Sustained Youth Mobilization

As they have the greatest stake in the future sustainability of our planet, Africa's youth should be mobilized to get out the message of sustainable development. Indeed, they also have to contribute by bringing their dynamism to bear through ideas, taking business risks and contributing to educating and mobilizing the rest of society behind agreed goals”.  --Mr. Abdoulie Janneh,UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on 27 June 2011.

I partially agree --youth globally should be mobilized. We need to spread the message of sustainable development. We have the dynamism, the innovative new ideas because we do not see the barriers. We are the risk takers. The young have the most to lose and even more to gain. It is our habits that will impact the future.

We need to be involved. We need to be actively participating in the negotiations and not merely consulted / observing. That is one reason that progress isn't happening.

There is no global ownership of the problems. We are collectively in denial and no one wants to take responsibility. Apathy is growing because people do not feel like they can change things, no one wants to take the leadership role in implementing the solutions or for admitting that there is a problem. While the governments in Scandinavia have started, they have also begun taking steps backwards. An example is Denmark's recycling program that they didn't have the facilities to maintain and can no longer afford.

G77 and China also have to take a leadership role and start sharing the responsibility. I know that Europe and the US may have contribute more to the problem in the past but we need to deal with now and what is going on globally. Excuses, inaction or blocking negotiations for petty reasons cannot be allowed to continue. Especially as SIDs are going to be dramatically impacted but do not stand up and let their voices be heard.  It is time for everyone to take a critical look at the status quo and say this is not good enough.