Newsletter September 2010

You are now reading the fabulous, shiny, fresh and Contents: fruity Young FoEE newsletter! By reading it you can find out what Young FoE News from the Network p1 groups from all around Europe have been up to over Upcoming Network Activities p4 the past summer months; what we have planned for Special Report: Destructive Mining in Peru p5 the next months and what we have been doing col- Network Gathering; Steering Group Update p6 lectively as European youth. Stories from different Steering Group; Working Groups; Mailing lists p7 Summer Camps, the YouPEC, updates from the Diary Dates p8 Steering Group and new actions towards Cancun are all included. Sit back, relax and... enjoy!

YouPEC was an amazing event that inspired all the par- News from the Network ticipants, to start acting to protect and restore Europe’s News from Belgium! biodiversity. But we cannot do this alone, we need politi- Youth Perspective on Biodiversity, July 2010 : In July, cians to act. Europe’s policy makers need to take the YFoEE participated in the third You- valuable suggestions of the young Europeans into ac- PEC (European Youth Perspective) count, constitute a more ambitious and stronger Euro- Conference, organized by the Bel- pean biodiversity policy, and ensure that there is still a gian youth organization JNM. The 5 reason for youth to be the leaders of tomorrow. ACT day conference brought together NOW! 150 young people working on biodiversity, from across Europe, includ- The YouPEC participants ing many from the YFoEE network and YFoE groups. presented the declaration Amongst other things, we took part in lectures, work- at the EU Commission shops and the writing of a youth declaration, to build a building in Brussels, each youth voice in response to the upcoming UN Convention person held an image of on Biological Diversity October in Nagoya, and the You- Europe’s unique species PEC made space for lots of networking and action plan- and ecosystems attached ning between young people in Europe on this theme of to a balloon. To symbolize Biodiversity. The declaration, which has already been their concerns regarding delivered to the EU Commissioner of the Environment the rapidly accelerating Janez Potočnik, and national environment ministers rate of biodiversity loss, across Europe, as well as other information from the they stopped the balloons event and how you can still get involved in taking action from flying and handed for biodiversity can be found at: them over to the Euro- http://www.youpec2010.eu/. pean Commissioner for Environment Janez Potočnik.

Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010 1 News from Norway! LoVeSe (Written by Bente Lorentzen): In 2010, Nature & Youth Norway (Natur og Ungdom NU) is working against the oil industry that wants to drill for oil in the areas outside Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja (LoVeSe). Whats the prob- lem? The oil industry alone is responsible for 30% of Norway's emissions. In addition, the areas outside LoVeSe is one of the richest nature-areas in Norway, with many important fish stocks and large bird colonies that is specially vulner- able to external influence like oil spills. Natur og Ungdom (NU) is working to get LoVeSe marked as an oil free area. Here are some pictures from their campaigns/actions:

When we met the Norwegian oil minister, telling him When we traveled around in Norway talking to people how many tons of CO2 he would be responsible of let- about oil and environment ting in to the atmosphere if the oil industry gets the permission to drill in the areas of LoVeSe

News from Ukraine! Ukrainian Youth Training Course “Youth Ambassadors for Sustainable Living. Renewable Energy and Climate Change Dimensions¨ 17-23rd July, Pavlograd, Ukraine (Written by Anna Yeliseyeva):

For a week this summer, MELP (YFoE Ukraine) brought together nearly 20 young people from Armenia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine for the training course: “Youth Ambassadors for Sustainable Living. Renewable Energy and Climate Change Dimensions”, with the aim of building the capacity of 'sustainability ambassadors' across Europe to enable them to initiate projects, dis- seminate information, educate colleagues and become a point of contact for strategic and policy making proc- esses on Renewable Energy and Climate Change issues.

