Workshop J
Addressing Climate and Environmental Sustainability: Youth Volunteers Leading the Way
Fransisca Fanny K. Kabaso
Project Coordinator (UN Volunteers)
Youth Environmental Management and Education Project, Zambia
Lina Mata Guido
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)
Coordinator of the Leadership Program: "Agents of Change", Costa Rica
Yuliya Makliuk
Project coordinator Information Centre on Climate Change, Ukraine
Shankar Musafir
Education Empowerment at Educomp, New Delhi, India
In the face of the socio-economic consequences of climate change, communities are engaging in increasing their resilience to changes, ensure sustainable livelihoods, and reduce disaster risks from variable climate. Climate change adaptation is a process by which individuals, communities, and countries cope with the consequences of climate change. Given the widespread impacts on natural and human systems, including public health, agriculture, forestry, water resources, coastal systems, and ecological systems, successful processes include changes in mindsets. Youth, as both today's and future leaders, can and are playing key roles in promoting shifts to sustainable lifestyles.
Volunteerism, which engages communities in free will actions, not motivated primarily from financial gain, mutually benefiting the individual and community, contributes to development effectiveness. By engaging youth as volunteers, they are empowered to become solutions and not just victims. Youth volunteerism for climate change and the environment promotes community voice, engagement, and ownership.
This workshop is an expert dialogue focused on the contributions of youth to community based adaptation and sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change and other environment challenges.
Using specific practice examples, how can youth impact the need for lifestyle changes to address climate change, responsible human resource management and/or sustainable biodiversity conservation?
Are there particular benefits or challenges in engaging youth as volunteers for climate change and the environment?
How might we learn from them? How can youth through volunteerism be better able to impact the development of policies and provide a voice in decision making regarding climate change and environmental adaptation?
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the Bonn International Model United Nations (BIMUN) will also host a pre-event "Forum on Youth Volunteerism for Climate Change and the Environment”. Please follow the link for further information.
