Empowering children to tackle climate change
Bonn, June 2008 Children in a Changing Climate programme is being launched this week. The programme's primary objective is to secure children's influence in preventing and adapating to climate change - from their local communities to the United Nations - securing a world fit for their future well-being and the one of their children.
Over the last few years, there have been widespread research and acceptance that climate change is posing a serious challenge to social and economic development across the globe.
There has also been recognition of the need for greater knowledge and urgent action to better integrate climate change issues into global and national planning and development policies and the need to secure children and young people a voice in preventing and adapating to it. "The Children in Changing Climate programme - to be formally launched at the Bonn Climate Change Talks on Thursday 12th June - brings together leading research and development organisations, each with a commitment to share knowledge, co-ordinate their actions and to work with children as protagonists rather than just as victims," says Tom Mitchell, research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies.
The organisations involved in the programme - Plan International, National Children's Bureau, Institute for Development Studies, Save the Children and ActionAid - recognise the considerable knowledge and capacity children possess for tackling climate change and they are dedicated to helping children directly voice their concerns and solutions to decision-makers at all levels.
"Children in a Changing Climate creates a unique space for children and those working on child-led action on climate change to join in maximising opportunities for young people to engage, learn and have influence to meet the urgent climate related challenges faced by people today and in future," says Nick Hall, Disaster Risk Reduction Manager at Plan.
Past successes
The programme is building on the successful participation of four children at the UN climate change negotiations in Bali in December 2007. Hezel, age 15, from the Philippines said “I was able to share with everyone the views and opinions of Filipino children about climate change.”
"Climate Change is adding to the stress of life, we are becoming increasingly aware and concerned about Climate Change, we know that there is still room for improvement but we do not know how the international Governments are acting on this. We want and have the right to be able to grow up in a sustainable and safe world," said Leon, 16, one of the members of Plan UK's Children's Advisory Panel.
"Governments must start working together even more; they must also make room for us to voice our opinions and truly influence decisions that will affect our future," adds Leon, who will be attending the launch of the programme launch in Germany.
Voices from Sierra Leone
As part of Children in a Changing Climate's child-led international consultation process, children are sharing their experiences and ideas around climate change. In the video clip, children from Sierra Leone respond to questions put to them by children from the UK.