The hugely successful and inspiring event had a range of activities and topics that enabled the effective participa- Further, the participants had a unique opportunity to get tion and learning of all the participants. The organisers knowledge through participation in the sessions as well invited experts to deliver training sessions and lectures as visits to local pilot manors in Ukraine, where sustain- on a range of topics from renewable energy sources able patterns of farming and energy sources have been (RES), RES policies development and implementation: used. The structure of the sessions allowed for an active best practices, global impacts of local lifestyle choices on involvement of each participant in the discussions, mak- the environment, post 2009 climate change negotiations ing inputs to the whole process. and the role of youth in the negotiation process, climate change and inter-generational equity in the point of view For more pictures and info about the event, and to find of sustainable development, organic farming as a pattern out more about YFoE Ukraine, check the website: http:// of sustainable development, sustainable consumption www.yeenet.eu/index.php/projects/yee-completed- and production in terms of economic and environmental projects/377-tc-youth-ambassadors-sustainable-living crises, zero-carbon emission concept and it's case studies on the implementation.

2 Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010

News from Germany! Kimacamp 2010: Volunteers from BUNDjugend Berlin spent many long and hard months organizing the “climate camp 2010”, where 100 people gathered from 11 different nations in the mining boundary of Garz- News from Poland! weiler. A lot of great lecturers with very exciting issues, Young FoEE Summer Camp: This year’s now famous the fantastic camping area and the tasty meals were the YFoEE summer training camp took place in the beautiful base for nine wonderful days of camping and action and peaceful Polish countryside, at an environmental training and planning against the coal industry. education centre in Starbienino near the Baltic coast. The camp this year had a special focus on skills training and exchange for effective campaigning and running of our groups, and brought together 45 participants from 17 different YFoE and FoE groups for this learning.

The camp also kick started a new area of work that YFoEE will develop- with plans and a new working group set up to work on Food and Agriculture as an issue, as well as plans for future youth activities in PKE (FoE Po- land) and a new YFoE group in Scotland!

The camp and PKE also got news coverage on a local TV station: http://www.telewizjattm.pl/index.php/ odtworz,2010-08-04,07

Plans are already going ahead for Summer Camp 2011 to take place in Hungary, hosted by YFoE Hungary!

Because of the participants, who were very motivated and interested in the workshops, and the warm and friendly mood, climate camp was an awesome success. We wanted to reach a big number of people and to create an atmosphere that would make everyone feel that he or she is welcome – and it worked :-) For the next year we’ll try to reduce the program (even if it’s difficult) because we want you to have more time for your own ideas. We plan to be more family-friendly and interesting for kids, and because of the people working we’ll enlarge the offer of workshops at the News from Holland! weekends. But we would also be grateful to hear what The 10:10 Campaign: Young Friends of the Earth Nether- we could do better next year. We want to reach more lands is at the moment very busy promoting the 10:10 people – even you from abroad! So we would be very campaign (born in the UK, check the website at http:// glad to welcome YOU next year, too!! www.1010global.org/). 10:10 is a global campaign to cut carbon by 10% a year – starting in 2010. Check the website at : http://www.english.klimacamp2010.de/ We ask families, schools, businesses and individuals to join the campaign. In mid September we gathered 1500 scouting youth to make a very impressive aerial picture that might be used in a national TV show (see picture right). We organized a pink flash mob and went to different summer festivals to promote our activities and find new young people to join us for projects@school, @home or on the streets!

Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010 3 News from all over! The Ecotopia Biketour: The 2010 biketour cycled through England, Wales, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ger- many, where it finished at the end of August. The Ecotopia biketour is an eco-mobile do-it-yourself activist community emerging every summer already for 20 years. We aim to learn from each other and the local groups we visit and support their campaigns in creative ways. We carry all our equipment on bikes & trailers and make all the group decisions by consensus. A project for everyone interested in being part of a community and traveling without engines – the exact opposite of an all-inclusive flight to the beach! In 2010, the theme of the biketour was climate justice. Read more about climate justice, our stories and adventures at http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net/ and stay in touch!

Upcoming Network Activities

What about Cancun?

