Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 02

June 12, Youth Blast, Hosted a mini side event on "Youth Engagement on Development Process" at the youth blast, the event was hosted by the government of Sri Lanka, National Youth Services Council Sri Lanka. The side event focused on post millanium development goal agenda and how youth can get engage with development process, as Sri Lanka is going to host the 2014 UN World Youth Conference, so this event was a good opportunity to spread the message of WYC and show the world what we do in Sri Lanka.

Mini - Side Event at the Youth Blast

Attended a official youth delegation meeting, where my team and i was able to meet official youth delegate from different parts of the country, such as Germany, Norway, Swiss, Brazil, USA etc, meanwhile we were able to meet delegates from Kenya.The sessions mainly focused on planning a strategy for upcoming 15 days and explore the benefits and the restrictions of the the "Government Delegation". 




I got an opportunity to share my experiance and my opinion at a Youth Blast mini side event organized by ICIMOD on How Green Economy help your country, this gave me an opportunity to share how my resource full country can promote Green Economy as youth activist.

Closing Ceremony - Youth Blast

In the closing ceremony of the Youth Blast, Mr. Sha, the Secretary General of the UNCSD addressed the closing ceremony of the Youth Blast, where he stressed why youth should get engage with the Rio+20 process. One of the youth asked a question from Mr. Sha "what will happen if Rio+20 gets failure? He said with an inspiring energy "Rio+20 is not to going to fail - failure is not a choise". He is with loads of hopes on a concrete political out come from the Rio+20, which inspired youth demand the negotiators for a concrete deal at Rio+20.

He streed more on actions, implementations what the nations have committed 20 years ago and he further added this is an opportunity to renew the political commitments. 

In the late evening we had a very important task force meeting on Green Economy, where we discussed on the three major sub-groups, Employment, Education and Natural Resources, from June 13 on-wards these three working groups will follow and track the negotiations with the official youth delegates.

Green Economy Task Force Meetings

Rio+20 Daily Blog - Day 01

June 11, Youth Blast. Today was my first day in Rio+20 and it was a very important day to me. In the first day I was able to meet loads of youth activists from almost all the corners of the world, for the past few months i was working with sevral youth cordinators on Rio+20 process through Skype Calls and Webinars, but i have never met them earlier face to face. This was the first time where i met those inspirational people for the first time after working with them for a long time on Rio+20 process.

In the early morning there was a pannel discussion at the Youth Blsat, where several youth representatives shared their experience with us.

In the evening I facilitated a session on Asia Youth Strategic meeting for Rio+20, where we had representatives from different parts of the Asia, in the meeting we discussed on the strategies how Asain youth present at Rio+20 can get engage with the Rio+20 negotiations on behalf of the MGCY.

In the late evening we had a Green Economy Task Force meeting, we discussed on the strategies on how we are going to follow up the Prepcomm and high level negotiations, meanwhile we discussed how we are going to act beyond Rio+20 agenda.

In the night I couldn't forgot spend some time with my new friends.

MTV Live TV talk show on "Earth Day"

On the World Earth Day Two Youth Activists Sikander Sabeer and Sudarsha De Silva shared there success stories with the General Public on the World Earth Day 2012 through leading MTV Channel.

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Rio+20 Countdown Starts in The Nations Paper - Written By Sikander Sabeer

Rio+20 Countdown Starts in The Nations Paper

Synthesis Report - National Road to Rio+20 Campaign Sri Lanka

About the National Road to Rio+20 Campaign

National Road to Rio+20 Campaign is one and only National Youth Movement for United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development/Rio+20 in Sri Lanka for Youth. This is a concept of three youth activists namely Sikander Sabeer, Sahan Hottatuwa and Rehan Fernando and initiated by National Youth Services Council- Focal Point of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, British Council-Global Changemakers, Colombo Operated Model United Nations, the Academy of Design, Emerging Young Leaders Association and Earth Lanka. The main objective of the campaign is to create a mass movement for Rio+20 in Sri Lanka and develop a national youth position paper for Rio+20.

www.nrrsl.blogspot.com

Find Out the Synthesis Report of the "National Road to Rio+20 Campaign - Sri Lanka"

Facilitated a Residential Workshop on Youth Led sustainability

The International Climate Champions is a program of the British Council. The program is aimed at empowering youth to engage in solving environment issues of the current world. The first International Climate Champions were recruited in 2009 with just 5 members, this batch received their project management training in Muktheshwar, in the Himalayan region of India. The second batch was recruited in 2010 with 12 members. The members chosen in 2010 attended a four-day project management workshop hosted in New Delhi, India. The climate champions are a part of a world-wide network. Selected champions from across the globe meet at the annual International Climate Champions International camp. In 2011, three champions from Sri-Lanka had the chance of attending the international camp which focussed on how climate change impacts coastal eco-systems. The three champions who attended this camp were Chathurangi de Silva, Sikander Sabeer and Joanne Kotelawala. 

Champions are recruited based on project plans which they submit as a part of their application procedure. Their projects aim to communicate the issues related to climate change and to take action to either adapt to or mitigate the effects of climate change.

The recruits for ICC 2012 submitted their applications along with project ideas and 24 selected participants attended a project planning workshop held in Thulhiriya, Kurunegala. The two-day workshop focussed on educating the participants on general climate change knowledge, and project planning skills. The program also focussed on aspects of self-development that would prepare the participants to work as volunteers in communities effectively and to communicate their knowledge within those communities. The event was organised by ICC 2010 Joanne Kotelawala, with the support of the British Council Colombo. The participants were addressed by professionals in the fields of Conservation (prof. Hemanthi Ranasinghe) , Energy and Transport, Social Action Projects (Mr. Sena Peiris), Education and Awareness, Research and innovation, Digital and social media.

