KENYA: Hundreds of Kenyan Youth Hold a Symposium to Set the Stage for COP27
COP 27, youths preparations
Elizabeth Asasha
Hundreds of young people from different parts of the country convened at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC), on Friday 23, 2022 for a symposium meant to build momentum ahead of the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which is expected to take place between November 6 and 18 this year.
The inaugural Youth Climate Change Action Symposium themed, “Building up momentum for COP27 with youth on climate change action” focused on recognizing the crucial role that youth play in combating climate change and in ensuring their inclusion in the policy formulation process.
Kenyan youth working in different sectors of climate change action, and representatives from the most affected communities, came together for the one-day convention held in Nairobi, Kenya, by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), to discourse and identify critical climate-related social and ecological issues affecting livelihoods.
In her introductory remarks, Dr. Rose Ngugi, Executive Director of KIPPRA Kenya, highlighted the key concerns that the annual summit on climate change seeks to address to help respond to the growing urgency of climate change impact.
“Those who have been following debates on climate change action must have noted that issues related to mitigation and adaptation, as well as challenges that impede adaptation, are at the center of the deliberations,” stated Dr. Ngugi.
“We are going to put together policy briefs on capacity building and specific areas to see how every one of us can contribute to climate change solutions,” she added
Mr. Hurdsone Thomas, the founder of the Youth Greenspace Action & Network, commended the coordinated efforts of young people from different organizations to discuss and advocate for youth inclusivity at local, national, regional, and international levels. He also expressed hope that the new Kenyan government will collaborate with young people to avert crises related to climate change.
“It makes me happy to recognize the efforts and dedication put towards this event by a team of young people from various organizations,” he expressed his sentiments and continued, “Our President H.E William Ruto is committed to working with young people and we hope to find solutions to the issues felt by the common man through unity and synergy.”
Participants engaged in discussions on the most recent research developments and trends on climate change action, the role of youth in recommended actions, opportunities available for youth involvement in such efforts, including fresh perspectives on the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies to aid in mitigating climate change disasters.
In their presentations, panelists and attendees stressed the significance of collaborative action to assuage drastic climatic changes towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) urging youth to pool together available resources to impact on ecological justice for a sustainable and prosperous future.
“I have been in so many countries and from what I have seen, Kenyan youth are very innovative, and the prevailing policies are supportive,” United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) official, Mr. Danube Kirt said as he urged Kenyans to make use of the favorable policies to contribute to climate change action.
The National Youth Council’s (NYC), Ms. Juliet Owino in charge of research and policy, underlined the importance of working in concert with the government to combat climate change and its effects on people.
“We are facing dire consequences of climate change as Africa, we need to take advantage of the environment to amplify our voices through media, build our knowledge capacity and engage in activities that are geared towards reducing the dangerous emissions.” She opined.
In attendance communication experts encouraged youth to effectively utilize social media and mainstream platforms to lead ecological conversations and suggested solutions for reducing and adapting to climate change.
On his part, assistant to the Holy See Rev. Fr. Steven Makagutu urged participants to read and practicalize Pope Francis’ message in the 2015 most comprehensive Vatican Encyclical Letter, “Laudato Si,” to make a discernible impact on our common home.
“The letter is addressed to every living person on this planet, not just Catholics because it addresses environmental issues and has been mentioned in the United Nations chapters on climate change,” Noted Br. Makagutu a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap).
The convention was a collaborative initiative of KIPPRA Kenya with Kenya Youth Climate Change Directorate comprising of: Laudato Si’ Movement Kenya, Strathmore SDG Student Hub, Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA), KenyaMUN, Heads and Hands, Youth Greenspace Action and Network and We Don’t Have Time.
The Muslim Society, Art for Communication, Mashinani, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), and Kenya Inter-University Environmental Students Association (KIUESA) were also present at the inaugural youth climate change symposium in Kenya.
Organizers are expected to prepare a communiqué outlining the key issues raised in the discussions, which include industrialization, waste management, fossil fuels, and deforestation to be delivered during the COP27 summit meeting in Egypt.
The Friday event, which was moderated by Isaac Samita, Brian Seroney, and Linda Makau (CYNESA), attracted participants from different counties and communities that have been significantly affected by climate change including Narok, Kajiado, Nairobi, Mombasa, Garissa, and Uasin Gishu.
