4pm Tuesday...

Another late evening left Abby and me tucked away quietly on a couple small couches in the back corner of an office building for the past hour. We all spent last night constructing an awesome larger-than-life scroll for the US Youth Plan of Action and squaring away details of this morning’s press event. Complete with golden tassels, a hand painted seal, red ribbon, and a bit of calligraphy, the 8 x 11 foot canvas document stated the following:

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U.S. Youth Plan of Action

We, the undersigned youth of the U.S.A. denounce the U.S. delegation's opposition to binding commitments at WSSD. Outraged by the lack of U.S. support for sustainable development, we commit to the following targets in our local communities:
-Achieve at least 10% new renewable energy by 2010, and
-Meet or beat Kyoto Protocol targets by 2007
While US delegates quit, US youth commit!

Endorsed By:
Signed By:
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We were confident the event was going to be solid, and, despite a few inconveniences (outlined in all of the day's web log entries), it was.

This morning we arrived at the square around eight thirty and I spent some time alone to gather my thoughts and have some breakfast before mediating the event. We took our places on the steps to have a quick run through when a crowd of police walked up claiming we had no approval Without asking us to leave, they grabbed anyone in an orange shirt and took them to the parking lot. As an officer grabbed Kristin, I noticed the skin twisting on her arm and was amazed with her calm tone.

I was not wearing an orange "clean energy" shirt. Maggie and I were dressed some-what formally because we were to speak at the event. We gathered ourselves to redirect media, give a couple quick summaries to those with video cameras, and wait for our guest, Jan Pronk. As he arrived, we walked with him to the parking lot, through a circle of police and a crowd of participants and I opened the event as I had previously planned. Noah and Maggie both spoke wonderfully well, Pronk said a few words, and the Executive Director of Greenpeace International also spoke followed by a last-minute improv speech by Bob Brown, an Australian senator. Lauren, the official US youth delegate decided to say a few words and sign as well. The event was cut short under the circumstances so other youth were not able to sign, but thank you to everyone who was there to support us !

Eventhough the higher-ups of BMW, Sandton Square, the South African Police, and perhaps even the UN, did not have their deal together, let me just say that we kicked ass. I could not have felt better in a situation such as this because I felt in solidarity with an awesome group of people.

I would also like to put out there that this was not a Greenpeace event. About a week ago, we had all US youth who were present at the conference over to our hostel to plan and there was little-- if any-- follow up. We in the GP youth delegation took the initiative to put it together in two days (and two very late nights) and we discussed at length the necessity of clarifying that we were doing so as individuals on the behalf of no organisation. Greenpeace provided us with resources, but the name was nowhere to be found in the US Youth Plan of Action or in the content of the speeches. Despite the efforts of others to point fingers at easily identifiable organisations such as Greenpeace, we participated as individual activists, and this memorable event belongs to US youth.

If you have yet to do so, please check out the action below and tell Bush what you’re doing for sustainable development while his cronies do what they can to stop progress here.

Thanks for bringing it home.

*tricia*

I have never considered myself an activist in the way that most GreenPeacers use the word. I tend to prefer working within the system and using science and numbers to make my case before thinking about doing anything like an action. However, at the WSSD, it is clear that big business is the only voice that is really getting heard. If we were going to make one final statement, encouraging the adoption of renewable energy, we had to do it with an action. And we did!

The ten foot high scroll, complete with gold knobs and tassels was beautiful, and I was proud to hold it up in the square this morning. As people passed by they all stopped to read the brief but powerful message that we stayed up until 3 am last night, dizzy on marker fumes, to finish inking. At 9:50, as the sun finally crested over the mall and its light fell upon our group and the bright red ribbon and colorful seal on our statement, I looked across the square to see about 50 South African police in bullet proof vests coming towards us. Having overheard a comment a few minutes earlier about getting us some security for our event, I naively thought the police were there to protect us… or just keep anything like a riot from happening should too many people come for the event.

As the first man grabbed Melony by the wrist and started to pull her away, I realized that I had been very mistaken. The police broke through our group and led us off one by one to the opposite end of the square. Though they made us roll up our document, they luckily did not take it away from us. As I was led away from my belongings, I was relieved to see that Maggie and Tricia had been overlooked, for I knew they would take care of things there.

As the police led us away, Kristin was trying to explain that we had permission to be there, straining against the firm grasp a policeman had on her wrist. The head of the police group did not care. He would not listen. She tried calling people to verify for him that we were approved to be there, but did not have all the phone numbers which were back with our stuff. She kept repeating “We have permission to be here! Let me call!” but no one would listen.

As we passed by the Free Tibet demonstrators, they decided to grab them as well and made a closed, linked arm circle around the two groups. While Kristin kept trying to call anyone she could think of and explain that we were legit, GreenPeace people started showing up on the scene, working on things from outside the circle. Though our youth delegation group has been operating somewhat separately from the rest of the GreenPeace group here, they all came down to our rescue. It was a great feeling seeing all the concerned people desperately trying to get us out. (Thank goodness for cell phones.) As I eyed the half a dozen men in riot gear who had joined the circle, and another with huge bullets strapped to his chest, I never felt unsafe for a moment. Everyone remained calm, and tried to make the best of the situation.

