A full day of meetings, exhibits and inspiration: Church pilgrimages, Environmental Building exhibits, inspiring call to people to rise up in action from Connie Hedegarrd, Climate Minister to the UN Climate Conference and a call for leadership from city officials by David Cadman, president of ICLEI, but most inspiring of all was visiting the international forum for young activists from over 80 countries…
We live in an age when to be young and to be indifferent can be no longer synonymous. We must prepare for the coming hour.The claims of the future are represented by suffering millions;and the Youth of a Nation are the trustees of Posterity.
Benjamin Disraeli
I want to tell you about two young women I met today. As I was covering a climate pilgrimage I happened to pass the university here and noticed a lot of young people going in and out of the main hall. Curious as to what was going on I slipped in the back door and found myself surrounded by a packed house of young people brainstorming climate change in a beautiful 500 year-old room where the University holds it graduations and special events. It was a gathering of members of the International Conference of Youth (COY) Just listening to their passion, commitment and brilliant solutions I was moved to tears…
I talked with Amelia Melville from Great Britain, who told me that they were meeting to generate ideas of what they could do if they found the solutions that our global leaders came up with to be unacceptable. They were establishing guidelines of what they felt would be a fair and acceptable agreement from our leaders. As I talked with her I was touched by her clarity and focus. I left thinking, “this is who I work for – the 750 youth from over 80 countries who have made great sacrifices to be here and have their voice heard – whatever I can do to support them, I must!
Caroline Howe is a young women from the US who is living in India and working with the India Youth Climate network, empowering the youth from the global South where climate change is already causing massive disruption, starvation and environmental displacement. She asked us all to listen and recognize the youth and their innovative ideas about change. She is clear that we can turn things around, but not with out the passion, creativity and brilliance of the young people.
She told me “Our perspective is different from the leaders who are currently throwing around numbers. I’ve seen young people implementing change in a way that world leaders can’t imagine. They are using web 2.0 to mobilize the brilliance of young people, they have innovative technologies, innovative applications and better funding strategies. I am inspired because I know what’s possible – I know that an 80% carbon reduction by 2020 is not crazy – It is possible! That’s why the youth voice is so important. It must be heard because we are doing things differently in terms of our actual on the ground implementation.”
My question is, “do we have the courage to let the youth of today step forward and take on the leadership of tomorrow.” We need these voices of hope, inspiration and innovation to be heard and supported. The future of all life on this planet depends on it.
That’s it for today friends. Another day in Hopenhagen, and the Conference doesn’t start till tomorrow…
Blessings,
michael
This would have moved me to tears also. I know the hope for our future lies with our youth. There are wonderful innovative ideas that are already being born in them, and in others, in search of ways to manifest on a larger scale. I pray that I have the faith that openings and encouragement will appear as they are needed, and those without the vision will not squash them,like they’re trying to do in the U.S. with the notion that global warming isn’t real, but just another natural fluctuation.
Blessings to all people of good will.
Michael, Reading about the youth from around the world gathering in Copenhagen inspires me and gives me hope… re-energizes me to support the young leaders I know. thanks for this!
Peggi