The World Summit on Sustainable Development has brought together government, corporations, and members of the international community, divided into nine major groups. Of these groups, the international Youth Caucus has probably the most difficult task: representing the concerns of young people from around the world in negotiating sustainability. Bringing hundreds of young people who are often fairly new to the issues, and from diverse personal backgrounds, and welding their opinions into a consensus is a job that few would ask for. Leif Hölmberg, 26, from Sweden, one of the few who are willing to take on this task, took timeout of a busy schedule to discuss his opinions about the summit, the Youth Caucus, and his background.
What is your general feeling about the Youth Caucus?
I find the youth group very dedicated to sustainable development. Everyone wants it a lot. But sometimes I find that they want to reach agreement where there is no agreement to reach. I think people should come to the Youth Caucus and show that they’ve got some input there. But then I think they should go out and work on their specific issue, instead of being so concerned about what we do as a common entity. We are losing a lot of energy in internal fighting or internal drafting work. It should be outreaching. With that I am really dissatisfied that the Youth Caucus is not doing so well right now.
Some people have noted that the Non-Governmental Organisation Caucus and the Youth Caucus have a lot of similarities in what they are asking for, but a lot of differences in how they are organised. What would you say some of the major differences are between the NGOs and the Youth Caucus?
I would say that the very, very big difference is that the NGOs are so much bigger and so much more diverse. As youth we still have some kind of common political ground, and there are more things that we can agree on. Among the NGOs I must say that there is much, much less of this. If you are talking about NGOs in the broad spectrum, they have a much more difficult task. There’s something that brings us together, the generational perspective, the positions for education, youth participation, et cetera, these are what bring us together because we are youth.
How would you characterize the commonality that you describe youth as having, this generational perspective?
The commonality is that we feel that we should have power because we will be the next generation to be leading this process. The NGOs, those are the people that wanted to be elected but didn’t have the power. I’m being a little bit rude now (laughter), but the NGOs, they are instead of the government. We are the ones that will be leading our countries. As youth that perspective makes a difference. Of course, we have inherently a greater sense of long-term thinking. Thirdly, I think our perspective is not destroyed by our working environment. With people who are in their fifties, they are shaped a lot by their working environment. If they work in some kind of job where they have to be very pragmatic, they are shaped by that. Youth still have more of a spirit, a knowledge of changing the world. And that maybe is a little more naïve. But that, how do you say, naiveness is actually a positive.
You were a student of ecological economics, and now you are here at the largest world conference ever. What do your family and friends think about your chosen path?
I think they are proud of me in general. I think they believe it’s really much more glamorous than it is because they don’t understand that there are so much fights and conflicts like this here. I think they believe that youth are working together and of course there are some issues but it’s really just glamorous. But I haven’t been to any cocktail parties yet!
Thank you Leif. I hope you get to a cocktail party or two before you go.
Thank you!
© GLOBAL YOUTH REPORTERS PROGRAMME
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