Is American democracy truly representative of all people? Public policy affects the lives of the young and old alike, and yet one group of people is almost always excluded from the democratic

Is American democracy truly representative of all people? Public policy affects the lives of the young and old alike, and yet one group of people is almost always excluded from the democratic process: the youth! The youth voice is powerful— and young people are ready to have their imaginative and dynamic voices reflected in the policy-making process. It's time to deconstruct our negative perceptions of youth and redefine inclusivity in American democracy. Amanda Schuerman is an 18-year-old community activist from Gilbert, Arizona. She currently serves as the Southwest Regional Director with March For Our Lives and as the Captain of her Speech and Debate team. She is a senior at Gilbert Classical Academy High School and plans to pursue a career in nonprofit law. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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On the 15th of March 2019, 1.5 million people around the world participated in School Strike for Climate; most of whom walked out of school to do so. This was about young people all over the world

On the 15th of March 2019, 1.5 million people around the world participated in School Strike for Climate; most of whom walked out of school to do so. This was about young people all over the world taking a stand, rising up, and saying enough is enough. In this thoughtful and engaging talk, activist Lucy Gray makes a compelling argument for putting climate justice at the centre of humanity’s path forward. Lucy is a 12-year-old climate activist and songwriter. She found her passion in climate action in 2017 and started a climate action group in her school, encouraging young people to come along and learn about climate change. When the international school strikes reached New Zealand, Lucy saw that were strikes registered all across New Zealand, but none in Christchurch, so she decided to lead the Christchurch strike; she also founded the Christchurch School Strike for Climate (SS4C) group and is now also a co-convenor of the national School Strike for Climate NZ team, a group created by students, for students, to plan and run strikes, and to urge the government to act urgently on climate change. Lucy has another passion—music. She wrote a song about changing the way we act, and standing up for what is right, called ‘Rise Up’, which she has performed at the strike and other future focused events like National Young Leaders Day and Festival for the Future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2024, "Youth Skills for Peace and Development," underscores young people's crucial role in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. In this radio program, we hear from Damaris Lenantare, who is a member of the Rendille people of Northern Kenya - Damaris works for Fereti Radio. Interviewee: Damaris Lenantare (Rendille) Music: "Ch´a´oj" by SOTZ´IL, used with permission "Kame" by SOTZ´IL, used with permission. "Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.

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Ahead of #COP26, we asked our CISL's Global Network members and young leaders worldwide about their opportunities, barriers and expectations to accelerate climate action. • Inés Yábar – Senior

Ahead of #COP26, we asked our CISL's Global Network members and young leaders worldwide about their opportunities, barriers and expectations to accelerate climate action. • Inés Yábar – Senior Global Campaigns Coordinator, Restless Development (Peru) • Ibrahim Al Zu'bi – Chief Sustainability Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Group (Dubai) • Sabrin Rahman – Managing Director - Head of Sustainability for EMEA, HSBC (Dubai) • Professor Jason Pomeroy – Founding Principal, Pomeroy Studio (Singapore) • Dr Balgis Osman Elasha – Climate Change Expert, African Development Bank (Sudan) • Woochong Um – Managing Director General, Asian Development Bank (Philippines) • Nasha Cuello – Co-founder, Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras, and One Young World Ambassador (Argentina) • Dr Kegang Wu – Managing Director, Link to China (UK) • Dr Enass Abo-Hamed – Co-founder and CEO, H2GO Power Ltd (UK) • Abdelrahman Fahmy – Chairman, youthinkgreen Egypt and One Young World Ambassador (Egypt) • Sue Whisky – CEO and founder of the Environmental Network Malawi (Malawi) 👉 Find out how we are working with partners to achieve zero emissions at cam.ac.uk/achievingzero #AchievingZero #COP26

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As the devastating effects of climate change take hold around the world, young people are demanding action from global leaders and, increasingly, taking action themselves. Ask a teenager or young

As the devastating effects of climate change take hold around the world, young people are demanding action from global leaders and, increasingly, taking action themselves. Ask a teenager or young adult which issues they think are most pressing in the world today, and climate will often top the list.

One of the goals of our Creating Citizens initiative is to provide a forum for youth to meet and learn from peers and civic leaders about the complex and often controversial issues that are important to them. So it is with special pride that we present a panel of young climate activists discussing their own work and the power of youth to address the climate crisis and issues of racial and social injustice around the world.

Join us for this special program! Educators and students who register for this program will receive one free copy of Vanessa’s new book, A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis. Special thanks to the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Foundation. Additional books may be purchased at the Club’s online bookstore.

