350.org and the Global Climate Movement via It's Getting Hot In Here
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BaliBuzz: Youth Statement to High-Level Plenary in Bali: “This is our last chance” via It's Getting Hot In Here
Yesterday, the International Youth delegations read a powerful statement to the high-level plenary in at the climate conference in Bali. Giving the UN climate conference’s closing statement, it was a defining moment. The incredble speakers were Anna Keenan from Australia, Karmila Parakkasi from Indonesia, Whit Jones from SustainUS in the United States, and Bambou Chieppa (a 13-year old girl). At 4 minutes, the statement was powerful and concise — and called for bold action.
I helped coordinate the drafting of the statement, and it was an amazing experience. Written together by the Indonesian, Japanese, American, Australian, Canadian, Belgian, and French youth delegations, it was a true international collaboration. I am so proud of the inclusive and consensus process we... BaliBuzz: And the Beat Goes On… via It's Getting Hot In Here
It is the final night of the UN conference. All of the side events have ended and all of the displays have been taken down. Compared to the constant bustle of normal conference pace, the convention center feels like a ghost town.
Yet, the negotiations goes on.
It is now 2am and negotiations are continuing to take place behind closed doors. In the main hall, people are waiting, and some are sleeping, for the final report and close of these negotiations. As rumor has it, that time will not come until at least 5am at the current rate of progress. Outside in the halls, there are intense strategy huddles, camping outside of the negotiation rooms in hopes of catching a hint of how they are going, and finally outright partying complete with rum, wine, and music. Other than the fact that anytime... A Call for Urgency: No More Time for Inefficiency via It's Getting Hot In Here
At an early meeting of the Youth Caucus at COP13, someone mentioned the need to respect the UN process. We had to make sure that the demonstrations that were taking place didn’t mention disrespect for the UNFCCC. It hadn’t really occurred to me before; I never saw a reason to not value the process by which the delegates were gathering, negotiating, and making decisions. But after a full week of attending plenary sessions and contact groups I can see why the process can be frustrating. I sat in a session about Carbon Capture and Storage last Thursday that exemplified the kind of frustration I think they were referring to. After 45 minutes of discussing how the discussion should take place, the facilitator noted that time was up and dismissed the meeting. Seriously? I was reasonably...
Australian Youth Delegation - Arrival and International Youth Conference via It's Getting Hot In Here
“Halo, halo” from Kuta Bali! The Australian Youth Climate Coalition has officially landed in beautiful Bali, Indonesia, on the verge of the steepest learning curves of our lives. We will attempt to navigate our way through 2 weeks of UN climate change negotiations at COP13, the conference where the Bali Mandate – that is, the future of our planet - will be decided upon. After months of phone-link-ups, the ‘AYCC Delegation to Bali’ finally came together for the first time 2 days ago. Still struggling to realign our perceptions of our phone-link-up friends with their actual physical selves, we are over the moon to finally be together. Now our adventure has officially begun – the team is together, we’ve traipsed through crowded market streets to find our little Kuta bungalows,...