AFRICAN YOUTH ROAD TO RIO 1

 I- SYNTHETIC FORM OF THE PROJECT                             

Project title	African Youth Road to Rio+20
Organisers	YVE (Young Volunteers for Environment) in partnership with AVD,ACTION SOLIDAIRE,AIDE21
Global objective	To make the participation of the African youth to the processes of decision-making on the future of the planet more effective and more efficient.
Specifics objectives	Ø    Strengthen the capacities of the African youth in the understanding of the stakes in sustainable development in the continental and global level. Ø   Endow the youth with technical and managerial capacities in the conduct of negotiations on the environment and the sustainable development at the global level. Ø    Put together expectations of   the African youth and harmonize them for a common position and strategy. Ø    Set the basis of the implementation and the functioning of a workgroup of the youth on the climate and the sustainable development under the banner of the African Initiative of the youth on Climate change ( AYICC)
Target	Leaders of youth organisations and other stakeholders in Africa (100 participants, plus experts, organising committee and some national’s stakeholders.)
Location	Yaoundé- Cameroon
Duration	Four (04) days  from May 29 to June 1,    2012
Awaited results	Ø  African youth have a better understanding of the challenges of sustainable development and climate change. Ø  African youth is better equipped for the conduct of global forums on climate change and sustainable development Ø  Different expectations are collected and a common position of African youth is adopted Ø  The basics of setting up and operation of a working group of African youth on sustainable development and climate change are identified and adopted by consensus
Issues to be covered	Ø  Overview of sustainable development and climate change  in Africa                                            Ø  The Processes of RIO+20 and its Current Status                                                             Participatory strategies amongst African youths

A- Context

The UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio + 20 will be undoubtedly a major turning point in the history of international negotiations and is thus for us young people, an opportunity to seize in order to play a role in future  negotiations. Rio +20 will be an opportunity to assess twenty years of sustainable development building, and also an opportunity to glimpse a green development for years to come. This conference comes at a time the world is witnessing an alarming climate and at a point where the world calendar tells us that we are approaching the deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (2015).

Climate change has ceased to be only an environmental problem but a developmental problem as well. The fight against climate change and the struggle for the implementation of sustainable development at local and regional levels by the international committee has paved the way for the development of the third world countries, as highlighted in the Kyoto protocol. Climate change has its different effects on different groups in society. Among the most affected are the youth African countries. Hence, there is a growing need to increase participation and involvement of the youths in climate change and sustainable development negotiations and implementation. One of the most effective ways of achieving this objective is by including youth agenda in the developmental plans of countries and ensuring their efficient participation in decision-making processes while getting them involved in negotiations concerning climate change and sustainable development at regional and international forums.

 After taking part in the COP 17 in Durban, South Africa in December 2011, most of the youth who were part of the delegations from Central African countries and other developing countries have realized how much they still need to learn and are seeking means and ways to participate in the RIO+20 Summit in June.

To ensure the participation of youth in the negotiation process on climate and sustainable development, the United Nations through UNFCCC    (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) has created the YOUNGO (Youth Constituency and Non Governmental Organisation at UNFCCC)  and the Major Group of Children and Youth on behalf of Convention of Sustainable Development. These are platforms where youth can express themselves and make their voices heard. But since then, there have been a very weak and poor participation of African youth. Participations in international negotiations have been considered by the few African youth representatives who attended them as tourism occasion into host countries. That is why they brandish pictures and other gadgets brought from the host countries as achievements.

The African youth want their voices to be heard during decision making. They are crying for salvation because they are profoundly affected by the effects of climate change in one hand and on the other hand, they also deserve the benefits of sustainable development as indicated in the Brundtland’s report. Given the importance of the RIO summit for the future of the planet, how can these youth that also deserves the benefits of progress and that are major actors in the implementation of sustainable development; ensure a real and efficient participation at the table of negotiations?

 Recognizing the need for youth to master the maze of sustainable development and climate change, African heads of state by the voice of President Obiang Nguema, President of the African Union, during 17th African Union Summit emphasized the importance of the involvement and participation of youth in the development process. To fully empower the youth for sustainable development, a thorough knowledge of the issues involved is primordial. It is the role of the youth to ensure that development be sustain, therefore they need to play an important role in the policymaking process of today. Thus, training, preparation and participation are the cornerstones of real involvement.

YVE (Young Volunteers for Environment) is a non-profit making youth organization working on issues of sustainable development and climate change in Africa. It has representations in many countries in the continent and worldwide. It has been working on youth capacity building in local sustainable development and environmental protection. It has also been involved in many decision making processes in the area of sustainable development and environment protection in the world. Young Volunteers for Environment defends the interests of the youth and work in the water and sanitation sector.YVE has realized with regret that the voices of the African youth are seldom heard during international negotiation processes.

B- Justification

The United Nations conference on sustainable development and climate change constitutes complex processes and mechanisms which require prior efficient preparation for participant understands. African youth must be armed with tools and strategies that will enable them to develop a concerted action. The involvement and participation of youth, structuring and harmonizing their positions are fundamental.
Like the previous conferences, youth will once again be present at the Rio+ 20. Twenty years after the first Earth Summit, there are talks of a renewed political commitment to ensure sustainable development and meet new challenges. Given these challenges, young people feel challenged and are preparing to show once again their own commitment. Indeed, the balance between the needs of current generations and those of future generations in the spectrum of a green economy is apparently unclear.
            Given this present situation, the training, which is the second of its kind and whose objective is the preparation of youth in the process, is being put in place to strike the balance. Thus, the future of the planet is at stake more than ever, a perfect knowledge of the situation is a major asset for the young leaders of tomorrow.

