Despite the shrunk delegation (due to the attacks in Paris, the delegation originally composed of 14 youngsters and 9 adults from 7 nationalities had to be reconsidered), all had bursting energy and were in a good mood. Laura Gonzalez Munera and Joaquim Ramos Pinto, from ASPEA (Portugal), Jules Constant-Auclair (Rhône-Alpes Region) and Alexis Gillet (PACA-Region), two youngsters from France, Gil Sause (PACA) and Laurence Arnaud (Rhône-Alpes), teachers in France as well as two Danish youngsters Boel Tanzer and Frederikke Petersen and their teacher Birte Reichel from Roskilde Gymnasium, participated in many activities linked to COP21.
Saturday November 28, we went to the Conference of Youth, (COY 11), where 8000 young people from over 130 countries gathered together to debate on socio-environmental issues, present their local initiatives and brainstorm on our future. On this occasion, our delegation joined the Youth Press Agency, a team of young reporters from around the world, led by Paulo Lima, our partner from the Brazilian-Italian association Viração, which aims at spreading information from young people for young people about COPs. Through interviews, videos, articles and photographs, our delegation contributed to making COY11’s and COP21’s backstage life visible.
All the work done by the Youth Press Agency can be seen here: http://careplanet-europe.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=382&lang=en.
Cécile Massé, Lydia Nicollet et Laura Gonzalez Munera, offered a workshop on (co-) responsibility and taking action, debating with 20 young people about the factors triggering actions.
On Sunday November 29, International Climate Mobilization Day, our delegation went to Place de la République in Paris to see the shoe covered ground (over 8 tons of shoes were lined up!) initiated by Avaaz after the cancellation of the Paris Climate March: “If we cannot walk, our shoes will do so for us”. It was a heart-warming collective moment with delegations from different countries, an a cappella performance by Small Island States representatives, but also by the effectiveness of the spontaneous shoe collecting on midday.
Monday November 30, has been the official opening of COP21. With their accreditation, our delegates have been able to enter the “blue zone” and follow the Opening Ceremony on a big screen a few steps away from the official room where the Head of States were speaking.
Tuesday December 1, Alexis (Lycée Les Iscles in Manosque, PACA) et Boel (Roskilde Gymnasium, Denmark) had the opportunity to sit next to representatives of Economic, Social and Environmental Councils (ESEC) from different Southern countries at a roundtable organized by the EESC (European Economic and Social Committee) in the “Climate Generations Area”. They read the Call for Co-responsibility from the European Let’s Take of the Planet Conference in Brussels.
On Wednesday December 2, the young Frenchmen and Danish girls, met at the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation (FPH) to elaborate their speech for Education Day at COP21 on the 4th of December, an event organized by the French Ministers of Education, and Sustainable Development and Energy. The speech contains their propositions, hopes and wishes for tomorrow’s education.
Thursday December 3, has been a rehearsal day. After spending the morning at the “Climate Generations Area”, the delegation has been welcomed by the Adviser of the Minister of Education, Ms. Lorrain-Itty. After the rehearsal, the pressure is at its peak, but the youngsters are now more than ever aware of how big the opportunity they have been given will be.
Friday December 4, is Education Day! Jules, Boel and Frederikke together with their accompanying adult and Delphine Astier from Monde Pluriel are in room 4 at the “Climate Generation Area” for their speech during the Conference “Good Practices in Education for Sustainable Development : How to Stimulate Change to Educate on the Stakes of Climate Change”
This week at COP21 has been marked by a diversity of activities, its intensity and the unity of the delegation. The moments experienced, the common trips to the different venues…have contributed to create a link between the people despite intercultural and intergenerational differences. Each, through its uniqueness, its expectations, its motivation to contribute to a change, has had the opportunity to be the reporter of COP21, the representative of local projects of Let’s Take Care of The Planet and be the spokesperson of a community of youngsters, teachers or association who want to cooperation “to build a better world” (as said in the Speech of Dec 4).
