Youth4Climate | Connect4Climate

Youth4Climate engages young people with climate action at COP22

The COP22 Young and Future Generations Day launched at the United Nations (UN) Youth Booth located in the Blue Zone in the presence of the Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth; Max Edkins, Climate Change Expert, Connect4Climate; Adriana Valenzuela, focal point for Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) with the UNFCCC; and myself Ntiokam Divine, UN Global Youth Digital Advocate for Post-2015 and UN MY World 2030 Global Survey, Global Coordinator for Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN).

The launch was one of the most engaging youth-orientated side-event at in the Blue Zone of the Climate Conference, COP22. The Youth Booth exhibition gathered hundreds of young people, women and men across the global south and global north during which one of the key activities was to share with the audience how Connect4Climate and other youth organizations influence the climate talks.

Max Edkins, Connect4Climate, speaks to youth audience with Ahmad Ahlendawi, UN Youth Envoy, at COP22. Photo Credit: Giulia Braga

Max Edkins gave an overview of the vision and mission of the Connect4Climate Program, as well as its impacts in the Climate negotiations. He underscored the fact that the Youth4Climate initiative reached out to young people all over the world, that more than 860 youth voices were represented through the Film4Climate competition at COP22, from 155 countries, signifying the global youth call for climate action. The Connect4Climate program aims to inspire action, advance climate solutions and highlight the opportunity in tackling climate change. “We are in an exciting time, the world is on a path to a low-carbon resilient future, and it is being led by young people,” Max Edkins said.

After this Ahmad Alhendawi highlighted the importance of directing resources towards including young people in the sustainable development agenda and the climate action agenda. He shared his experience from Jordan and reiterated the fact he is at the UN to ensure young people are fully engaged in all UN processes towards achieving the Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development. In addition to this, he reaffirmed his commitment in advocating for youth meaningful participation in all High-Level Dialogues for a better and inclusive sustainable growth.

Max Edkins, Connect4Climate, launches Young and Future Generations Day, with UN Youth Envoy, UNFCCC, and YOUNG representatives. Photo Credit: Giulia Braga

We had participants from Africa (Togo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Morocco), and a good number from the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Connect4Climate provides T-shirts to youth leaders at COP22. Photo Credit: Max Thabiso Edkins

Mark Terry, one of the facilitators from York University from Toronto, Canada, also addressed the delegates emphasizing the importance of youth in solving climate change and how the delegates could get involved. Adriana Valenzuela presented the Youth winners for the 2016 video contest and introduced YOUNGO members to giver their personal take on how young people can be more involved.

In closing the inspirational Youth Day launch, Max Edkins, Ahmad Alhendawi and other speakers handed out T-shirts that read “We are Accelerating Climate Action,” underscoring the youth engagement to advance global climate action and implement the Paris Agreement.

Max Edkins, Connect4Climate, with others launch Young and Future Generation Day, COP22. Photo Credit: Giulia Braga

After all the great presentations, some delegates were interested to know how they could join the Youth4Climate movement. Max Edkins highlighted that visiting the Connect4Climate website shall be a good start and should there be more questions, Max and the team could be reached directly after sharing his details to some delegates.

Young and Future Generations Day, COP22. Photo Credit: Max Thabiso Edkins

In support and committing to the new development agenda, all delegates pledged that supporting the Youth4Climate call to action is one of the ways to advocate for a sustainable environment to address SDG13- Climate Action. At the Youth Booth, CSAYN and its partners also exhibited the global goals translated in local languages to ensure that No One is Left Behind by engaging everyone at national, regional and global levels calling up to SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities.

As we enter 2017 we look forward to continued youth engagement in tackling climate change, developing and implementing climate solutions and demanding increased climate action. I continue the chant we led at COP22: “Youth for Climate! Youth for Climate! Youth for Climate!”

Connect4Climate champion wins International Children's Peace Prize

Kehkashan Basu (16 years old, United Arab Emirates, theme: environment) was awarded the International Children's Peace Prize at The Hague, the Netherlands.

