Expressez-Vous

By Ban Ki-moon (United Nations Secretary-General)

I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of the young people I meet across the world.

This year’s commemoration of International Youth Day also marks the launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.

Today’s challenging social and economic environment warrant a special focus on youth. Eighty-seven per cent of people aged 15 to 24 live in developing countries. The global economic crisis has had a disproportionate impact on young people; they have lost jobs, struggled to find even low-wage employment and seen access to education curtailed. As economies slowly begin to stabilize, the needs of young people should be paramount.

This is a moral imperative and a developmental necessity. But it is also an opportunity: the energy of youth can ignite faltering economies. I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of the young people I meet across the world. They are making important contributions to our work to eradicate poverty, contain the spread of disease, combat climate change and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. I call on Member States to increase their investments in young people so they can do even more.

During the International Year, the United Nations and its youth organization partners will focus on the need to encourage dialogue and understanding across generations, cultures and religions. In a world in which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts. Few endeavors are more important than nurturing these skills, and educating young people about human rights, for in them we not only see the next generation of leaders, but also crucial stakeholders of today. Let us also recognize that older generations themselves stand to learn a great deal from the experiences and examples of young people as they come of age in a world of accelerating interconnectedness.

As we launch this International Year, let us acknowledge and celebrate what youth can do to build a safer, more just world. Let us strengthen our efforts to include young people in policies, programmes and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours. 

(Source: http://www.un.org/en/events/youthday/sg.shtml) 

International network of education activists announces united protests for autumn 2010. Students from around the world will stage actions on June 16 against the increasing privatisation of public education and as part of the “Day of United Symbolic Actions”.

October/November 2009 saw massive protests internationally against the increasing privatisation of public education and the problems that come with it, as well as for free and emancipatory education freely accessible to all like never before!

The past few months were used to strengthen the network between education activists worldwide and awareness was spread that each group will be more successful uniting in struggle globally. After all problems are to a great extend identical.

The “International Student Movement” is an independent platform making use of various tools the internet offers to enable an extensive flow of information and general communication between activists in Australia, Nepal, the U.S.A., Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and anywhere else in the world.

Hundreds of people concerned with education from many different regions of the world came together at the Ruhr-University in Bochum (Germany) for the “European Education Congress” at the end of May 2010 to exchange visions and tighten relations across the borders. The congress once again clearly showed that the increasing costs for individuals to access education, budget cuts in public spending on education, an increasing influence of business interests through especially set up boards and a constant de-democratisation of educational institutions – just to name a few – are far from being local or national issues, but are indeed problems people everywhere are facing. As Mutiara Ika a student activist in Indonesia puts it: “This struggle simply knows no borders!” and continuing “free and emancipatory education is simply a pre-condition for any society deeming itself to be democratic!”

Therefore education activist groups decided to increasingly act together in their protests in the future. As a first step some of them decided to declare June 16^th a “Day of United Symbolic Actions”.

On that day groups in various locations worldwide will publicly announce the up-coming “Global Wave of Action for Education”, which is currently being co-ordinated and expected to kick-off with a huge day of action across the U.S.A. on October 7^th and continuing with occupations in Italy and across Europe. At some stage groups in Africa, Asia and elsewhere will join as well.

Today, one of the most inspiring youth climate activists Sara Svensson addressed the opening plenary of the UNEP Governing Council meeting/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. She Said:

Thank you Mr Chair.

Distinguished Delegates,

My name is Sara Svensson, and I will be 65 years old in 2050. I’m here as a representative for half of the world’s human population, Children & Youth.

We are desperately aware that humanity is on track of driving ourselves into extinction. Millions of species with intrinsic value have already gone extinct because of shortsighted human activities. Pushing the deadline for biodiversity targets literally means crossing the line to death. Despite this, 2010 is called the International Year of Biodiversity.

Where is our reason to celebrate?
In 2009, millions of people all over the world mobilised in the lead-up to Copenhagen. Personally I was fasting for climate justice. I spent 43 days and 44 nights eating nothing and drinking only water. I felt a moral response was needed to an immoral situation. COP15 didn’t give us the climate deal we need. United Nations became the Divided Nations and observers were locked out of the room.