The Young FoEE Climate Justice working group is right Information and promotion to join the event will be now busy starting an exciting project to mobilize young regularly sent out to the YFoEE climate mailing list, but European activists to Brussels from 26 November- 12 you can also join the working group mailing list to be pro December, for the duration of the next round of UNFCCC -actively involved in making this event happen. We ex- climate negotiations. Plans are at an early stage, and still pect it to be a very exciting and busy couple of months in need of enthusiastic volunteers who will help with the for YFoEE! practical arrangements and ideas to pull this event off, but the aim is to create a strong and active presence in To join the CJWG email list and the next planning meet- Brussels, whilst the international negotiations are taking ing by Skype, email [email protected] place. We’ll be organizing training workshops, spaces to share our skills knowledge and will follow and react on The BGM of FOEI the negotiations taking place in Mexico, and the civil so- ciety actions taking place in Mexico and the rest of the BGM= Bi-Annual General Meeting. This year the meeting world. We’ll run actions and mobilize the public on the will be held in Malaysia, and for the first time we will streets, for the duration of the negotiations. have a Young FoE representative over there! Anna (from BUNDugend) has found funding to go there and expand our network beyond Europe, and Luka Tomac from FoE Croatia is going as a representative of his organization, but to also work with Anna. Togena then will present YFoEE, research the opportunities of other youth activ- ism taking place within the International Friends of the Earth network, and share with the other participants what YFoEE does over in Europe. We´ll keep you posted!

>>> Image: YFoEE campaigning for climate justice at the 2009 UNFCCC negotiations

4 Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010

BUNDjugend European Youth seminar on climate change

In February 2011 there will be an opportunity for you to go to Germany to exchange thoughts and develop knowledge on climate justice from a youth perspective. Espe- cially interesting for the people from the Climate Justice Working Group!! For more information, contact Björn at BUNDjugend: [email protected]

Collect Stories for Climate Justice

Young FoEE, with FoEE, will in the next 2 months be ask- ing you to collect stories from people affected by climate change and climate injustice. This will be a way to reach out to communities already feeling the impacts of climate change or false solutions, and build links with these groups. It will also be a way to put a human face on the stories of climate change and climate justice- to make people, with their message of how climate change af- issues that might sometimes seem a bit abstract or dis- fects them and their life and future. tant feel more concrete and close to home. A four page handbook on how and why to get involved in this project can be found on the YFoEE website (link be- These personal stories could be used in your lobby work low), and you can contact the Climate Justice working with politicians, in media work and other external com- group if you want more information and want to submit munication, or as part of climate change events. your short movie clips to us. We will be collecting in particular short movies of young Thank you very much in advance!

We are also interested to hear if you have ideas for a campaign, issue or event for the YFoEE network to run next year (for example the YFoEE Summer Camp) :-)

Feel free to send all ideas to [email protected] where they will be collected!

2011

Network Gathering

In March 2011 the annual YFoEE Network Gathering will take place in Germany. We are already letting you know the date and location of this, as we would like representatives from all the YFoE groups to be present! Within the agenda there will also be space for working groups to meet and develop activities and projects for the coming year, as well as your once a year chance to meet and share with other YFoE groups from across Europe (there are about 20!), build links and common projects, and understand the collective power of working as a strong European network. We are looking hard for funding to make this important gathering happen, so please think of ways that you or your organization can support it, and cheap or free ways that you can travel to the event (we won’t be able to cover your travel costs). Check the YFoEE website regularly and keep an eye on your mailbox to receive the invitation!

Grow Up/Permaculture

A great idea rose from the YouPEC: to organize a special ´summer camp´ totally focused on Permaculture as an alter- native way of agriculture. The workgroup will keep you up to date of the developments and if you are interested to join the workgoup please contact Suzanne Linssen at [email protected].

Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010 5 Special report: Call for international action - Destructive mining in Peru!

By Annelies Roose, member of JNM Belgium, and YFoEE’s 2009 Act Now climate team This important natural environment and its Three years ago, thousands of farmers in northern population are threatened by Monterrico Metals' Rio Peru rejected the Rio Blanco mining project in a local Blanco mining project, a British project in hands of the referendum. Surrounded by cloud forests, moors and Chinese company Zijin. The threat is not limited to this fertile valleys, they want a future for organic agriculture area alone; 25% of the territory of the four provinces has and exporting. already been given in concessions to other mining projects, possibly resulting in a mining district. Engaging themselves in the municipal and regional elections in October this year, and the presidential Residents of the areas, organised in the Network for elections in 2011, social organisations and peasant Sustainable Development of the Northern Border of Peru communities of four provinces (Jaén, San Ignacio, (FDSFNP), want to defend their local economies, Ayabaca, Huancabamba) demand the creation of "no-go environment and basic rights. zones for mining". Red Muqui, at the national level, and CATAPA, at the These four provinces are located in an environment of international level, jointly launched with the Front this extraordinary biological diversity and vital importance. campaign, to back the petition of the communities and The cloud forests and moors are ecosystems responsible social organisations of Huancabamba Ayabaca, San for the water collection of the Piura region, and they feed Ignacio and Jaén for the creation of 'no go zones for the Amazon basin to the east. mining' in their territories.

