The Passionate Walk- Moving the Planet!

Have you ever woken up any one morning to wow the masses along Nairobi (or any other capital city) streets in a significant splash of style, culture and a powerful message calling for change? Forget the usual propaganda of political change but the unique global voice of environmental change; for people to wake up and MOVE? A voice that is gaining popularity and strength across countries, across generations and definitely across races and gender. A voice so serene yet so powerful. A voice that is diverse yet unifying in its message. Advocating for justice in the climate change crisis. Calling for action. Pushing for environmental rights. Awakening the sleeping lest they swiftly perish in the enjoyment of their sleep. Indeed it is time to wake up and take action. It is time for citizens of the globe to MOVE FOR THE PLANET!

MOVING THE PLANET was a spectacular show of courage, bravery, energy, enjoyment and frustration. Yes, frustration, the youth are frustrated and indeed fed-up of people not taking responsibility for their daily actions that progressively lead to a pile up of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Who knew that such an event would turn out to be so enormous? Beyond my silent joy of having to walk along the various streets of the capital city with neither hustle nor bustle not to mention the state security escorting us; I was oblivious of what lay in waiting! Setting out with my naiveté and humble jubilation, I was jolted awake at the venue of the event. Wow! Several youths taking part in the walk were ready, the traditional dancers and entertainers were adorning themselves in the beautiful cultural traditional attires &musical instruments and the music truck was ready to go complete with a public address system. The curiosity on the passers-by and hangers-on was not hard to spot.

Setting off from Jeevanjee gardens, the spectacle was a beauty to behold. It was all spread across the faces and actions of the participants. Faces of determination, faces full of hope, faces of eagerness, faces lined with anxiety, faces so tender yet so ripe in their message, restless for change, yearning and calling for environmental care, preaching the religion of environmentalism, warning of the happening and potential disastrous impacts of climate change…calling upon people to move the planet to safety! To use cleaner energy sources, to minimize the use of fossil fuels, to adopt sources that leave the least carbon footprints on the planet, to promote the use of better sustainable means of transport. The emphatic chants of jubilation, the strong echoes of the signature message ‘MOVING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS’ & ‘WE HAVE FAITH- ACT NOW FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE’ and mix of dancing and joy. Pausing here and there to reach out to the masses along the streets to entertain as well as seek their petitions for climate change justice.

As the event came to an end, if our audience had a hazy understanding of all the ‘craziness’ happening along the streets, we are sure that they clearly heard the strong message delivered by the environmental ambassadors and campaigners. Physically drained from the energetic performances, the participants were glad to have stepped out and been part of this step towards climate justice! As we take a well deserved sigh of relief after such a key event, we all gear up for more. We shall not allow ourselves to grow weary and lose sight of our vision until: the right ears listen, the silent mouths speak, the dusty pens take note, the sleeping actors implement, the right minds think, the cold hearts grow warmer and the lazy masses take action! We are proud of mother earth; we celebrated Moving the Planet.

Riziki Winnie: AYICC-KENYA

AYICC Fraternity mourns the passing of Prof. Wangari Maathai

''To the young people I say, you are a gift to your communities and indeed the world.You are our hope and our future.''Prof Wangari Maathai.

It is with great sadness that we at the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) and the Kenya Youth Climate network (KYCN) have learnt about the passing of our heroine Prof. Wangari Maathai.

Prof Maathai was for us and many other young people a symbol of fortitude, courage, humility and leadership.It is her strength that we often refer to in our environmental pursuits, it is her footsteps that we follow, her wealth of knowledge that we draw from.

We in the youth movement recognize that we enjoy the space we enjoy today because of her, Uhuru Park & Karura forest are a symbol of her steadfastness in Environmental conservation,an example she set for us,one we must abide by. Working with the GBM has been a great pleasure and we were hoping to see her at the Interfaith Rally in Durban during the COP 17 climate talks later this year!

We salute a great heroine who in winning the Nobel Peace Prize set us on a path to dream big, to achieve the highest accolades ever and it is this that we are thankful for.

