Missing everyone

Hello everyone,

It's been a good two weeks since CSD 14 ended, but I still feel exhausted and full of memories and processing of the crazy two weeks, a culmination of a year's hard work. I don't know if anyone else is still reading this blog, but I find myself pointing people towards it when they ask me, "what exaclty was that conference you went to?" or, more to the point, "why didn't we see you during the last month of school?". Most recently, I sent my mom a link to the blog- I'm really proud of all of us and achievements and I love having a tangible (well, digital) memento.
If any of the Agents are still plugged into this, I hope you stay connected to SustainUS and the movement. I know that I will stay in touch with some of you on a regular basis, and hopefully with all of you at least sporadically.
All right, I'm going out to the real world again.. but SustainUS rocks!

Youth Statement at the High Level Segment

The Commission on Sustainable Development has reached its High Level Segment and Ministers are presenting their finals remarks on the issues on energy for development, climate change, air pollution, and industrial development. Youth, recognized as a major group at this UN Commission, were able to present their final statement highlighting the needs and weaknesses of the work of the Commission and showing ways to move forward. Please see the statement below.

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Thank you Mr Chairman.


Before I begin, I would like to express my thanks to the valuable
contribution from the representative of the Nederlands.


Where is the urgency in CSD-14?


Your decisions and plans decide whether or not my peers and I have a future to look forward to.


We would also like to note that youth of colour, indigenous youth and low-income youth are already bearing the burdens of climate change, and the policies that do little to combat it.

We represent the biggest stakeholder in this entire commission.

The future is more than a legacy; it is our lives
Where is the urgency in CSD-14?

The future is more than a legacy; it is our lives.

The chair's summary includes nuclear and so-called "clean coal" in the definition of clean energy. For young people - for the future – the definition is clear: small-scale hydro, wind, solar, marine power are clean; but nuclear, fossil fuels and large scale hydro-electric and incineration are neither clean, renewable, nor sustainable.


If the turnout in this room is anything to go by, we *have* come together to find solutions towards real sustainable development. We believe in environmental justice and encourage you to remember that, as embodied in the Rio Declaration, "Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable
development".


During these weeks we have heard from governments that are not adopting environmental and social regulations because of a reluctance to interfere with the market. But the *fact* is that - there IS no market today that governments do not interfere with by using taxes, subsidies, and trade barriers. We are concerned that many governments are willing to interfere in the market only on behalf of big business and not on behalf of the people, or the environment. Therefore - we call on member states to create such regulations, along with enhancing clear corporate accountability measures.


We would strongly encourage you to embrace the plan of work you agreed upon at the Earth Summit and WSSD. Implementation does not mean passing responsibility to the market. Successful implementation requires equal opportunity, active participation and meaningful collaboration among stakeholders under the guidance of governments.


In these two weeks, we have inundated you with examples of youth who have initiated viable, sustainable, and profitable development projects. Here is a reminder of what we have told you:


In Sweden and the UK we are running fair trade purchasing programs; In rural Nepal we are organising small hydropower projects; In North America we are converting universities to clean energy; In Ghana we are improving irrigation for agricultural development; In the US and Mexico we are supporting farmers through fair trade coffee and cultural exchange.

And we've got more.


These are serious solutions that we are providing for serious problems. We *must* be taken seriously.


Although identified as an important cross-cutting issue at CSD-11, education has not been adequately addressed here. The words "youth" and "education" have appeared in the chair's summary - but there is no coherent strategy for implementation. The UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development plays an important role and *must* be completed with ambitious national plans.


Youth must be informed about how energy decisions will affect our future, so that we can be the agents of *our* own development. Education is the critical link between knowledge - and action. We are 2.8 billion youth with unlimited potential for change.

Delegates - please stand up if you have children.
[pause]
Having read the chair's summary, do you think that this document gives hope
for your children in twenty years?
[pause]
HERE is the urgency in CSD-14. The future is more than a legacy; it is our
lives.


Thank you delegates. Thank you Mr Chairman.

