20 years ago, the Earth summit resulted in some great conventions (3 treaties) and not one of them has been implemented.
Our governments haven't changed the status quo. Old processes, powerful vested interests and short term cycles are challenges that young people hit hard when we tried to contribute to creating a new way of changing things.
We are spending our time arguing for 20 years and our planets boundaries are shrinking. Our planet needs new ways of doing things and we need to do things to create a change. We do not need governments permission or do something that is proven. We need pioneers who do not ask for permission but invents new ways of doing things.We need to re-write the way things are done. We need leaders...and we cannot expect governments to do this. I am very pro governments.
We need to show our leaders how to think. Listen to the call to action in the HIGHLY unambitious Rio+20 text and change the direction of our future.
Lets make it happen. Lets take action!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Rio+20: epic fail?
The text was ad ref'd too soon. That means that they closed the text and made a decision to accept it before Rio+20 began. This made a lot of young people depressed by the lack of urgency, lack of concrete changes and lack of potential of the document.
I have been insanely busy and sleeping less than 3 hours a day for the last few months…which means that I have really missed out on a lot. This includes personal time, social media, eating and even blogging. Today, I am sitting in a corner listening to Ban ki Moon talk about youth and MDGs as the conference lies in ruins and wonder…was anything really worth it?
“If we have commitment instead of ambition we would have the means to find the resources “stated Marina Silva an Environmental activist. She said that she has learnt from the young that what moves the word is “commitment” rather than “ambition” can move the world. But I have been part of the Major Group of Children and Youth. I have seen the commitment we have all exhibited. I have been in negotiations until 7am (from 7am the DAY before). I have watched young people work 100+ hours and try to engage with negotiators. Although we were constantly blocked, asked to leave by security at the request of the negotiations chair and sleep deprived—we have really TRIED. We have young and children teaching each other how to lobby negotiators who make decisions that impact our world. That impact our future. But sometimes it feels like we are all working for a different future than decision makers. It is highly satisfying to work for 40 hours and talk to 192 governments to get informal and formal education as a paragraph in the text…but that was agreed language. The epic lacks of mentions of planetary boundaries is a red line for me and for many young people but governments seem happy to accept that. It’s scary!
I am tired of hearing governments ask "how do we engage youth" or that we have "full civil society participation" when we are excluded from the negotiating rooms in the final day or asked to leave despite being in a half filled room. The young people here that represent billions have not been happy but it seems ridiculous that this is a never ending pattern.
Do we have to accept this reality? No. Should you? No.
The signs are there that youth are able to make change happen....
I have been insanely busy and sleeping less than 3 hours a day for the last few months…which means that I have really missed out on a lot. This includes personal time, social media, eating and even blogging. Today, I am sitting in a corner listening to Ban ki Moon talk about youth and MDGs as the conference lies in ruins and wonder…was anything really worth it?
“If we have commitment instead of ambition we would have the means to find the resources “stated Marina Silva an Environmental activist. She said that she has learnt from the young that what moves the word is “commitment” rather than “ambition” can move the world. But I have been part of the Major Group of Children and Youth. I have seen the commitment we have all exhibited. I have been in negotiations until 7am (from 7am the DAY before). I have watched young people work 100+ hours and try to engage with negotiators. Although we were constantly blocked, asked to leave by security at the request of the negotiations chair and sleep deprived—we have really TRIED. We have young and children teaching each other how to lobby negotiators who make decisions that impact our world. That impact our future. But sometimes it feels like we are all working for a different future than decision makers. It is highly satisfying to work for 40 hours and talk to 192 governments to get informal and formal education as a paragraph in the text…but that was agreed language. The epic lacks of mentions of planetary boundaries is a red line for me and for many young people but governments seem happy to accept that. It’s scary!
I am tired of hearing governments ask "how do we engage youth" or that we have "full civil society participation" when we are excluded from the negotiating rooms in the final day or asked to leave despite being in a half filled room. The young people here that represent billions have not been happy but it seems ridiculous that this is a never ending pattern.
Do we have to accept this reality? No. Should you? No.
The signs are there that youth are able to make change happen....
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Young voices for our futures
We as youth have a single message to the world: Children and youth are not problems to be addressed; we are a powerful force for implementation. Young people, with the appropriate support, are key players of the decision-making process. Most importantly, we stress the fact that while youth are the hope for the future, we are also actors of the present! We are not token participants - we are a strong voice to be listened to.
Now, We challenge you to go beyond what you or your countries will sign here. This final outcome document does not reflect what we need, or what the rest of the world needs to achieve sustainable development. Why should we regress 20 years after? Shouldn’t we be progressing?
We challenge you not to be based on “the lowest common denominator”, but to give an answer to the expectations of the youth of your countries, your own children and grandchildren; We urge you to take concrete steps towards effective sustainable development.
