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August the 12th has been declared International Youth Day by the United Nations and is recognized as such by the international community. The purpose of recognizing this day every year is to pay tribute to the contributions of young people in developing their countries and the world at large. It also serves to create a forum for the discussion of issues surrounding youth and development. This year's theme focuses on youth action on climate change.
Climate change is arguably one of the most pressing issues of our era. It has been shown that if care is not taken immediately, the impact of climate change on our world will erode any gains in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Climate change has implications on the MDGs. Climatic conditions are largely a direct consequence of human actions that are harmful to the environment.
In Ghana, we are bearing the brunt of our actions and our inaction. Weather conditions are becoming unbearable: there are high temperatures at night that make sleeping uncomfortable and sometimes impossible. Rainfall patterns have changed and, when rain does fall, it is torrential, destroying farm produce and property. In some situations, these rains have been known to result in the loss of human lives. These have been serious setbacks to the elimination of poverty and hunger and the promotion of the environmental sustainability targets of the MDGs. We must commit to new strategies.
Today’s youth need to be empowered to become active in developing climate change solutions. They are the ones most threatened by climate change and need to be at the forefront in developing and supporting various strategies. Young people below the age of 25 form almost half of the world’s population (MDGs Youth Action Guide, 2005). They form a large proportion of Ghana’s population. That means that there can not be any meaningful development if this sector of the population remains uninvolved.
Young people need to be informed and educated about climate change. Much progress has been made in drawing attention to education, but youth must also be inspired to act and give their much needed support through local community development and conservation activities. Climate change will slow down Ghana’s achievements in poverty reduction, hunger alleviation and environmental sustainability.
Climate change may be seen as an environmental issue, but it is also concerns development, poverty reduction, food security, economics, health, human rights and governance. Climate change is an MDG issue! The likelihood of MDG attainment by 2015 has drawn a lot of skepticism. However, the world with all its resources- financial, natural and human- should be able to achieve the MDGs and control the climate change situation.
Since we share one planet we must all be committed to solving the climate crisis. We need political will from the world leaders who signed the Millennium Declaration and related protocols in 2000. To achieve their climate change targets, governments should consider introducing or supporting green initiatives e.g. the construction of bike lanes, the promotion of energy efficiency and improvements on urban planning. Enforcing the regulation of industry (power plants and large factories) is also an important step in saving our climate. Ghana’s “Greening Ghana Project” is yet another laudable initiative.
Both rich and poor counties must collaborate positively to the reversal of the current crisis. This requires comprehensive action on poverty and climate change. Whilst rich countries are largely culpable for climate change, it is poor countries that are paying the price. The International Institute for Environment and Development has reported that over one billion people in 100 countries in Africa and some Small Island Developing States face a bleak future. The 100 most vulnerable countries (including Ghana) have contributed the least to total global carbon emissions. This means that the most vulnerable countries will suffer catastrophic impacts over the longer term.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the following as being particularly vulnerable: Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Africa, Mega-deltas (particularly in Asia), and the Polar Regions. To this end the Government of Ghana must be committed to the following efforts: ensuring the ban (or heavy taxation) of machines that produce CFCs, integrating climate change concerns into the school curriculum, prioritizing the use of renewable energy resources, supporting communities at local and national levels, and incorporating disaster-risk reduction strategies into its MDG development plans.
The young people that volunteer to help the country should be motivated and rewarded through service award schemes. Further incentives are necessary to motivate young people to devote their youthful enthusiasm to development efforts.
Volunteerism and strong civil society are directly related to the strength of a country’s democracy and its social capital. Not surprisingly, various studies in North America have shown that young volunteers are more likely to do well in school and to vote (World Youth Report, 2005).
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MICHAEL
Michael Baompong is the Founder and Executive Director of Young People We Care (YPWC). He has recently completed a four-year undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Coast, where he read Economics and Geography as his major courses. Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences He is an ardent believer in youth empowerment and believes that if the youth are not empowered now, the world’s future will be nothing to write home about.
He participated in the recently-held Civil Society Day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in the Philippines where he made a strong case for youth migration.
In September 2008, he successfully managed a joint initiative that was undertaken by YPWC with support from UNICEF Voices of Youth, Global Youth Action Network, Migrants Rights International and TakingITGlobal for the creation and publication of some key youth statements for the Global Forum on Migration and Development in the Philippines.
He was nominated in 2006 by the Task Force Committee of the UN-Non Governmental Liaison service to present a paper on Migration and Development at the UN Headquarters in New York. Michael was also a youth delegate to the 2007 Global Forum on Migration and Development and also the Regional Consultation on Migration, Remittances and Development in Africa.
Aside the numerous contributions that he makes on youth and development issues on networks like TakingITGlobal he also has a research work findings on International Migration and Remittances to his credit.
Michael is currently an Advisory Board member of the Bangladesh Youth Parliament, and was also a contributor and editorial member of the young people version of the UN Human Development Report for 2006 and 2007.
His desire to see to the well being of the youth in the world, which has been given a major boost by the introduction of the Millennium Development Goals, continues to spur him on to greater heights as he renders unconditional services to humanity aimed at making the world a better place for all.
After successfully completing an E-course in Project Management and Grant/Proposal Writing, his organizational abilities have been enhanced. In his own words, ‘I have been able to organize a series of programs on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and the Millennium Development Goals, thanks to the knowledge I acquired from the course’. He has his eyes on being a Migration Expert.
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