TUNZA GLOBAL YOUTH GATHERING - A PRE UNITED NATION ENVIRONMENTAL ASSEMBLY
The environment has
become fundamental in development and the world is meeting again at the United
Nation Office in Nairobi for an environmental assembly. The assembly is the
part of the Rio+20 outcomes.
The Rio+20 outcome
document number 50 spell out the importance of youth and children involvement
in sustainable development; the Major group of Children and Youth (MGCY) gathered
together at a Pre United Nation Environmental Assembly (UNEA) from the 18th
to 20 of June 2014 to frame a youth position paper which will be presented at
the environmental assembly during the resolution meetings.
The UNEP director encouraged young people to come and join the rest of the world with their passion
for environment but also to come with their brains as well: the youth need to
affect policies by rubbing shoulder with policy makers at high level platforms
like UNEA. Achim Steiner, the Executive director of United Nation Environmental
Program informed the youth during the Global Youth Gathering at the UNON that
those with the passion in environment need to consider the economic pillar
which is one of the three pillars in sustainable development. State economies
are very important and thus political economy shapes much of the decisions we
make in the world. Today the world is still using billions to subsidize fossil fuel http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/sep/23/obama-g20-oil-subsidies Such economic issues must be approached not only with our passion for the
environment but also with our minds. Achim Steiner encouraged the youth to
study the actors who are there, their roles and their thinking in environmental
governance.
Kenya is a global south state which was introduced to green energy 6 years ago and she has done tremendously great as compared to other countries in the world. Kenya has Geo-thermal and one of the largest wind power energy.
Kenya is a global south state which was introduced to green energy 6 years ago and she has done tremendously great as compared to other countries in the world. Kenya has Geo-thermal and one of the largest wind power energy.
She has proven to the world that green economy is possible despite the fact that she is in
the global south. It is time to bring all the groups together, whether you are G8 or G77, and talk about solutions. We have failed to bring solutions as
a world but we have not failed to tell the world about climate change attention.
Today, States should talk more about sustainability and environmental solutions
collectively than foreign policy and national interests.
The young people are
more brave than politicians, what they lack is a united network and capacity to
change the world this brings the need to bring youth networks like TUNZA and
African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) to take part in decision
making. TUNZA is not just another kid in UNEP’s block but a vibrant youth
coming with solutions through action. The United Nation was started by “We the
people.” This statement spells the
importance of the young people as they are the majority in the world’s
population.
The youth have
platforms like the social media to reach the world. They have a
political advantage (numbers) to communicate to the world how they (youth) can
bring solutions. The many youth networks like TUNZA and YOUNGO need to be part
of the bigger network not work parallel to each other. Working with different
institutions and networks will create a collaboration and collectivism. The
Vatican city through the Pope leadership called political scientists to advise
how the Catholic community should address environmental solutions. UNEP is not
an Island but a spider in the web and the more interconnected the world is, the closer it is to justice.
The two agendas in the environmental
and sustainable development negotiations are behavior change and Technology.
Behavior Change, social mobilization and public advocacy agenda are key issues when
it comes to solving environmental and climate change problems. The young
people can influence the behavior of their communities through social media by
creating awareness.
The youth involvement
in Post-2015 and environmental Agenda is important because the world is moving
towards Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) from Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), Sustainability as an aspect of future gain and the young people are the
future of the world. Making a better future requires the youth in decision
making. Dambisa Moyo said the best time to plant a tree was 20years ago and the
second best time to plant a tree is now. It is time to act now for a better
future and the energy, passion and the brains of the young people is needed. The
Global youth gathering came up with a statement paper which will be positioned
during UNEA. Some of the issues in the position paper are Environmental Rule
and Law, Post 2015/SDGs, Air Quality, Illegal trade of wildlife and timber,
realizing Green Economy, Environmental Education and UN Accreditation review to
allow more involvement youth organizations in UN decision making platforms.
UNEA is the first assembly organized by UNEP, it was one of the decision made
during Rio+20 conferences in Brazil and today the world will gather from the 23rd
to 27th in the environmental capital to talk about sustainable
development with 16 decisions on the table to be made.
Compiled by Clifford Omondi Okwany
Edited by Victoria Chengo
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