The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) recently hosted their first cohort of Youth Climate Champions (YCC) at a climate boot camp held in Gauteng from October 3 - 7, 2022.
The bootcamp was one of the key activities of the Youth Climate Champion programme, a part of the Climate Ambition to Accountability Project (CAAP), a partnership between WWF, the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and the South African Climate Action Network (SACAN), co-funded by the European Union.
As part of the boot camp, youth leaders with an interest in climate change, climate policy, and climate activism were empowered and trained to ensure youth engagement and participation in climate action and policy processes.
The boot camp comprised an intensive two-week knowledge and capacity-building curriculum.
The first week of the boot camp, held online, consisted of preparatory activities and readings for the in-person bootcamp which took place a week after the remote bootcamp.
Thirty-three young people between the ages of 18-30 were invited to the in-person boot camp held at Cradle Moon, a venue near Johannesburg. Participants from Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, Gqeberha and Limpopo.
The first day of the boot camp focused on careers within the environmental and climate change spheres, showcasing various professionals and their career paths. Speakers from WWF and the Southern Africa Resource Watch inspired the cohort while local entrepreneurs from Big Circle Studios and Barali (pronounced Baradi in Sesotho) showcased their innovative and sustainable designs.
Day two covered the basics of climate change and the concepts of adaptation, mitigation and climate policy by Mitchelle Mhaka. The session proved engaging with participants given an opportunity to share their insights, understanding and experience on various topics.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation hosted a session on activism with a specific focus on climate activism followed by the Presidential Climate Commission with a session on local climate policy processes and the just transition ending with WWF’s social media experts' tips on pivoting social media for activism and positive change.
Kicking off with a session on coal mining and climate change, day four saw the young activists lead the decarbonisation discussion, facilitated by FairForAll, followed by a session on public speaking.
Providing organisational support at the boot camp, Yasirah Madhi, from the Institute for Economic Justice, said that “the boot camp provided us deep insight into the power, energy and enthusiasm of young people in the climate movement. It displayed the range of skills and strengths that the youth have and how important this diversity is for a transition into a green economy.”
Moliehi Mafantiri, intern at SACAN, said that “it was incredibly refreshing to be engaged by fellow youth on my decision to pursue sustainable entrepreneurship.”
Mafantiri and her business partner spoke at length about their experiences as young women in business and the importance of resilience and purpose when working within the green economy.
“Additionally, we had lively conversations about how BARALI contributes to maintaining Basotho cultural continuity. Their questions and appreciation of BARALI were truly touching,” she said.
The YCC programme aims to capacitate, support and facilitate collaboration between young people and youth organisations interested in climate change. Planned activities include climate bootcamps, the establishment of a YCC steering committee, a podcast series, social media activist training, internships and training modules.
The rationale behind the YCC programme is that young people in South Africa operate at the margins of climate policy processes and engagement has been largely fragmented. Because of this, the youth have limited access to resources, knowledge, expertise and opportunities to get involved.
As part of the project’s activities, the YCC programme will empower and train youth leaders, particularly those from disadvantaged communities to ensure more meaningful youth engagement in climate action and policy processes.
Event organisers Innocentia Modau and Ivanna Katz were extremely grateful for the support and funding received from the Open Society Foundation South Africa, the South African Resources Watch, the Ubuntu Hub and Woolworths would both like to thank these organisations for their generosity and a keen interest in building a better South Africa.
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