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.

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.

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.​

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]

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.