The year 2012,
Was short as elf
Many ups and downs,
Quirky smiles and frowns
Always burning fingers,
That blunder that lingers
This is part 2 of the series Peeling Back the COP, as I posted in the organization I volunteer with (African Youth Initiative on Climate Change Kenya). You can read it here
PS: You can read the entire booklet, My Little COP PocketBook here
PS: You can read the entire booklet, My Little COP PocketBook here
This is the blog post I wrote for the organization I volunteer for (African Youth Initiative on Climate Change Kenya). You can read it here
The
Information Age is here with us! People all over the world are
getting connected in a way and rate never seen before. Social media
has redefined how people interact, making it much easier to meet new
people and instantly share tonnes of information. Information is the
de-facto currency of the internet. Mobile apps are the new game
changer. But hey! We have forgotten all about our friends in
the wild, especially those who closely resemble us - the great apes!
Our
DNA and that of the great apes is around 98% similar, but it seems
that this is where the similarities end. We have turned into their
greatest foes to the point of threatening their existence. This is
totally unfair! But I have some good news: why don’t we bring our
friends - the great apes – into the technological world that is
engulfing each of us. But how, you may be tempted to ask?
So, the informal UNFCCC climate talks in Bangkok, a preparation for COP18 on Doha, Qatar, started on 30th August an ended on 5thSeptember 2012. There were quite a number of outcomes, which we will go over shortly. For newbies, there usually are a number of informal preparation sessions ahead of the annual Conference of Parties talks, popularly known as COP. This year will be the eighteenth year, hence the term COP18.
The main issue on the table for this year’s talks in Bangkok was about renewing commitment and working out the modalities of a new Kyoto Protocol, also known as KP2, as the first phase of commitment period, which begun in 1995, comes to a close at the end of the year. Last year’s talks in Durban led to the Durban Platform, which was a consensus by parties that there was need for a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol.
(A blog post I posted on the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change - Kenya Webiste)
I understand this may not be the norm, but I am nonetheless compelled to write to you. Maybe someone has already said this to you, or maybe not, but that is beside the point. I write this to you because you have already made a dent on the universe, and you continue to make this dent bigger, with each passing volunteer action.
I don’t know exactly what drives you, but I bet passion is one of the ingredients doing so. You are doing great things, and for this I must commend you. I know at times the road may not be that smooth, but you nonetheless trudge on, and this is what truly makes you unique.
After
writing an article on the Green Economy and Youth Nexus, one
of my mentors, although she may not know it (Grace Mwaura), asked a
question that has since been lingering in my mind: why come up with
more subjects on the environmental domain?
So, the last couple of years have seen issues of climate change and environmental degradation take centre stage in the global arena. More important, the role of human beings in creating and even aggravating these challenges is more prominent than ever. In 1987, a report was released by a commission formed, called the Brundtland Commission, which put forth the concept of Sustainable Development. In simple terms, sustainable development is development which uses resources in such a manner that they will still be available for use by future generations.
The heated debate sufficed to warm the chilly morning; it was quite animated and thorough, and it all centered on the relevance of international conferences to the lives of people. As diverse as the opinions were, there was consensus on the fact that it is our role to implement the policies agreed upon at such conferences with regards to our target community's context. This was the morning of April 22, 2012: Earth Day.
Members of Kenya Youth Climate Network (KYCN) and African Youth Initiative on Climate Change Kenya (AYICC-K) left together for Thogoto Center, on the outskirts of Nairobi, to spearhead Earth Day celebrations. The main event that marked this day was the Earth Race, a cycling event aimed at creating awareness on the need to conserve our environment and engaging the relevant authorities and local communities in environmental governance.
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| All was set for the event |
The world's demography is quickly changing, and there has been one defining factor: the percentage of young people has been growing. In tandem, the number and magnitude of human challenges has increased, and this has led to rethinking of how we actually tackle human development challenges. Engaging young people in addressing these issues is one of the most important strategies.
So, we usually look for the meaning of life at one point in time or another. It usually involves finding out what you want to do in life; a purpose. Well, I more often than not get myself pondering the same issue; I finally came to such a simple conclusion: do what you love, take risks and try out things.