Thanks

Last night delegation leader Steve Schwartz organized a debriefing/concluding dinner at a fabulous vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side. It was my first real day at the UN, given my crazy finals schedule, and I was surprised at how exhausting it was. I hadn't remembered the constant stimulation the UN provides. The best of the day for me, though, was chatting with our Agents. For the first time, I realized what a diverse group of young people we are, and how many different perspectives of America and American youth we bring to the table. I sat at the UN cafeteria, sharing a delicious piece of cake with a fellow delegation leader, and talked with one of our Agents about microfinance in an Indian village and our similar struggles forging an American identity from our Indian heritage. Later, I discussed different personality types at the UN and how different people are better suited to different roles within the sustainable development movement. We have outspoken Agents, introspective Agents, creative Agents- we often focus on factors like age and geographical diversity, but yesterday I realized that we're also lucky to have a real diversity of opinions, personalities, and dreams.
Over dinner, I spoke with our Agent from Nebraska (I feel weird about using people's names, which is why I'm avoiding it) about politics in the middle of the country versus the coasts. I discovered my own prior ignorance- while I spend time trying to understand the European or African perspectives on climate change at the UN, for example, I had never sat down with someone from a "red" state and really tried to understand the way that Americans there see the world. A discussion on "American values" and domestic policy was probably one of the most revealing moments of this experience for me.
At the World Youth Alliance party, we marveled at their amazing space, drank beer and Diet Coke, and reflected upon the last two weeks. Juan Pablo, our amazing national programs coordinator and I reflected upon the past year, on the hours we've spent on the phone and on email coordinating every last bit of this two weeks, only to realize that nothing could actually prepare us for this experience. It hasn't been easy- there have been conference calls on the night before important papers were due, late nights searching Craigslist for an apartment during spring break, and plenty of moments when I feared my coordination would just break down altogether. We both agreed, though, that what made the last year worth it for us was watching the Agents at the CSD (and CSocD, in my case). SustainUS definitely added value to this conference- we added energy, expertise on the issues, professionalism, and hard work. In addition, I watched Agents, and delegation leaders, change in the past two weeks. Some people realized that this is what they want to do with their lives; they want to be activists and lobbyists on an international arena. Some people made an equally valuable discovery: that this, in fact, is absolutely NOT what they want to do. Still others came away with a concrete cause and a plan of action, while I could see the wheels turning as others processed and analyzed their experiences here.
I don't know what I want to do with my life. I don't know which of my hundreds of pet causes I actually want to devote myself to. A lot of times at this fast paced crowded university campus, I feel lost and useless, like I'm just treading water until fate moves me in one direction or another. But while I'm in limbo, whle I'm unsure of what I want to do next, there's nothing I'd rather to than help out these people who, in a way, are very, very far ahead of me. Our Agents are inspired, focused, and ready to go out and be the change... I'm honored that I could have some part in helping them do that. I can think of no better way that I could have spent my sleepness nights or my frenzied days, and I know that this process has helped me figure out where I can do my own part, make my own change.
Thanks, guys!

Tim Flannery vs. Brian Flannery

As I listened to the CSD-14 Chairperson introduce yesterday morning’s plenary panelist, there was one name that mysteriously rang a bell: Brian Flannery. I knew this name sounded familiar, but when I heard him introduced as the Science, Strategy and Programs Manager for Exxon Mobil, I was utterly stumped. Where had I heard this name before?

Then I remembered! I had just finished the book, The Weather Makers, by Tim Flannery, Australia’s well renowned biologist and paleontologist that currently serves as the Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum in Sydney. Surely, I thought, whomever was in charge of appointing panelists for the CSD-14 thematic discussion addressing air pollution, atmospheric problems, and combating climate change, must have made an honest mistake when they chose a representative from one of world’s leading oil exploiters, over the author to one of the most comprehensive climate change publications released thus far. You know - Brian Flannery, Tim Flannery – same thing, right? Wrong. Let’s explore the differences . . .

Click here to continue reading "Tim Flannery vs. Brian Flannery."

Author: Josh Arnold

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meet the drafters...

The youth caucus is preparing its final statement to the plenary. The report from the chair came out last afternoon and the youth have been spending hours and hours analyzing the details of the report. There is a lot of controversy over the means of implementation and the role of other mechanisms, and lack of clarity in regard to cross-cutting issues.
The statement will be coming in the next few hours in english and will be presented in mandarin to the high level segment tomorrow.