Kehkashan began campaigning to protect the environment at an early age. At the age of just eight, she organised an awareness-raising campaign for the recycling of waste in her neighbourhood in Dubai. In 2012, she founded her own organisation, Green Hope, which runs waste-collection, beach-cleaning and awareness-raising campaigns.

Through a series of campaigns and lectures, she has demonstrated to thousands of school and university students how important it is to care properly for the environment.

Kehkashan has addressed various international conferences and Green Hope is now active in ten countries with more than 1,000 young volunteers.

Kehkashan was nominated by her father.

Celebrating Youth Voices at COP22

Connect4Climate joined the world leaders at the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) in Marrakesh last month in declaring fighting climate change is an urgent duty.

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November 8

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Film4Climate trailer at the opening of the Global Climate Action Launch Event: global action towards achievements of National Determined Contributions (NDCs).

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November 10

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  UNFCCC Young and Future Generations Day, High-Level Intergenerational Enquiry

Connect4Climate highlighted its Youth4Climate initiative to empower young people to accelerate climate action.

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Youth Award Ceremony for Global Youth Video, Film4Climate, and Minecraft Competitions

The award ceremony highlighted the winners of <a href="http://newsroom.unfccc.int/unfccc-newsroom/winners-of-cop22-youth-clima…; target="_blank">Global Youth Video Competition</a> and the <a href="http://connect4climate.org/article/film4climate-competition-winners-ann…; target="_blank">Film4Climate Competition</a>, as well as the finalists of the Connect4Climate Sustainable Worlds on Minecraft contest. The winning films were showcased, demonstrating the power of young people to act as key players in reaching innovative and ambitious solutions on climate change all over the world.

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November 12

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Climate Change Communication, China Pavilion

Giulia Braga presented the Connect4Climate Program as Engaging the Creative Industry for Climate Action

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November 13

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  “Film4Climate: Empowering Global Climate Action”

The day-long event was dedicated to celebrate the power of cinema and global youth’s creativity in encouraging positive climate action.

<a href="http://connect4climate.org/article/film4climate-competition-winners-ann…; target="_blank">The winners of the Film4Climate Global Video competition</a> were celebrated. The event featured special screenings of Leonardo DiCaprio’s newly released climate change documentary “Before the Flood”, as well as a special preview of National Geographic’s “Years of Living Dangerously – Season 2” and energy documentary “Power.”

The event also included high-profile panel discussions, <a href="http://earthtomarrakech.org/">Earth to Marrakech</a> announcement by UN Foundation, and the <a href="http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-network-cop22-marrakech/" target="_blank">Global Climate Literacy Partnership</a> announcement by Earth Day Network and Connect4Climate.

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Film4Climate at Climate Champions Gala Dinner

Dr. Hakima El Haite, Delegate Minister in Charge of Environment, Climate Champion, Morocco, awarded the <a href="https://youtu.be/Ciz0rO9_VBo" target="_blank">Special MENA Prize for the Film4Climate competition</a> to the young filmmaker selected by the jury.

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November 14

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Film4Climate winners at Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ), German Pavilion

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  “Sustainability in education” panel at UNESCO Pavilion

Lucia Grenna presented the outcomes of education-related activities, including the #Teach4Climate Back-to-School campaign and the Sport4Climate #105C campaign during the Olympics, and launched the Global Climate Literacy Partnership

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November 15

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  SDG Digital Media Zone in the as part of Earth To Marrakech

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  “Building Momentum for Climate Action: A Discussion with the Momentum for Change 2016 Award Winners.”

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaQ4atkZ3yQ&t=1s]

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Italian pavilion, Live stream with NGOs, participation of DG of the Ministry of the Environment

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November 16

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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  SDG Digital Media Zone: Film4Climate panel in the as part of Earth To Marrakech

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/images/legacy/C4C-drop-green.png" style="width: 15px; height: 10px;" />  Digital Hour as part of Earth To Marrakech

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRVS6VXvHaM]

In the context of highlighting the implementation of transformative climate actions through the <a href="http://unfccc.int/secretariat/momentum_for_change/items/6214.php" target="_blank">Momentum for Change initiative,</a> Connect4Climate presented as a partner at the awards ceremony, showcased Film4Climate videos on climate action and solutions and highlighted innovation in the Private Sector as a key solutions driver. Fernando Meirelles and Spencer Sharp attended.