The event was facilitated by the champions from 2009 and 2010 who were also able to share with participants their experiences and how their projects have grown since its inception. The facilitators at the event were Ashrifa Ali (ICC 2009), Sikander Sabeer (ICC 2010), Nilanke Panthearachchi (ICC 2010), Joanne Kotelawala (ICC 2010) and Aruthra Rajasingham. The team was given an immense amount of help by Mr. Nimal Perera and Ms. Thushara Gunasekara. 

Green Economy Call Minutes - 03.06.2012, 3pm GMT

Participants: Brendan, Brittany, Frances,Lucie, Cassia, Sikander, Naomi, Emanu
Facilitator: Lena
Notetaker: Naomi

Agenda:- introduction
Brittany Laidlaw- Global Voices Australian Youth Delegate for Rio+20
Lena: Germany, German official youth delegate for Rio+20, German youth council
Brendan, Belgium, Rio+twenties, board member 
Lucie, Switzerland, Swiss UN-Youth Delegate, Swiss Youth Council
Cassia: Brazil, ISF volunteer,  involved with this Task Force.
Sikander Sabeer: Sri Lanka, Founder National Road to Rio+20 Campaign
Naomi: Japan, Environmental Partnership Council, 
Frances: Australia, Global Voices Youth Delegate (leaving early) 

- update 3rd informal negotiations May 29-June 2:

http://www.iisd.ca/uncsd/iinzod3/29may.html -newest Chair's text came out on May22 -WG1 (sec 1, 2, 3,4) WG2 (sec 5, 6) Changes on WG 5 & WG 6 observed
 Summary will be released on Tuesday
Youth GE team focus on Education & Employment.  education agreed ad ref. not best.  so few ppl from MGCY attended the negotiation which was a challenge, so couldn't follow 
There want be chair's text by next week.  


Latest text on jobs:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yej-KguS0kd5OaOS8oc10rksBjU9uR8sprhbCBbeNzU/edit 
Latest text on eduction
:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AUzQkPyRVETZxdUnYPihoFg_UXmFWvv87q5nWW_X6sY/edit 


Latest text on natural resources:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mnyYEXiOWLtROoL36LpyVxCah6i20uqK5DFNkxIxd6A/edit 


- upcoming dates
 Youth Blast:http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/pages/youthblast.html    
7-8 (Brazilian youth), 
10-12 (international)    
Register if you haven't! will make things easier ;- )We have (at least) 3 slots planned for sessions. Except for the core session, timing is more or less flexible and we can have more sessions if we want (but we want to keep a balance between quality and quantity)

• June 11th 11.30 - 13.00: Core Session on GE (Plenary) - General introduction the GE TF of the MGCY

• June 11th 2.30 - 4.00: GE and Employment (Room 11

, capacity: 100p) - Special focus on employment 

• June 12th 11.30 - 4.00: GE and Education (Room 11

, capacity: 100p ) - Special focus on education

- PrepCom negotiations: 13-15 June: you should attend. 

• Daily updates on new GoogleGroup will be made

• Information for those not in Rio in order to let them participate

• Need secondary pass.

-SD Dialogue 16-19

• Facilitation team deciding on MGCY participation.

-UNCSD 20-22

• 2 intervention at the opening & ending.

• don't know if we can attend or not.

• Group passes? -will ask OPs

-other events

• find out which events you want to go to, and some require pre-registration.

- who will be in Rio?Lena, now till 25thBrendan, 11th - 23rdLucie, 11th june - 11th JulyNaomi, 8-26thSikander (Hopefully) 10-26Emanuel (Hopefully) Alva 9th-28th June  - division of tasks, next steps, dates for working meetingsWe need people for the following tasks:- minimum 2 persons for each Youth Blast interventions and more people planing these sessions:

• June 11th 11.30 - 13.00 (core session):

 Lena, Alva 

• June 11th 2.30 - 4.00 (employment):

Shoya (naomi) + Sikander (Hopefully)

• June 12th 11.30 - 13.00 (education): Brendan + Lucie

• June 

12th 2.30 - 4.00 (natural resources): Alva 

- 2 people to report back on the general evolution of negotiations: [Lucie
- 2 people responsible for welcoming/briefing newcommers
- 2 people to lead daily working group on education: [Lucie] if some interested in taking the lead please contact me (lucie.rosset@youthrep.ch) or Lena (lmm.wdst@yahoo.com)
- 2 people to lead daily working group on employment: Sikander (if attending)
- 2 people to lead daily working group on natural resources: Alva
- 2 people responsible for (social) media/outreach: Brendan- 1 person update calendar & schedules: Naomi




- some practical matter for Rio- Meeting of the GETF to be programmed on the 10th & 11th in the evening: Lena  
   -Map of events:https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214362249671181517044.0004c1128537676fe349d&msa=0    
- Photo book of negotiators: http://www.stakeholderforum.org/fileadmin/files/Photobook_Rio+20web.pdf   
 -Sim card:    - Lenas brasilian number: (021) 8234 8445, you need to take off the (021) if you also have an Rio de Janeiro number   
 -conference handbook:http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/607Manual%20Operativo%20-%20Ingles_%2031-05_print.pdf




- others




Check the National Road to Rio+20 Campaign Synthesis Report, What we are doing in Sri Lanka for Rio+20http://www.unep.org/roap/Portals/96/SLK_SynthesisReport_April2012.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBP9061qSSo&feature=share