NOTES


Vanessa Nakate photo by and copyright Esther-Ruth_Mbabazi.

DECEMBER 1, 2021

SPEAKERS

Samir Chowdhury
Founder and Executive Director, Youth Climate Action Team, Inc.

Vanessa Nakate
Author, A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis

Zaria Romero
Climate Generation Delegate, COP26; Junior, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Darren Zook
Professor, Global Studies and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership

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We know that climate change affects us all in more ways than we can imagine. The Gulf of Mexico continues to undergo severe effects of climate change like dead zones & rising waters. There are people

We know that climate change affects us all in more ways than we can imagine. The Gulf of Mexico continues to undergo severe effects of climate change like dead zones & rising waters. There are people who are fighting not only for environmental policy to stop this climate crisis, but their very livelihoods. And most of these people that will exponentially see the effects of global warming in their lifetime, are YOUNG PEOPLE. Young activists are on the front lines of this issue, yet most conversations about how to address it are behind closed doors in rooms filled with primarily older white scientists. If we want to include a more diverse group into these discussions about climate solutions, we can start with inviting young environmentalists to the table and recognizing their collective successes in climate action. https://linktr.ee/ArmonAlex and https://www.facebook.com/maggie.peacock.9066/ Armon Alex is a young climate activist that works to inspire and instill in other young environmentalists the tools to be effective communicators. Through his work in organizations like EarthEcho International, he engages young leaders in conversations about climate solutions and dynamic ways to encourage other generations to follow. As a founder of Project WAVES, a student led initiative & research team studying water quality; and a Co-Founder of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit, he understands the necessity & importance of including diverse perspectives in global climate solutions. He currently encompasses all his work in his local government as an Inaugural Member of the City of Corpus Christi's first ever Environmental Task Force and is an Undergraduate student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi studying Science Communications & Public Relations. Maggie Peacock is a young environmentalist from Lipan, Texas. She works with other youth activists in multiple organizations, such as the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Youth Advisory Council and YOUNGO Ocean’s Voice Working Group, hosts many events and fundraisers in her community’s school district, and is the co-founder of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit. She plans to attend Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi to study marine biology and political science. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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Girls in ICT #Europe Celebration is live! Tune in to hear inspiring insights on why #digitalskills is important for young #women and girls to become shapers of the digital world & what initiatives

Girls in ICT #Europe Celebration is live! Tune in to hear inspiring insights on why #digitalskills is important for young #women and girls to become shapers of the digital world & what initiatives have proven successful in supporting them - bit.ly/3LorHjR Each year, the International Day of Girls in ICT is celebrated to raise awareness about the gender digital divide and to support skills development and technology education for girls and young women toward education and professional careers in STEM fields, particularly within the ICT sector. The Girls in ICT celebrations aim at inspiring and encouraging girls to pursue a future in ICTs and to empower them by ensuring they have the necessary skills, confidence, and support to achieve their goals. On 27 April, the European Celebration are live. Under the theme ‘Digital Skills for Life’, the event gathers women in Europe from across sectors to share how tech skills for women and girls can scale to close the gender digital divide and bring greater benefit to society and the economy. It provides role models and an opportunity to inspire young people to join tech studies and careers, examples of initiatives to support women in ICT, and programs that interested persons can take part in to boost their knowledge of the field. The event also highlights the importance and value of digital skills for young people in the digital economy, building upon the goals of the European Year of Skills as declared by the European Commission.

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This multifaceted young lady can be found lost in putting her thoughts to paper or playing a township variation of pool that replaces the pool cue and balls with a stick and some stones. In 2017

This multifaceted young lady can be found lost in putting her thoughts to paper or playing a township variation of pool that replaces the pool cue and balls with a stick and some stones. In 2017 she was part of the SAVE Foundation’s TED-Ed Club which is where she discovered and honed her passion for writing. When she heard about the opportunity to speak at the TEDxYouthCapeTown 2018 event she just could not resist. This bright young mind will be sharing her thoughts on the importance of taking care of the future as it is, after all, ours. This multifaceted young lady can be found lost in putting her thoughts to paper or playing a township variation of pool that replaces the pool cue and balls with a stick and some stones. In 2017, she was part of the SAVE Foundation’s TED-Ed Club which is where she discovered and honed her passion for writing. When she heard about the opportunity to speak at the TEDxYouthCapeTown 2018 event she just could not resist. This bright young mind shares her thoughts on the importance of taking care of the future as it is, after all, ours. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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