Stay tuned. More to come soon

Juan Pa is possibly the cutest delegate here at the UN HQ

I mean, just look at his face. He's often got a great smile that make his rosy cheeks stand up. To me, the frustration of working with policymakers in this slow-moving process slips away (at least temporarily) when I look at the sweet face of Juan Pa. He also has a positive attitude, a great sense of humor, and most importantly, a warm and passionate heart. In my mind, Juan Pa's personality and approach to promoting sustainable development speaks out loud the "I believe that we can create the changes we want to see in the world" attitude, and that is the most powerful asset in winning this seemingly difficult battle.

My time here to live and work with Juan Pa has been a special experience for me: I made a great friend and a colleague in continuing to advance the sustainable development agenda, and I now have the best possible shoulders to rely on for years to come.

Juan Pa, I love you and thank you for all your hard work!

- Jin

be the change

As an agent at February's Commission for Social Development, my first few days were hard. I lost sight of the reasons why the UN's pace is so lethargic and seemingly static. It was pretty depressing to feel like this great international body that I held in such high regard was ineffective. By day 3 or so I reconciled myself with reality, had an amazing time, and have come to CSD a lot more open minded and accepting of the way change is made through the UN.

Any negative sentiments towards the UN were completely erased from my mind as I joined everyone in the loft Saturday, and came to orientation on Sunday. I'm continually impressed (but not surprised) by the caliber of this year's delegates- their enthusiasm, passion, and genuine interest in the issues at hand- it's just plain inspirational. While my own UN involvement is currently taking a backseat to studying for my final exam, I feel pretty honored to be supporting the work and facilitating the experiences of everyone involved.

I've gone to several side events which have renewed my faith in the political will and determination of all stakeholders to take lessons-learned and best practices shared here and apply them to their own projects and programs. The energy and activity of the youth caucus has similarly reinvigorated my faith in our generation to be true agents of change in the present AND in coming years. Our voice is being heard, our presence is acknowledged and appreciated, and our perspective is taken into account.

A few weeks ago columnist Thomas Friedman issued a challenge to our generation to become "the Greenest generation"; I would argue we responded to that challenge before he even made it. We challenged ourselves and our peers to be the change we want to see in this world (Ghandi was a genius). Not only have we risen to that challenge but we've risen to the challenge of pushing previous generations to do the same. Every day the youth caucus distributes case studies on youth as agents of change in their communities working at the grassroots towards sustainable development. We have also flyered CSD country delegates and issued our own challenge-- bring youth delegates to the CSD! Youth are changemakers, challengers, motivators... the list goes on.

This is admittedly become kind of preachy and overly glowing as a post but why not-- being a youth at the UN- with all its flaws- has opened my eyes to the global context for the work I do and the things I care about. The fact that we have a few 12 year olds this year- can you imagine what they'll be achieving in their future?? It's fantastic and exciting. It's also case in point of the power of youth to take action and lead by example.

Process = Progress?

In the past couple of days I have talked with several people new to CSD who have expressed concerns over the efficiency and relevance of the UN process. Some common questions: Why all the formality? Shouldn't we be talking about what works and what doesn't? What about the non-recyclable materials in the cafeteria? Is the CSD really accomplishing anything?

While concerns like these are certainly part of a normal reaction to seeing the process up close for the first time, I think it's important to put the events of this year's CSD in context.

This is a review session. Its goal is to establish parameters for next year's policy session as well as to provide an opportunity for governments and other stakeholders to discuss their priorities and view of the current state of affairs. This means there is a lot of "In my country..." and "In our organization...". Although this might not seem like the most productive use of time, it is important for delegates to hear what's going on in other regions and for other people. At next year's policy session the discussion will be more action-oriented as people discuss solutions.

I currently work in the field of homeless prevention and outreach in rural Colorado. After being accustomed to a much more casual environment focused on meeting the immediate needs of individuals, it has been a bit difficult to shift gears and see the sometimes abstract dialogue of CSD as real progress. But it is. Whereas providing a client with financial assistance, clothing, or a blanket is a solution at the most local or individual level, the meaning of "problem" and "solution" change when trying to discuss sustainability at the global level. A solution for one party at the table can be a problem for five others. If the discussion goes in one direction, some people will be disappointed that the other directions are being ignored. The sheer number of variables is also an obstacle.

A fair process is inevitably a slow one. Although it can be frustrating at times, it is important to have a skeptical kind of faith in the process, and to utilize opportunities to be a part of it. I think that this year, youth has set the standard for this sort of participation.