Girl Guides at 17th Conference Of Parties
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Durban, South Africa from November 28 to December 8, 2011. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC meets annually to assess countries’ progress in dealing with climate change. A delegation of 17 Girl Guides from 13 different countries attended COP17. Their aim was to ensure that the voice of girls and young women was taken into account at the COP17 negotiations.
After a week in the run up to the conference working on environmental projects involving local school children in Durban, the WAGGGS youth delegation spent the next two weeks working in alliance with other youth. They gave passionate addresses during the informal negotiations in which they intervened, prepared targeted lobbying papers, had informal talks with negotiators and gave numerous media interviews as well as participated in panel discussions.
Yofuge Day (aka Young and Future Generations Day), celebrated on December 1, was particularly successful for the WAGGGS delegation.
The 17 youth delegates chose to carry out what in UN terms is called an “action” to commemorate Yofuge Day and create awareness of climate change.
The young girls braved the boiling mid-day Durban heat for 30 minutes to perform their very own song and dance routine outside the conference building! The number was so catchy that not only did several spectators (including busy party delegates) stop to watch, but other groups joined in and the delegates were swamped with requests for interviews from the media.
A few hours later, Robert Owen-jones, the Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) – one of the most important committees at the COP – requested a special performance! Having watched it, he invited the delegates to open the negotiations on implementation of climate change action by performing their routine in front of 194 national delegations.
Robert Owen Jones, said he hoped the WAGGGS opening would put negotiators in the mood for action and Christiana Figueres, head of the UNFCCC secretariat, thanked the youth delegates for
January 22, 2012 providing this inspiration.
The WAGGGS delegation went on to co-host a side event where stories about climate change in Africa were shared by the panellists.
Beatrice from Kenya, one of the 17 delegates, shared her own story about how difficult climate change had made her life in Kenya. She spends so much time collecting water and her family often struggle to provide enough food, which is not equally shared between her and her brothers. It was an extremely moving story, and Beatrice, although emotional, delivered the powerful message that climate change had affected her life but rather than being a victim she had come to COP to be part of the solution. She touched many hearts in the audience, and had the moderator and the crowd on their feet in a standing ovation.
The WAGGGS side event was followed by a UN side event, and once again on the panel was a WAGGGS delegate, Megan from Canada, who told the powerful story of how non-formal education makes a difference to the lives of girls around the world. She answered tough questions, like how to make climate change education fun, without a flick of an eyelid!
The next step in WAGGGS’ fight for climate justice will be the UN Earth Summit in Rio, Brazil, in June 2012, where a WAGGGS youth delegation will be present. Interested WAGGGS members can now download the applications to become part of the delegation.
From January to March 2012, WAGGGS will run a consultation with children and young people around the world to find out about their hopes and fears for the future of our planet. The results will be included in WAGGGS' position at the UN Earth Summit in Rio.
The topic of World Thinking Day 2012 (celebrated annually on February 22 each year by members of the Girl Guide Movement) is 'we can save our planet'.
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