Now, We challenge you to go beyond what you or your countries will sign here. This final outcome document does not reflect what we need, or what the rest of the world needs to achieve sustainable development. Why should we regress 20 years after? Shouldn’t we be progressing?
We challenge you not to be based on “the lowest common denominator”, but to give an answer to the expectations of the youth of your countries, your own children and grandchildren; We urge you to take concrete steps towards effective sustainable development.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Rio+20 Wishlist
1. SCP
2. An outcome document
3. Strengthened Major Group system / mechanism for engagement
4. Implementation!
5. Implementation!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
win a date with history
TckTckTck have started a competition for young people to win a date with history... You should enter: http://datewithhistory.com/
I like the concept...see one entry that changed my mind about the "buts".
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Biodiversity lost....
Biodiversity is a modern term which simply means " the variety of life on earth".
Since I was a small child, losing biodiversity has been on my mind. The first campaign I started was not for the cute dolphin or the massive whale but for the ugly rhino. The poor thing is blind, big and yet manages to be sooooo bad-ass!
How can you resist that combo? How can anyone kill it to grind its horn into a powder to us as an aphrodisiac --I mean if you are that repulsive to the opposite sex to do you really thing ground up toe nails are going to make you more potent? Believe me gentlemen...chocolate is cheaper, tastes a lot nicer and personally is going to make me feel more like jumping you than ground up dead cartilage. Do you think I would be more attractive if I ate my toe nails? What about other peoples? If the answer is no...stop killing rhinos for theirs. Think logically...but that is the problem isn't it.
Do you know that every day something goes extinct?
Why do we just accept this???? Logically we shouldn't...
We should not stand back and watch while the wonders of this world are sacrificed to carelessness, apathy and short-termism....but will we?
 |
| p.s this is a hand painted like an elephant |
We are losing the battle by quoting cliches and doing nothing. By talking about vague agreements but not proposing concrete solutions. We need action! We need change! But will it be too late?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Green Up!
GGGrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnn
UP Europe!!!!!
I
am looking for your news!!! I am spinning around looking for something
that won't make you all yawn....but watch me shine! I can't wait for the challenge. Green Economy here I come!
I
have just heard that I am one of some really cool youth going to be reporting
as part of UNEP and European
Youth Press's campaign. I will be going to Rio+20 and I need your help to make this the most memorable time of my life...so read my blogs! Follow my stories and help green up europe!!!
Green
Up aims to bring Green
Economies to citizens' door steps. I love the slogan
" Share your vision.
Paint the bigger picture. GreenUp!"
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Youth and Employment
It is great that UNDESA and the ILO held an event to discuss youth unemployment and under employment.
However,the key voice that was missing once more from this event was young people who are under employed or unemployed or have experienced it.
They also lacked those responsible for the education systems that need to be geared towards work experience--as that is the key thing young people are missing in the job market. However, this was one of the aims of this meeting--to identify those stakeholders and at least they are doing something... The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held an Exclusive Event, “Breaking new ground: Partnerships for more and better jobs for young people” on 27 February 2012, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
It was part of the preparatory process for the ECOSOC’s 2012 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the MDGs".
As a young person who graduated in Ireland in 2009, I know what a recession looks like.
The National Youth Council of Ireland noted that the number of people under 25 emigrating increased from 15,600 in 2004 to 30,000 in 2009. As one of the young people who emigrated in 2009, I think that the numbers are too low. In my University class, only one person was still living in Ireland when I left in December. Most had moved to Australia or Canada.
According to the ILO's Global Employment Trends for youth for Ireland, in 2010, the youth unemployment rate in Ireland stood at an alarming 27.5 per cent, up sharply from 9.0 per cent in 2007. Yet even the scale of the unemployment increase understates the extent of the problem: youth participation declined sharply in the country during the crisis and there is a massive gap now between the current youth labour force count and the expected youth labour force based on pre-crisis trends.
This means many young people are either “hiding out” in the education system rather than face the job search or are idly waiting at home for prospects to improve before taking up an active job search. Had these youth been instead looking for work, the “actual” youth unemployment rate in Ireland could be as much as 19.3 percentage points higher than the official rate.
I am not part of the "hidden" young people who went back into education. I did take numerous full time but underpaid jobs (working about 5 at one stage), unpaid internships and I personally emigrated to get work experience. Getting work experience was definitely what I needed to get a decent job. I think that is the "innovative" solution for governments. Give young people experience and possibly revamp the education system to incorporate work experience.
I understand that the event held in new york aims to strengthen partnership between governments, the private sector and the philanthropic community in advancing youth employment and decent work. The themes to be explored will include issues affecting policy setting for youth employment and innovations for promoting youth employment.