Digital Media Zone at Legal Week

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Join the Digital Media Zone at the World Bank, December 5 - 9, 2016.

Click here for online registration

Online app provides comprehensive details

YOUNG Award: Finalists announced

Film4Climate has released the shortlist of the finalists for the Young award, which recognizes the next generation of talented young filmmakers.

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PSA

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<h3>"Are you ready to change the world?" by Laura Duquette, Canada</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/74Nn-0G3nzU]

<h3>"Change for the Better" by Leanne Choo, Singapore</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/ee6cerjXUDU]

<h3>"Endangered porpoises" by Lula Chou, USA</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/0dGR7a2VZKY]

<h3>"My Lagoon" by Andrea Aspront, Mexico</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/gcTV_9iYLek]

<h3>"Pale Blue Dot" by Antonio Heitor Cantão, Brazil</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/V2NuDrT_PJk]

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Short Film

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<h3>"A Sun at Night" by Rameshwar Bhatt, India</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/BB7qWDXBr_w]

<h3>"Carbon Funk" by the Maui Huliau Foundation, USA</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/k_N3DtQy4AQ]

<h3>"Caring for the Atmosphere" by the Mants'ase Children's Home Mohanuoa Chabane, Lesotho</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/bj6Ff5MJurY]

<h3>"Discovering Alaska" by Simon Geisker, USA</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/kUiT6iVndUo]

<h3>"Kiribati's Dance - Decrease Beef Consumption" by Seoyeon Shin, South Korea</h3>

[video:https://youtu.be/QdUJ5n9IQms]

Film4Climate: Empowering Global Climate Action

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FILM4CLIMATE VIDEO COMPETITION WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CONFERENCE COP22 AT A DAY CELEBRATING THE POWER OF YOUTH AND CREATIVITY OF CINEMA FOR CLIMATE ACTION

An unprecedented number of entries were received from all over the world for the Film4Climate Global Video Competition 2016, promoted by the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate program with the support of the Government of Morocco’s Ministry for the Environment, the United Nations, and a coalition of international partners.

Young People Hold the Key to Mobilizing Climate Action

At age 13, I participated in civil rights marches and other activities. A few years later I was also active in anti-war marches and events. By the time I was 16, I helped lead a protest at my high school, which ended with a ceremonial tree-planting on the first Earth Day in 1970. I was fortunate because my family supported and encouraged my activism, as they have throughout my career.

As I look toward our planet’s future, I reflect on numerous examples from our past, in which young generations not only helped lead, but also provided the main spark that forced older decision-makers to push through change. The 1960s and ’70s in the U.S. are one big example. The Berliners tearing down the wall in 1989 is another. The Arab Spring in 2010/11 changed that corner of the world forever. And more recently, the rise of 350.org and its mass mobilization of young people, which included the People’s Climate March in New York in 2014, is a big new force in the fight to address climate change.

William Lopii, a herdsman and educator in Lorengelup, Kenya. Photo credit: Joe Lukhovi

It’s clear that if we want change, we need to not only watch and listen to young people, but also embrace and support them to help create the change our planet needs. If the leaders at COP21 in Paris don’t get this message, they are simply missing the boat.

That’s why Global Greengrants Fund is partnering with 350.org to provide grants and assistance to international youth groups that are working to fight and address the impacts of climate change in their communities. In addition to Global Greengrants Fund’s normal granting—which has provided$45 million to grassroots and indigenous groups in 165 countries over the last 20 years—we are now in the process of granting out $475,000 specifically to grassroots and frontline youth groups so they can mobilize the climate movement in the lead-up to Paris. This grantmaking strategy is being directed by the youth climate organizers who make up our Next Generation Climate Boardand 350.org's global network of campaigners.