We join her family, the GBM fraternity, Kenyans and the rest of the world in mourning our heroine and in commiting to always being 'the humming birds'

May her soul rest in eternal peace!

Signed: Sylvia Wachira- Continental Coordinator, AYICC

Unbowed by Ken Liti, AYICC Kenya

I slept and dreamt,
Of the greenest Earth,
I awoke and felt,
The prevailing dearth

I dreamt of trees,
Then woke up to plant them
Stung by political bees,
But soldiered on; devoid of shame

Now that I'm gone,
Of more trees do plant,
Here; the torch that my path shone,
The song of eco-warriors forever chant!

~ In Memory of Prof. Wangari Maathai

Kennedy Liti Mbeva,
UNEP - Bayer Young Environment Envoy 2010
Africa Union Youth Volunteer Corp

African Youth urge the 14th Conference of African Ministers of Environment to focus on Climate Justice in view of COP 17 in Durban and Rio +2O.

Mali: Bamako 15 September 2011 – For Immediate Release

African Youth welcome the hosting of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) in Bamako, Mali from the 12 to 16 September 2011. This 14th session which aims at consolidating the African common position within the climate negotiations at COP 17 as well as the Rio + 20 gives impetus to the African youth to get their permanent observer status at AMCEN.

The African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) is a Pan-African movement of young people and organizations which aims at addressing issues of climate change, environment and sustainable development. AYICC was formed in Nairobi in 2006 during the UNFCCC COP 12 as a platform for youth advocacy on climate change issues. Its goal is to bring together the synergies of youth to participate in various forums and debates in order to find solutions to climate change issues.

In fulfilling this, AYICC is represented at AMCEN by youth organizations and NGOs from Africa led by JVE International, an environmental organization present in over 19 countries in Africa which is fighting for climate justice through advocacy and the education of young people on climate change in Africa.

Like its peers in the African civil society, AYICC would like to remind Ministers that climate justice and sustainable development should be the basic fundamental strategy for Africa. This requires:

1. Recognition of the right of people to development, the maintenance of the earth’s bio capacity , and inter and intra-generational equity;
2. Urgent focus on adaptation to climate change especially for the most vulnerable communities to easily access adequate funding;
3. The implementation of an innovative financing mechanism that takes into account historical responsibility, direct access (without intermediaries), and the rejection of all forms of debt;
4. A call to limit the average increase in temperature to below 1.5 ° C; and
5. Integrating environmental sustainability into national development plans.

All these demands are contained in the ‘Have Faith-Act Now’ petition campaign in which AYICC is involved and in which we are seeking to collect one (1) million signatures to take to COP 17.This campaign also includes a youth caravan from Nairobi to Durban.

Further to this, AYICC wishes to reaffirm its commitment to contribute to the construction of a new development paradigm. In this regard, Rio +20 is an opportunity for us to:

1. Act on the transition to a low carbon development and build resilience to the impacts of climate change
2. Lay the foundations for a genuine global governance mechanism for sustainable development
3. Place Youth, Chidren and Indigenous peoples in particular and civil society in general, at the heart of environmental governance and development.
4. Guide the green economy to address the fight against poverty while taking care not to exacerbate social inequalities, let alone the destruction of biodiversity or the collapse of the poor states in favor of the private sector.

The urgent and important message that the ministers should take to heart is that: 'Climate change threatens the balance of life on Earth with Sea level rises and increased acidity , the melting of ice caps and glaciers, deterioration of forests and coral reefs and other ecosystem changes. With these, the existence of some communities is threatened while others face increasing difficulties in their development . According to Sylvia Wachira the AYICC Coordinator. ‘While the lives of young people and children are just blooming, it is undeniable that we are on the brink of a climatic catastrophe which will cause disturbances with unpredictable weather patterns, the collapse of food systems, mass migration and unprecedented human conflict .’

With this in mind, we AYICC affirms that it is committed to supporting the position of Africa to reach a fair and equitable agreement at COP 17 in Durban.