To be honest, I think that the key challenges to be addressed are very different for the developing and developed world. In Ireland (and the developed world), the recession has made it an employers market and they use it as an excuse to under pay younger employees or cut the hours of their existing employees to pay them less. They exploit young people, the governments schemes for increasing work for young people (e.g paying employers subsidies) and the governments allow them by weakening previous legislation and lowering minimum wages. I worked for a company that told me that its profits were up since the recession hit as they could pay their staff less and got government breaks.
However, I am not naive enough to think it isn't tough for everyone....it is tough out there but we can't undo the work of the last few decades...
However,the key voice that was missing once more from this event was young people who are under employed or unemployed or have experienced it.
They also lacked those responsible for the education systems that need to be geared towards work experience--as that is the key thing young people are missing in the job market. However, this was one of the aims of this meeting--to identify those stakeholders and at least they are doing something... The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held an Exclusive Event, “Breaking new ground: Partnerships for more and better jobs for young people” on 27 February 2012, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
It was part of the preparatory process for the ECOSOC’s 2012 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the MDGs".
As a young person who graduated in Ireland in 2009, I know what a recession looks like.
The National Youth Council of Ireland noted that the number of people under 25 emigrating increased from 15,600 in 2004 to 30,000 in 2009. As one of the young people who emigrated in 2009, I think that the numbers are too low. In my University class, only one person was still living in Ireland when I left in December. Most had moved to Australia or Canada.
According to the ILO's Global Employment Trends for youth for Ireland, in 2010, the youth unemployment rate in Ireland stood at an alarming 27.5 per cent, up sharply from 9.0 per cent in 2007. Yet even the scale of the unemployment increase understates the extent of the problem: youth participation declined sharply in the country during the crisis and there is a massive gap now between the current youth labour force count and the expected youth labour force based on pre-crisis trends.
This means many young people are either “hiding out” in the education system rather than face the job search or are idly waiting at home for prospects to improve before taking up an active job search. Had these youth been instead looking for work, the “actual” youth unemployment rate in Ireland could be as much as 19.3 percentage points higher than the official rate.
I am not part of the "hidden" young people who went back into education. I did take numerous full time but underpaid jobs (working about 5 at one stage), unpaid internships and I personally emigrated to get work experience. Getting work experience was definitely what I needed to get a decent job. I think that is the "innovative" solution for governments. Give young people experience and possibly revamp the education system to incorporate work experience.
I understand that the event held in new york aims to strengthen partnership between governments, the private sector and the philanthropic community in advancing youth employment and decent work. The themes to be explored will include issues affecting policy setting for youth employment and innovations for promoting youth employment.
To be honest, I think that the key challenges to be addressed are very different for the developing and developed world. In Ireland (and the developed world), the recession has made it an employers market and they use it as an excuse to under pay younger employees or cut the hours of their existing employees to pay them less. They exploit young people, the governments schemes for increasing work for young people (e.g paying employers subsidies) and the governments allow them by weakening previous legislation and lowering minimum wages. I worked for a company that told me that its profits were up since the recession hit as they could pay their staff less and got government breaks.
However, I am not naive enough to think it isn't tough for everyone....it is tough out there but we can't undo the work of the last few decades...
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Young people and Rio+20
This blog is mainly focused on my involvement with one of the 9 main segments of Civil Society--the Major Group of Children and Youth plus their involvement with Rio+20. Or at least that is what it was supposed to be...
If you haven't ever heard of Rio+20 (aka Earth Summit / UN conference on sustainable development) then you will need to google it...today I am focusing on how crazy our world is. It isn't enough to have passion, to have energy, to want to be engaged and to spread the word. Young people's participation in Rio+20 has been fragmented and but not due to a lack of passion / commitment. We are the least funded of all the segments but we have managed to reach out to thousands of young people who represent millions. But it frustrates us how many young people still haven't heard about it....
So, that is our goal at the moment. It is funny how 17 dollars resulted in our delaying launching a website for 6 months. I suppose that is depressing if you think about how much is spent on useless things. It also makes you wonder...how committed are we?
Luckily, we have just created a fundraising team and I am happy to see if they can pull off some magic so we can really build pressure--cos the zero draft is a waste of time and it is not leading to the future I want! The numerous meetings prevent concrete engagement as they are short and not cost effective (either from a carbon or financial perspective). But do I think that Rio+20 will be a complete failure--no. Do I think it won't meet expectations--yes. Do I think that its going to result in a document that we can look back on like the Rio declaration....no! So, what are you doing about it? If the answer is nothing--its not too late. If the answer is loads--hug! I don't know what the never ending optimism comes from. I do know why I care about this.
So, what am I looking forward to?
I am looking forward to the Youth Blast where 2,000 young people will gather in Rio de Janiero to discuss the next 20 years. I think that there is where magic will happen.
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