Young grantees are often from marginalized or indigenous communities that are already being impacted by climate change and stand to be devastated as the chaos worsens. They need to be given more opportunities to tell their stories and lead. Developing and empowering their voices isn’t just a good idea—it’s a necessity.

Ekai Nabenyo educates villagers about climate change, Lorengelup, Kenya. Photo credit: Joe Lukhovi

When we started searching around the world to find youth leaders and groups to fund with our grants, we were amazed at the work that was already moving forward that we were able to support. Young people from Peru to Malawi already had structures in place to address the impacts of climate change in their communities. Here’s the “#YouthOnClimate” campaign that Global Greengrants and 350.org have put together:

- We’re making grants to groups in Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond.
- We’ve put together a series of videos to help amplify emblematic young voices in Kenya, the Philippines and Ecuador.

[video: https://youtu.be/RoiMU1C2u6U]

- Our Call2Action focuses on mobilizing youth around COP21 to engage in civil action in their local communities.
- We will have a contingent of youth voices at events in Paris for COP21.
- We and others are moving “Through Paris,” not “To Paris,” to make sure these young people have the tools and resources needed to take the movement beyond Paris and back into their communities.

I’ve traveled around the world and met with dozens and dozens of local environmental groups and leaders. Young people, women, indigenous people and people from countries in the Global South hold a key to the solution of climate change. These groups bring a badly needed perspective, whether it is deep respect for the Earth, concern for the future or new ideas and tactics.

Climate change is imperiling our youth, and so we are empowering our youth to fight it.

This blog post was originally posted on Ecowatch.

Basketball tournament supports #1o5C campaign

Today’s youth are energized to tackle climate change. They are supporting initiatives around the global to call for ambitious climate action. At the American School of Brasilia, during their annual basketball tournament, the #1o5C campaign was presented as a bold call to action.

Emil Raiser emphasizes: “Being able to represent the 1.5 campaign in our EAB Basketball Invitational was a huge honor. Not only was it a sublime success to advertise the logo on our tournaments shirts, but also, more importantly to spread the message conveyed by the campaign to an international audience. I hope for bright and flourishing future with the campaign.”

The #1o5C campaign, presented by the Sport4Climate initiative of the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate program, calls for action to prevent global warming below 1.5°C. Key partners include the Climate Vulnerable Forum, UNDP, UNEP, GIP, Care, CAN International, Purpose and many more, who lent their efforts to materialize the campaign, brining more than 135 athletes on board during the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Find out more about the campaign: 1o5c.org

[video: https://youtu.be/LGXIaUNNtbU]

153 Countries – 860 Videos – A global youth call for climate action

The Film4Climate Global Video Competition closed for submissions at the end of September. With more than 860 videos sent in by filmmakers from 153 countries this really is a global youth call for climate action.

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Social media report

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The Film4Climate social media <a href="https://www.connect4climate.org/publication/film4climate-competition-so…; target="_blank">report</a> shows great numbers and a positive impact. Some highlights:

- 8.7k mentions 
- 168 million impressions 
- 6.5k retweets 
- 121 blogs 
- 66 news 
- mentioned mostly in English and Spanish

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About the Film4Climate Competition

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The <a href="https://www.film4climate.net/" target="_blank">Film4Climate Global Video Competition</a> is the outcome of a partnership between the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate program, the United Nations, Vulcan Productions, and the Italian energy company Enel, which has endorsed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and targeted carbon neutrality for its operations by 2050. Other presenting partners include the UNFCCC, UN Sustainable Development, UNEP, The Global Brain, and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco. In addition, more than 70 collaborating partners are supporting the competition.

The Film4Climate Global Video Competition invited aspiring filmmakers from around the world to express their vision for a sustainable future by creating a short film or video about climate action. The competition called on filmmakers to explore Climate Action, the 13th goal under the UN Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing what individuals and communities around the world are doing to promote action, offer solutions and inspire positive change to combat climate change and its impacts. Filmmakers were encouraged to deploy personal narratives that explore fundamental questions such as: What does climate change mean to me? What actions am I taking to mitigate the advance of global warming? What is my Climate Action message to the world?

