policy is no longer a debatable proposition. It is not a question of whether, but how; not a question of if, but when. For the sake of our security, our economy, our jobs and our planet, the age of oil must end in our time.” For our future as youth here in Africa and around the world, the clean en

African Group sets out key demands as talks enter final stages

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We Have Faith Youth Caravan participants at the Saturday Civil Society march in Durban, SA . COP17, Durban, South Africa - The African Group of negotiators have set out their five key demands as UN climate talks in Durban move into the high level stage of negotiations today.  The Group, which represents 54 African countries and is chaired by Mr. Tosi Mpanu Mpanu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are demanding: A multilateral agreement that respects the principles and provisions of the Convention, and matches the ambition and substance set out in the Bali Action Plan  A second and subsequent commitment periods under the Kyoto Protocol with ambitious, science-based mitigation targets for developed country Kyoto Parties and provisional application to avoid a gap in the legally binding regime; and comparable efforts by developed country non-Kyoto Parties (United States) under the Convention, including ambitious, legally binding, economy-wide emission reduction comm