Where is our reason to celebrate?
In desperate urgency, we now have a choice. We can raise to the challenge, restructure our economies, redefine our common values and do what is best for the greater good. The world needs a a total paradigm shift, and we have the tremendous opportunity to make it happen.

That is our reason to celebrate.

Children & Youth announce with confidence that the sustainable future is coming. We’re not pleading for change anymore, we’re creating it ourselves. Over the next 40 years we’re committing our entire working lives to gradually transform our societies and create a sustainable future.

If we can’t trust you – as our appointed leaders – to save the world, it won’t take long before Children & Youth kick you out of office and take your place.

You can speed up the process by showing bold leadership today. Give us the green jobs we want. You have the power, we have the energy. Use your power to give us the framework we need, and we’ll use our passion to steer the world on course.

Thank you.

By Sara Svensson

My name is Sara Svensson, and I’m from Sweden. Tomorrow is my 25th birthday, but I won’t be eating birthday cake this year.

I’ve been involved in different kinds of climate activism for most of my life. I studied International Project Management for Social Movements and NGOs, combined with environmental science.

I have committed to participate in Climate Justice Fast, an international hunger strike for climate justice. From today and until we meet again in Copenhagen, I will be eating nothing and drinking only water.

The end date of the fast is still open. When I break the fast depends on what happens in the climate negotiations and in the world. The only thing I can guarantee is that I will end the fast if our demands are met.

Climate change is the defining issue for my generation. Previous generations did not understand the problem, and for future generations it will be too late to do something about it. It is up to us.

I’m undertaking this fast out of love. Love for life, for our beautiful planet with all its species and future generations. There’s nothing more important I can do in my life than to contribute in the strongest possible way, with full devotion, to set an end to climate change and injustice and be part of the movement that will lead us to a sustainable future.

I’m showing how much I care. How much I’m willing to risk, how much I’m prepared to offer. How deeply devoted I am to this cause. I hope that it will inspire others and help the necessary shift to happen.

I love life and health, but I’m willing to risk it to secure the survival of others. Food is good, chewing is fun and I will miss jumping around full of energy. It will not be easy to abstain from something as essential as food.

Still, my personal sacrifice is nothing compared to the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of people who already die from climate change each year, and the many millions of people who would be suffering in the years to come if we would fail to solve climate change. Voluntarily abstaining from food is not easy, but it’s possible. Solving climate change is also not an easy task, but it’s possible, and we will.

This is the right thing to do at the right time. Turn to essentials, turn to emotions. The pure, the true, the real. Touch hearts. Push the limits, move on to the next level.

I will enjoy this peaceful time to reflect while others are busy. We will focus on the big picture while COP15 gets lost and stuck in a thousand details.

Now is the time to mobilise the movement for change.

We call on all people to get involved in the climate movement. We know the science. Educate yourself. Think about what’s most important? Change your mindset. Your goal in life can’t be a comfortable life where you consume everything you want. Widen your perspective. Think of the invisible consequences behind your actions. Challenge yourself.

No specific person is to blame. There’s no single enemy responsible for causing the problem. Yet climate change is happening, and it’s deeply unjust and immoral. With knowledge comes responsibility. We ask every single person on this planet to seek for solutions within themselves, and find the courage to act with global consciousness.

Hunger striking is a positive act of humble nonviolence that we are undertaking as extremely concerned citizens. Judging from the support we are getting, a lot of people feel the same way.

We’re not only in a climate crisis, but also a democracy crisis. We must highlight the failure of our democracies to reflect the best interests and opinions of their population.

Many species throughout history have polluted, consumed or overpopulated themselves into extinction. But if we as humanity fail to solve the climate crisis, we may well become the first species who has done so in full knowledge and awareness of its own actions. I believe in humanity, we can’t be that stupid.

Climate change is an opportunity to redefine our common values, and to create the just and sustainable world that most people everywhere want. “The world is ready for change”. This is the start of the sustainability era”.