Bernardo Bertolucci (The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris) is serving as the jury president of the competition. Bertolucci is joined on the jury by Oscar-winning Directors and Producers as well as luminaries of cinema, communications and the environment, including Mohamed Nasheed, climate champion and former president of the Maldives, producer Lawrence Bender (An Inconvenient Truth, Pulp Fiction), director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Saving Face, A Girl in the River), director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, Racing Extinction), director Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener), director Robert Stone (Radio Bikini, Pandora’s Promise), director Mika Kaurismaki (Zombie and the Ghost Train), director Pablo Trapero (Carancho, El Clan), producer Martin Katz (Hotel Rwanda), Ann Hornaday, Chief Film Critic of The Washington Post, Sheila Redzepi, Vice President for External and Corporate Relations, World Bank Group, Moroccan director Farida Benlyazid (Frontieras, Keïd Ensa),  Carole Tomko, General Manager and Creative Director of Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions, Maria Wilhelm, Executive Director of the Avatar Alliance Foundation, Pat Mitchell, President and CEO of the Paley Center for Media, Rose Kuo, CEO and Artistic Director of the Qingdao International Film Festival, and Mark Lynas, author and environmentalist (The God Species, Six Degrees).

The winning entries will receive cash prizes of $8,000, $5,000, and $2,000 for first, second and third place in each of two categories: an under one-minute Public Service Advertisement (PSA) or a Short Film up to five minutes. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the United Nations COP22 Climate Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco in November.

Peace and Sustainability Workshop UAE

In a lead up to the forthcoming International Day of Peace, youth organisation Green Hope conducted an epoch conference cum workshop on “Peace and Sustainabilty.". It was attended by scores of students from different schools and universities, as well representatives from corporates. The day began with a tree planting session, during which Green Hope members planted over 80 saplings.

The conference stressed on the overriding importance of peace in achieving sustainability. SDG #16 ( The United Nationals Sustainable development goal # 16) specifically focuses on “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”. Yet peace runs like a thread through all 17 of the Goals. Every year on the International Day of Peace, the United Nations calls on the peoples of the world to remember their common humanity and join together to build a future free of strife.

This year’s theme – the Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace – highlights how ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring broadly shared prosperity all contribute to global harmony. Green Hope founder/president , 16 year old Kehkashan Basu said “We the youth are the Future Generations and we must take the initiative of breaking these shackles of hatred and bring forth a new order . This is the objective behind our event today , to bring together a diverse section of civil society so that we discuss the ways and means of achieving peace and its profound impact on sustainability. “

The conference, hosted by the Apple International School, began with a Peace song composed and performed by the Green Hope team after which there were interactive presentations to highlight the critical inter-linkages between peace and the sustainable development goals. The conference attendees were hugely motivated to receive a video message from Mr Max T Edkins, the Climate Change Expert at World Bank’s Connect4Climate initiative . In his message, Max emphasized climate change being the most fundamental challenge facing the current generation and its intricate linkage with all the sustainable development goals. The audience also received a video message on the conference theme from Mr Jan-Gustav Strandenaes , Senior Advisor on Governance at the Stakeholder Forum.

[video: https://vimeo.com/181270389]

This was followed by an interactive panel discussion , comprising of an eminent panel of experts which included Dr. Federica Busa – Director Theme Development Dubai Expo2020, Mr. Stephen King - Professor at Middlesex University Dubai, Ms Ellen Vroonhof – Program Manager at Netherlands based Kidsrights Foundation, Dr Masumeh Kazmi from the Iranian Salman Farsi school and Ms Panjala Dutta –Principal Apple International School.

The highlight of the conference was a painting competition, wherein the participants used art to convey the theme of Peace and Sustainability. Green Hope believes that peace building begins with conflict resolution and these must be resolved using a bottom-up approach. Grassroots organizations, as well as local authorities and civil-society representatives, should be the main actors in the conflict resolution process. Thus this conference sought to bring together various stakeholders to determine the pathway to a peaceful and sustainable future.

This blog post was originally posted on Ecowatch.​

This blog post was originally posted on Ecowatch.