In August 2012 I was be able to attend the historic Global Youth Biodiversity Strategic Meeting to develop a legitimized youth body to ensure the voice of young people is heard at Convention of Biodiversity (CBD) summits, The results of the first election for the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Steering Committee are announced. On 23 September 2013 the Elections Committee that facilitated the election of members of the first elected GYBN’ Steering Committee has announced the results.
The election was conducted from 3 to 16 September 2013 after a call for self-nominations opened in August and encouraging all young people worldwide to submit their application. Eleven (11) individuals representing all world regions and different backgrounds were qualified to run for the election after a rigorous process was done to shortlist the received applications.
Only young people aged 30 or younger who registered themselves in the network membership database by 4 August 2013 were allowed to vote. A total of one hundred eligible voters were given fourteen days, from 3 to 16 September, to cast their vote online and elect the best and suitable candidates. The Elections Committee met from 17 to 22 September in order to announce the results.
Based on the voting results, the following individuals have been elected for the Steering Committee: Shailyn Drukis (Canada), Melina Sakiyama (Brazil), Christian Schwarzer (Germany), Dayna Noltie (Canada), Mirna Ines Fernández (Bolivia), Arunava Datta (India), Lemuel Vega (Mexico), Mesfin Hailemariam (Ethiopia), Tomas Badura (Czech Republic), Achmad Solikhin (Indonesia), and Shankar Adhikari (Nepal). They will serve during two years and will decide among themselves who will be the two (2) Focal Points of the network to the CBD Secretariat and other interested parties and partners.
The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) is officially recognized by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The convention is an international legally binding treaty whose main goals are conservation of biological diversity; sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The CBD encourages the participation of civil society groups, including Children and Youth, in its processes.
Braulio F. de Souza Dias, the CBD Executive Secretary, has strongly advocated at the eleventh meeting of the CBD Conference Of Parties held in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012 for more youth participation in the process. As part of its final outcomes the meeting ‘’‘invites Parties to continue to provide support for youth initiatives and other networks that support the three objectives of the Convention, such as the Global Youth Biodiversity Network […]”.
The GYBN’s mission is to raise global awareness among young people of the values of biodiversity and connect individuals and youth organizations in order to build a global coalition to halt the loss of biodiversity. After its start, an Interim Steering Committee was formed with the aim of establishing a relationship with the CBD Secretariat and mobilizing their peers. The Committee also focused on using online means to connect youth, and organized the GYBN Kick-Off Conference held in Berlin, Germany, in August 2012. Over 50 young people attended and the GYBN Statute was adopted there.
See the newly elected Steering Committee members: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByhqWPOW0K29ZEFVR29sM2ZwcTg/edit
Join GYBN mailing list: https://listi.jpberlin.de/mailman/listinfo/gybn
Check GYBN activities: http://gybn.net and join on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegybn
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