To move into that era, we have to do all what we can, right now, when there’s still the smallest amount of time left. We must be able to look back and know that we did all what we could do. Maybe I’ll have children one day, and I must be able to look them in the eye.

(Awesome girls and climate campaigners Anna Kennan and Sara Svensson began a hunger strike urging world leaders to take serious and urgent action to solve the climate crisis and demanding an ambitious, fair and LEGALLY binding climate treaty at Copenhagen Climate Summit. This inspiring speech was delivered by Sara on November 6 at the press conference in Barcelona during UNFCCC Barcelona Climate Change Talks 2009. Please support them- whatever you can. You can find more at http://www.climatejusticefast.com)

Today, I am posting an article which has touched me personally.This is an article from Afghanistan by a person who has seen and suffered a lot of pain. As Barrack Obama prepares to take his seat in the Oval Office, he faces many tasks,one of which includes the crisis in Afghanistan.This article describes EV best: Expressing Yourself!

By Nargis Nemat

In the United States, the majority of people who voted for president Obama were among the youth. They were all active and this is a good sign. My message to all politicians is: Count on the youth!

We in Afghanistan wish that our youth would work as hard as the youth in the United States and remain politically active. They have the power to end the suffering of our people with their vote and their voice. Youth are powerful and they can make a difference. Youth are for change.

The conflict in Afghanistan cannot be resolved by bombing cities and killing the innocent. The only way to end the conflict is to improve the economy, actively involving young people to create a new generation of leaders.

As the Presidential elections are getting closer, the security situation worsens on a daily basis. Opponents of the Afghan government are trying to intimidate the public and disrupt elections.

President Karzai’s government has had many achievements as well as weaknesses which are concluded as follows:

Achievements:

1. Women have the liberty to work in the governmental and non-governmental organizations. Some have occupied important posts in the government for the first time in the country’s history. E.g. Habiba Sarabi became the first lady governor.
2. Girls can go to school and the number of girls schools has more than doubled compared to previous periods.
3. Many important construction projects in major cities such as schools, roads etc. have been completed and others are underway.
4. A new Afghan National Police and National Army is being trained to secure the country in future.Although both are very weak at the moment, signs of progress are clearly visible.
5. Opportunities for higher education have increased to a greater extent than before. Several private and governmental higher education institutes have been initiated giving the youth a greater chance to achieve higher education.

Weaknesses:

1. The government has control of only over 30% of the Afghanistan territory. The rest is either being controlled by warlords, or insurgents.
2. The infrastructure still needs to be resurrected. Many of the major cities, including the capital lack basic facilities such as electricity, water and proper sanitation.
3. Environmental issues are neglected despite the fact that they pose a dangerous threat over the local population.
4. Most of the remote areas lack the availability of basic health facilities and trained medical staff.

The Afghans want President-elect Obama to learn from the mistakes President Bush made. After several decades of war, our people want to live in peace. If Obama really knows what peace means, he would definitely prevent the occurrence of incidents such as bombing weddings and causing civilian causalities just because the soldiers ‘thought’ they were faced by a threat from insurgents. The U.S must realize that civilian casualties and mistreating prisoners (as in the case of Guantanamo) will only create more enemies and hatred towards them and NOT solve any problems.

The presence of international forces is welcomed by most Afghans because they realize that if by any chance they pull out,we will face the same catastrophic situation as the 1992-96 when different factions fought for power. However, it is important that the international forces respect the local traditions and realize that anyone wearing a turban and having a beard is not a terrorist. They must also realize the sensitivity of the fact that Afghans don’t want to be ruled by foreigners and they are only here to help and not bully. They must seriously consider involving the national army and local elders in resolving issues rather than intruding with their own soldiers which will only create more enemies for them.

It is typical of U.S presidents to make promises in order to obtain votes and when they are elected,not all the promises are fulfilled. National interest is usually taken as the excuse.Obama promised many things to the Afghan people before being elected and the Afghans expect him to fulfill each one.

Tell us what you think. How can Obama solve this crisis?