We represent the future which you speak of : RESPECT IT!

Séna ALOUKA: 00223 79 49 78 33, yvetogo@hotmail.com Mawusé HOUNTONDJI: 00223 72 56 16 65, jvebenin@gmail.com

Contacts for the Press:

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AN APOSTLE OF HER LAND

Mme Masuku is about 80 years old, she walks with a slight limp but is as alert, even more alert than most people. She has an aura of authority around her and she relishes in this. She is clear in her speech, passionate and totally in control. ‘We have been here before’ she intonates in her clear voice at the Climate Change and Indigenous Knowledge Systems Conference in Johannesburg. When she is so immersed in the greatness of mother Africa she goes off in her local tongue; which better expresses what she is talking about then she switches back to English so we can all understand. She is an extraordinary ordinary person; Mme Masuku is a black African woman, through and through and that’s what makes her unique. She inspires and counsels in words only she can utter.

Mme Masuku speaks of olden days when man and nature co-existed harmoniously, when life was orderly and predictable. Lessons from the moon and the stars, messages from insects and animals, medicine from trees and food and drink in plenty from the land of her forefathers. But what happened to such a life? What made the children of Africa forget the old time-tested ways? What makes us not borrow from our rich African heritage-socially, culturally and economically?

Mme Masuku has lived through it all, seen it all and faces each day with a knowledge of what tomorrow will bring. ‘Nature must be respected’, she says, if you don’t respect nature and do not listen to nature then nature will destroy you. We have to rediscover our roots and embrace our rich heritage, and the time is now.’ She speaks of a day when all of the children of Africa will learn to be truly African, appreciate the knowledge of their forefathers and pass it on to future generations. She says that it is the youth of this continent who have to take up this challenge.

Mme Masuku and I pose for a photo at Kopanong Conference Centre in Benoni



In the true African form she does not require a powerpoint presentation, the words just flowed from her as of old, when knowledge was passed on orally and we drank in this river of knowledge, one that never gets extinct, and we are changed!

Of herself she says she has succeeded because ‘I stuck to my identity’. She truly has been to the University of Earth!

By Winnie Asiti Khaemba

Notes: Mme Masuku is an Indigenous Knowledge Holder from the Bakgatla ba Kgafela people in South Africa.She lives in Moruleng, North West, South Africa where she runs community projects aimed at environment conservation through Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Mama Masuku is a widely recognized traditionalist, environmentalist and community worker and was one of the eight success stories in sustainable development, which was showcased by the World Conservation Union during the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

http://www.bakgatlabakgafela.co.za/userfiles/file/Profile%20Of%20Mmakgotha%20Grace%20Masuku%20(PDF).pdfes/file/Profile%20Of%20Mmakgotha%20Grace%20Masuku%20(PDF).pdf

International Youth Camp in Rwanda: Climate Change Classes

It is a fact that climate change is real and that it affects the humanity in different ways. What would happen if we reverse the activities that have led to climate change?

This is one of the questions that was asked by delegates participating in a 5 day youth camp organized by the International Youth Fellowship at St Andre’ College from 15-19 August 2011 in Kigali Rwanda. The youth camp attracted about 1000 youth from different countries, with the majority of them being Rwandans from higher learning institutions and secondary schools. To keep the campers entertained, theatre groups from Nairobi, Kenya were on site with youth friendly skits, plays, poems and other on stage items.

The climate change session was presented by Dr. Landry Ndriko Mayigane, AYICC Regional Coordinator for East Africa, who talked about the effects of climate change. He spoke about the environment, how it was in the past, how it is now, and how it may look like in the future if we do not change our activities. He challenged the youth to take a more active role in curbing the effects of climate change, and stop being just recipients of decisions made at high profile meetings. He emphasized that youth should act more and be more involved in climate change campaigns.

During the highly interactive session, Dr. Landry outlined the effects of climate change with specific reference to how rainfall patterns in Africa have changed despite the fact that Africa contributes least to environmental pollution.