Watch the campaign videos and testimonies here: Please help and sign the petition on http:// http://www.mininginparadise.org/en/video www.mininginparadise.org/

6 Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010

Steering Group; Working Groups; Mailing lists

Steering Group Update exciting and we´ll keep you posted if we have concrete new stuff appearing.

The Young FoEE network is every year managed by a Alternatively, get in touch with Marton about CRAB- group of hard working volunteers who make up the GRASS or the website if you want to be actively involved YFoEE Steering Group. In September, the team met in in this and have experience to share: Belgium for a long weekend to talk late into the night [email protected] about how the YFoEE network and groups can work and communicate more effectively and openly together, re- Or if you want a full update please contact one of the view the work and plans made by the network at the Steering Group contact persons or email Sophie for the April Network Gathering, and make a plan for supporting notes of our meeting: [email protected]. and implementing YFoEE Activities better until the next Network Gathering in March 2011.

A big part of our discussions always came back to com- >>> Image: Young FoEE Network Gathering 2010 munications, and how groups in YFoEE can communicate better with each other and share what they know and do, plus how YFoEE can be more relevant and reflective to local and national groups, and have a better presence online. One new big project is to develop an internal communications tool for individuals, groups and working groups to plan their activities better and share documents and resources.

A group of volunteers from the steering group and some YFoE member groups are currently setting up a CRABGRASS network for YFoEE, and are discussing a YFoEE Wiki and external website possibilities. Very

Working Groups; Mailing lists: Get Involved The group are currently working on plans and logistics for a European Youth mobilization to Brussels for the We have several ‘working groups’ which are made up of duration of the two week UNFCCC climate negotiations individual volunteers from across Europe and from YFoE taking place in Cancun, Mexico at the end of 2010. member groups. They together have responsibility and freedom to come up with projects and action ideas and Food and Agriculture Working Group: a new group that develop the topics that YFoE works in, and thus our ex- was initiated by participants of the YFoEE Summer Camp pertise in issues! in Poland in August, who are starting to gather information of what food and agriculture work and projects are Our current working groups that are open for you to get currently being run by groups within the YFoEE network, in touch with and join, if you are interested and have and possible actions and projects that YFoEE can run un- time to be proactively involved in implementing the work der this theme in the near future. of the working group are: Contact Line Kirk from the working group if you’d like to Climate Justice Working Group: join the mailing list know about their next planning meeting and join the [email protected] by emailing working group: [email protected] or watch out for fu- [email protected] ture announcements on the YFoEE mailing list and website.

Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010 7 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the au- thor, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Diary dates:

October 7th-10th: FoEE Climate Team Big Happening (two representatives from the YFoE Climate Justice working group will be present)

10th: 101010 Working Party

19- 23th: FoEI BGM, Penang, Malaysia Young Friends of the Earth Europe is a grassroots net- November work of young people and youth organisations in 28th Sunday: Brussels Climate Coalition demo Europe, who are also part of the Friends of the Earth International network. If you want to find out if 29th: Start of COP16 there’s a group or active young people in your coun- try, or how you can get involved, please get in touch! 26th-12th December: European Youth Action for Climate Justice gathering in Brussels Young Friends of the Earth Europe December Rue d’Edimbourg 26 7th: Via Campesina peasant farmers network: ‘1000 Ac- 1050 Brussels tions’ for climate justice and food sovereignty Belgium Dates to be confirmed, throughout 2 first weeks of De- cember: Actions, workshops and mobilizations as part of Phone: +32 2 893 1009 the Youth for climate justice gathering in Brussels E-mail: [email protected]

8 Young Friends of the Earth Europe: Newsletter September 2010