9th UNESCO Youth Forum

Following up to the 9th UNESCO Youth Forum, we are contacting youth to find out who would like to get involved in presenting the recommended actions compiled at the Forum relative to climate change, in the run-up to, and during, COP21!

As announced, the discussion on climate change during the Youth Forum will feed directly into the UN and civil-society space at the forthcoming COP 21 which will be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015. UNESCO has ensured several slots where the Forum’s global recommended actions and commitments in the area of climate change can be presented, followed by discussions and exchanges with the audiences.  These are:

• Participation at the “Intergenerational inquiry” session during the “Young and Future Generations Day of the COP 21, organized by UNFCCC (3 December)
• Presentation and exchanges at the UNESCO Pavillion (3 December)
• Participation in the side event round table “Climate Innovators: Empowering a Global Generation of Young People", organized by UNFPA and ILO (8 December)

This event will feature the work of young innovators and the investments needed to ensure the entire generation is empowered to contribute to a sustainable, healthy and resilient future. The objective is to demonstrate that youth have the full potential to bring innovations, solutions and possess entrepreneurial skills for adaptation and resilience to climate change. By sharing their ideas and accomplishments (often against all odds), the presenters will project the wisdom of building on enthusiasm, ingenuity and resourcefulness of youth in order to address the climate change and improve the quality of life for all generations. The presenters should be from the realms of both engineering/technological applications and behavioral change/social policy.

• Presentation and exchanges at the UN Youth booth, coordinated by UNFCCC (date to be determined)

In addition, UNESCO has secured a booth space on 28 November, during COY 11<http://coy11.org/en/>, the conference of youth that will precede COP 21.

For all these opportunities, we are looking for two young Forum participants who:

-          Participated in the Forum’s working sessions on climate change,
-          Are available to come to Paris in the period from 27 November to 9 December.
-          Can tangibly demonstrate that they have taken innovative local action and provided solutions to address climate change.

In addition to COP21 in Paris, two young participants will be invited to present all the Forum’s recommended actions and commitments on climate change during the Commonwealth Youth Forum<https://chogm2015.mt/fora/youthforum> (21-25 November 2015, Malta), as well as to build synergies for their implementation. For this occasion, we are looking for two young Forum participants who:

-          Come from a Commonwealth Member State
-          Are available to travel to Malta on the indicated dates.

All costs related to travel and accommodation in Paris and in Malta respectively for these occasions will be covered by UNESCO.

If you are interested in one of these opportunities, please send us your CV and motivation letter (including  a short description of your
involvement in climate change issues) by Thursday 5 November 2015 at the latest. Please send us a message with the following event you are applying for in the subject line:

-          COP 21 and COY 11
-          Commonwealth Youth Forum

Tothis email address:  9thunescoYouthForum@unesco.org

Best regards,

The Youth Forum Team

EMPOWERING YOUTH ON BIODIVERSITY ISSUES (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)

GRADES 5 TO 12
Today educators and students from St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, Devonshire Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School partnered together for our training program to accredit youth to become biodiversity leaders in their communities. 
 

This included conservation projects, outdoor classrooms, organic gardening, promoting locally sourced food, and political action.

We began with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. 

A final piece connected these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.

BIODIVERSITY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM- OTTAWA, CANADA

 

GRADES 5 TO 12
Biodiversity affects us all.  A global crisis is taking place now.  Scientists predict that we may lose half of all species on the planet by the end of this century.

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, educators from St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, St. Patrick High School, Devonshire Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School will partner together to develop a training program to accredit youth to become biodiversity leaders in their communities.  This included conservation projects, outdoor classrooms, organic gardening, promoting locally sourced food, political action (becoming politically literate) etc

We will begin with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. Students have now identified over 1400 species here.  A parallel language arts program at Devonshire Public School uses a web of local connections to build a template for environmental stewardship based on partnerships between local farmers, grocery store managers, a local restaurant, politicians, and community associations. Youth participants will walk away with a blue print for building both community-focused science and issues-based literacy programs designed to engage them as true defenders of their biological heritage.

A final piece will connect these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.  The students will hear video messages and meet professionals active in biodiversity issues.

We will begin with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. Students have now identified over 1400 species here.  A parallel language arts program at Devonshire Public School uses a web of local connections to build a template for environmental stewardship based on partnerships between local farmers, grocery store managers, a local restaurant, politicians, and community associations. Youth participants will walk away with a blue print for building both community-focused science and issues-based literacy programs designed to engage them as true defenders of their biological heritage.

A final piece will connect these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.  The students will hear video messages and meet professionals active in biodiversity issues.

Mike Leveille

Macoun Marsh- A Unique Urban Wetland in Ottawa

Check out-

Macoun Marsh- A Unique Urban Wetland in Ottawa

WINNERS OF THE 2015 BIODIVERSITY GALA- OTTAWA, CANADA

Here are some photos of last weeks Biodiversity Gala in Ottawa.  Winners were picked by youth from different local schools. 

Governmental Support Award: Elizabeth May

Elizabeth Evans May OC MP is an American-born Canadian environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and politician currently serving as leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands. 
Image of Deborah Coyne, Senior Policy Advisory for the Green Party of Canada

The International Biodiversity Award- Geoff Green, Founder, Executive Director & Expedition Leader of Students on Ice Expeditions

Canadian adventurer, environmentalist and educator Geoff Green has been leading expeditions and adventures from pole to pole for the past twenty years. Many notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into the world's most remote and interesting regions.

Local Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Jessica Walsh Moreau

Winner of the Ottawa Leading Girls Building Community Award, Jessica has been involved in the Macoun Marsh Biodiversity Project since its beginning.  She was also a leader in the 2009 International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity and in the formation of the International Youth Accord for Biodiversity that she co-presented in Nagoya, Japan for COP10.     

The St-Laurent Academy Biodiversity Award- Allan Leveille, Evan Mulcahy (St-Laurent Academy Youth and Biodiversity Mentors)
Allan and Evan represent some of the youngest of our original Biodiversity Youth Mentors.  They are very enthusiastic and proud to assist for tours at our local Macoun Marsh.  

International Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Lemuel Mena Vega (Mexico)

Lemuel Manases Mena Vega is a native of Cozumel and one of the founding members of the Park and Museum Foundation, which is dedicated to the conservation and maintenance of ecological parks and habitat in Cozumel. Lemuel has been most active in a project conserving and monitoring sea turtles and has presented at several international conferences, including the Second International Youth Forum in Canada in 2009. His long-term goal is to establish an environmental education business in Cozumel to get the native population active in conservation efforts.

International Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Christian Schwarzer (Germany)

Christian Schwarzer is a young German law student and a founder and member of the first Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)’ Steering Committee. The Global Youth Biodiversity Network provides aunique global platform where youth organizations and individuals can get in touch with each other and join forces for the protection of biodiversity.  He has been to 21 rounds of UN-negotiations.  Among them 6 COP meetings (2 UNFCCC and 4 CBD) as well as 15 subsidiary body and ad-hoc working group meetings of the UNFCCC and the CBD.