Towards the end of the session, Dr. Landry invited Beatrice Onyango from AIESEC to give brief comments about youth involvement in activities. She spoke about hobbies, and how relevant they should be in person’s life. She emphasized the importance of having hobbies which are connected to one’s vision and interests. This will help the youth to spend their time more productively.

Dr. Landry also mentioned the great activities that the AYICC network is involved in in Africa in and how different organizations and youth can join the network.

Prepared by Beatrice Onyango, AYICC Rwanda

AYICC at the African Urban Youth Assembly Abuja, Nigeria, 26-28 July 2011

The World Urban Youth Assembly has become the leading global platform for youth to deliberate on urban issues. At the World Urban Forum in Vancouver, youth requested the establishment of a special fund to support youth-led initiatives in pursuance of the Habitat Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals. At the 21st Session of the Governing Council in 2007, Governments passed Resolution 21/6 that established the Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development. The Fund targets young people most in need of assistance and in particular the vulnerable youth in urban slums.

At the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, youth strongly emphasized that they wished to both be recognized for their work and expertise in local and international development, and to be included in policy development. Resolution 22/4, which was passed by Governments at the 22nd Session of the Governing Council, encourages governments to give priority and support to youth-led development initiatives and invites multilateral agencies, governments, the private sector and civil society to listen to youth and develop policies on their development based on participatory processes. The resolution further requests the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, to provide the necessary mechanisms for the World Urban Youth Assembly to be recognized as an integral part of the World Urban Forum.

In Africa, there is overwhelming evidence of the risk factors among young people growing up in urban settings. Severe urban overcrowding and decay; increasing poverty and unemployment; family and community breakdown, on-going wars, effects of climate change; child and youth exploitation; and trans-national trafficking and crime are multiplying the security and range of risks to which young people in African cities are exposed. Young people are heavily affected by the absence of sustainable employment.

By 2015, the population aged 15-24 years in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to reach some 200 million, and the population aged 15-34 is projected to be 343 million. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world that has registered a sharp increase in the total number of young working poor (those subsisting on less than US$ 1 per day).

Recognizing the gravity of this situation and in line with the proposed theme for the next World Urban Forum VI in Naples, Italy 2012 title: “Prosperity of cities: Balancing Ecology, Economy and Equity”, an African Urban Youth Assembly has been organized from 26-28 July 2011 by UN HABITAT in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in Nigeria. The conference took place at the Yar’Adua International Conference Center in Abuja, Nigeria.

More than 100 youths from all across Africa were invited for the conference, especially youth leaders who are involved in business, governance, media and environment protection at the regional and country levels.

The main topics that were dscussed included: Youth in the Prosperity of Citite, Urbanization and Urban Youth Employment in Africa, Climate Change, UNFCCC COP17, ICT, Entrepreneurship, Youth and Urban Governance, Equity, Safety, Youth in Arts, Culture and Sport.

Some AYICC leaders were invited as speakers to some of the sessions. Mr. Urias Goll, AYICC Advisor from Liberia,, spoke to the session on the session on Youth and Urban Governance; Ms. Esther Agbarakwe, AYICC Coordinator for Nigeria spoke on the session on UNFCCC COP17, Ms Yvette Ampaire, AYICC Coordinator for Ugandan and Dr. Landry Ndriko Mayigane, AYICC Regional Coordinator for East Africa spoke on the session on Climate Change: What does youth have to do about it?.

The conference went well and accomplished the following outcomes:

• Preparation of a comprehensive African Urban Youth position paper on employment and equity challenges to be presented to at the next World Urban Forum VI
• The preparation of key recommendations to governments aimed at attaining MDGs specific to economy, equity and climate change from an African Youth Perspective
• The participants acquiring new knowledge and being sensitized thereby reinforcing (Strengthening) capacity of African Urban Youth organizations to engage on the key specific issue of urbanization and employments opportunities.

Prepared by Dr. Landry N. Mayigane, AYICC Regional Coordinator for East Africa