Considering the inter-generational and intra-generational solidarity principle propounded by the sustainable development process, African youth despite their poverty also need to be part of the decision making; furthermore their voices should be heard. This shouldn’t only be that of governments and other policy making stakeholders but also that of the marginalized and vulnerable people as well as the youth.

With regards to past experiences from Copenhagen and Cancun, it was revealed that the poor participation of African youth was mostly due to their poor knowledge on climate change and sustainable development challenges and their lack of skills in international negotiation. All this was a consequence of a lack of preparation and support. The average performance of Cameroon youth delegates observed in Durban last December was the result of the work YVE and other youth association leaders had done for the preparation of these delegates.

Given that youth can BE THE CHANGE, they are the ones to implement any decision taken at any summit given that they are the future leaders of the nations. They then have to recognize themselves into the outcomes of these summits. Therefore, they ought to seize any opportunity to BRING THE CHANGE. So, the capacity building of the Central Africa youth for an effective and heavy participation at the RIO+20 is a great necessity given the importance of these summits for the future of the planet. To do so, African youth voices have to be one, audible and pertinent given that they’ll be more powerful together than any of them individually. Opportunities such as RIO+20 can come once in a life time; and decisions that will be taken there will determine the future of the planet. Again, one of the major strategies of development in Africa within this 21^st century is to empower youths by integrating them into all policy making processes as real stakeholders; the Central African youths need to take actions and defend their interests.

INTERVENTIONS/ ISSUES TO BE COVERED

The workshop will focus on the following issues driven from the overall preparatory program of the UNFCCC, UNCSD and international challenges on sustainable development.

Ø   Training workshops

Ø   Conferences and debates

Ø   Simulation

Key activities:

• Lessons on Sustainable Development and challenges of RIO 2012
• Simulation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development RIO 20 (Yaoundé 20) through role plays including participants.
• Brainstorming for collecting expectations of participants
• Participatory planning session for a common position of African youth from the expectations expressed
• group work session for the construction of the foundations of the working group of young people in Africa for sustainable development and climate change • Election of the people to lead this group
• Appointment of two (02) delegates to speak for all African youth in Rio under the auspices of AYICC
 The training evaluation will be performed by the participants. They will have to decide on the following;
• The quality of reception
• The relevance of the training modules
• The quality of training and trainers
• The quality of meals
• The general organization of training

1 - Sustainable Development

·               Overview of sustainable development  in Africa

·               The place of youths within the sustainable development process and climate change.

·               Understanding the concept of sustainability and introduction of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development

·               Green economy and sustainable development challenge: what prospects for African Youth

·               How to promote green jobs and decent and productive work for youth in rural areas

·                Corporate social responsibility and challenges of a green economy

·               Deciphering the declaration of the African Youth

·                Return of the green jobs forum in Niamey

·                National and International Policies: Linking policy and practice, Development     Planning and Youth Involvement in Decision Making for climate change activities

Ø   The Processes of RIO+20 and its Current Status

·               Training on the process, negotiations & current status, climate financing, Youth participation and expected outcomes of RIO+20

·         RIO 20 opportunities and challenges for Africa

 Gender and Sustainable development

·               Role and importance of Gender mainstreaming in environmental protection, policies, initiatives and opportunities to support local entrepreneurs.

·               Participatory strategies amongst African youth

             Harmonize youth intervention strategies into a global action in green economy

2 - Climate Change

Understanding climate change in Africa (causes, consequences, events, links between climate change and sustainable development, etc...) 

International governance of climate (UNFCCC AWG-LCA, SBSTA, etc...) And state of international negotiations on climate change (Kyoto Protocol, Cancun Agreements, Platform Durban, Green Climate Fund, etc.). The links between forests and climate change REDD +: definition, issues and opportunities in Africa for forest communities and youth

 

Participants
The training is open to all youth organizations and young African involved in environmental issues, climate change and sustainable development, priority is given to countries in the Central African Sub Region. It is also open to young actors of the private sector and public and development partners, administrative authorities in charge of environment and climate.

Participation in the workshop
Participation in training is subject to:
- Fill out the form available at

www.jvecameroun.blogspot.com
or directly:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEN2ODI3MElsc0dfVDZOVFM1OXlDdVE6MQ # gid = 0
- A study of the organizing committee for evaluation and selection.
- By paying a participation fee which amounts to 10,000 FCFA(  )per person and 25.000FCFA ()respectively for nationals and foreigners.

 The payment of this fee entitles you to a participation kit and different meals and coffee breaks. Delegates will receive a diploma certifying that they have trained international institute in the field of climate change and sustainable development.
Foreign participants residing in Cameroon will be treated the same way as Cameroonians.

  a grant 30% discount will be available from April 23 and May 7, 2012
-The organizing committee will also support housing for international candidates selected Graduation is subject to review and attendance at training module.

Contact Telephone: +237 75 71 81 35 / +23779205171/ +23776670896

                                 +237 96 25 72 14 / +237 75584520/

Email: jvecmr@gmail.com
http://jvecameroun.blogspot.com

Please complete the form before 15 May 2012