Penseès

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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