If there is something that I cannot give up now, then it must be growing up at this age and time. There are many interesting things which are taking place, and they are all epic in nature. The most defining events for me are those concerning efforts to restore the environment and rethink the whole concept of development. In this special series, Bridging the Green Divide, I will explore various aspects which are being addressed, and others that need to be addressed, in order to bridge the Green Divide.
Peace is indispensable for the well-being of any society. The events of the aftermath of the 2007 General Elections in Kenya are all too vivid, and a repeat of the same is not fathomable by any means.
Starting April 2012, Eirik Jarl Trondsen, a Kenyan resident, will climb Mount Everest - the tallest mountain in the world, to hoist the Kenyan flag, and a message for peace. This is a momentous gesture, and it is my sincere hope that this message will reverberate across the country. I will keep you posted on this blog, and on Facebook, as I am running the online campaign for this project. Here is the Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Climbing-for-peace/109565445818958
Please like the page and share it with your friends and colleagues. There is plenty more to come, so watch this page!
I stare at the clear blue sky, but the future is not that clear; blurred. This is the second straight year with no rain, and all the crops have dried in the fields. The usual Wednesday market day is no more, with the usual aura of the market bustling with eager farm produce sellers now confined to sheer memories. Why are the gods so angry with us? What have we done to deserve this? My only consolation is my one-acre farm densely populated with Eucalyptus trees; two more years to go before I sell them, as I was advised by my now rich neighbour. But the gods must have been angrier at me more than the other people. Years ago I had a natural spring in my piece of land which I inherited from my father, but it is now no more. Some city people who came here last month told me it was because of the Eucalyptus trees which I planted; I don’t fully believe so; I don’t know; I am totally confused! If I cut down the trees, where will I get money to feed my family and send my children to school?
Earlier on, I had promised that I would write a
sequel to the blog entry African Solutions Part 1. Honestly, this was
not one of the best pieces, but nonetheless it was a subtle introduction
to this hard-hitting piece. By the end of this post, I am very certain
that quite a number of the so-called Pan-Africanists will hold their
barrels at me, firing salvo after salvo. By this I do not try to demean
Pan-Africanism by any account, rather, I am only purging the
misconceptions that be.
What is so unique about the HIV virus? It is its ability to
mutate, hence its become very difficult to subdue. So, why am I talking
about HIV?
Because its modus operandi is similar to that of the
Ethnicity Virus. It never seems to be effectively subdued, because of
its mutating nature.
Internet based social networking tools are one
of the best things that have happened thus far; also one of the
deadliest vectors of the Ethnicity virus. But this sounds TOTALLY
OUTRAGEOUS!!
Africa is usually perceived as a perennially
troubled continent; drought, famine, disease, conflict and any other
imaginable ‘dark’ thing. Yet, it is the most endowed continent in the
entire planet. True, this explanation is a cliché, one which people
cite, and shrug off, yet it continues to be a growing cancer in our own
continent. Every nation on the planet is striving for developed:
increased growth domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita. Technology
is taking root in most African societies, especially mobile telephony.
But then, we still have the same perennial problems. What actually ails
Africa? This, ladies and gentlemen, is not the million dollar question,
but rather, the life saving question that should be posed by all and
sundry who really care about this lovely continent.
So,
recently, there has been much talk on the Green Economy as the
pathway to a sustainable future. This is the core ideology on which
the entire sustainable development revolution is hinged on, and is
the rallying call for the forthcoming epic conference in June 2012,
in Rio de Janeiro – Rio+20 (Earth Summit). But the Green Economy
report which has been prepared by UNEP is quite extensive, over 600
pages long, and this has been quite a challenge to many people.
The Voice of Children and Youth for Rio+20
2011 Tunza International Children and Youth Conference
Bandung Declaration
October 1, 2011
§1
We, the delegates to the 2011 Tunza International Children and Youth Conference
representing 118 different countries, are united in calling upon world leaders to
move to a sustainable development pathway that safeguards the Earth and its
people for our generation and generations to come. We urge governments to
respond to and not ignore the demands of the children and youth.
Section 1: Rio+20 and the Promises to Our Generation
I admit that it is quite a while since I last posted a blog, but then, many things have been happening; its a lame excuse, but one worth giving!
So, this year is an epic one; I know I said that before, but nonetheless, I will say it again! This is the year of the Youth. Why do I say so? Rio+20 is almost here, in June 2012!
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 15th 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 16th December 2011 was the actual testament of what had just happened.