We were creating too much of a scene, so the police decided to move us down to the shuttle parking lot. As the circle of police moved forward monolithically, we were forced to walk or be pushed over. When we realized that this thing would not blow over in five minutes, we decided to hold our event inside the police ring. We unrolled the scroll again and regrouped. Speakers, press, and participants entered the circle as we proudly presented our declaration. After the first few signatures had been added to the document, we pulled it aside to allow the Tibetans a moment of press.

Next thing I knew, the police were gone. An official looking woman told us to follow her back to the square where we were left to deal with our emotions. Apparantly a call had been made to the UN that Jon Pronk was about to be arrested and that is what prompted the quick response and dispersal of the police.

I have never before felt my right to free speech so impeded as in the first moments after the police arrived. Though our perfectly choreographed event had been turned into an impromtu, abridged one, when we were through our voice had been heard.

This morning was definitely the climax of the WSSD for me.

We were holding a press event in Sandton Square where US youth were going to sign onto a giant US Youth Plan of Action in the absence of leadership from the US leadership for binding commitments to a renewable energy future. A number of us stayed up until 3am last night to finish this giant, 80-square-foot document that was going to be endorsed by Mr. Jan Pronk (UN Secretary General's Special Envoy).

At 9am, we began setting up for the 10:30am event. We had gotten the proper security clearance from Sandton Square securities as well as BMW, which was sponsoring a big exhibition in the Square. As we were about to do a run-through of the event, about 30 blue-uniformed armed policemen showed up. The next thing I knew, they were shouting commands of "Faata!" (which I later found out meant "take her!") and began arresting us (most of whom are wearing the GP Clean Energy Now orange t-shirts). Kristin tried to explain that we had obtained authorization to hold the event there, but the police chief would not let her call the Sandton security people to confirm.

While one by one, those in the group with orange t-shirts on were being taken off of the premises, Tricia and I were the only ones left at the now deserted site. We had been overlooked because we were dressed in formal wear as speakers of the event.

I felt so indignant that the police could just show up and take people away by force when we had the legitimate and proper authorization to be there on those steps to let our voice be heard. We only wanted to hold a peaceful and positive event to highlight US youth's commitment to a sustainable future.

As Tricia and I stood in the Square feeling upset and helpless, journalists came up to ask us for an explanation for what had just occurred. That's when I knew that I couldn't just stand there feeling helpless, I needed to let people that the youth's voice was being censored. I ran in the direction of where my group had been taken and found that they were being surrounded by armed police in the parking lot. The group agreed that we would still hold the press event, right in the parking lot, in the midst of armed guards and tons of reporters and cameramen by this point.

I then ran back to the Square to find that Mr. Pronk (the UN secretary general Kofi Annan's special envoy to WSSD) had already arrived. I immediately told him what had happened, and when I told him where the youth were, he said, "Take me to them."

He joined the group just as they were about to start the event in the parking lot. The scene was spectacular: Tricia MC-ing the event (where Noah, I, and then Pronk spoke), Kristin talking to the UN security people to clear up the situation..... And all the while, photographers and cameramen were capturing it all. In the end, my indignation had turned into empowerment as the US youth were able to exercise their freedom of expression and to express their commitment to promoting sustainable living in their local communities and on their campuses.

To me, this day has been both physically and emotionally draining; but I believe that the voice of the youth has finally been heard--amidst the watchful eyes of fully armed policemen.

As the US delegation has failed us once again to make binding commitments, targets, and timetables for the uptake of renewable energy, I call on all the youth in the US to join the movement to promote SD in our own local communities. As this WSSD has shown me, it's up to us the youth to make sustainable living a reality!

Maggie

Today we were held down by South African police. MISTAKE!

Technically, the area in Sandton Square where we were is a "public area," not on territory deemed part of the "United Nations World Summit." This meant that in order to occupy an area of Sandton Square, we were supposed to request space from the South African police. Unfortunately, when we went to the United Nations to request space, they did not tell us that the South African police were responsible for Sandton Square, not them. FIRST MISTAKE! Instead, they referred us to the general manager of Sandton Square facilities, who in turn granted us permission to use the space (on the right-hand staircase opposite the BMW Globe installation). SECOND MISTAKE! So, with 'a permission' granted by an official manager, we prepared for our press event, scheduled to commence at 10.30am on the right-hand staircase of Sandton Square. At 9.30am, while beginning a run-through, fifty policemen in bullet-proof vests came out of nowhere and approached us. According to them, someone had called to have us removed from the Square. THIRD MISTAKE! In fact, no one had called, but rather it was South African police protocol to remove any persons occupying "public area" without permission. Permission, the chief of police informed us, had to be presented to the commission 10 days prior, and then a committee had to convene to evaluate the request. According to the police, Sandton Square was supposed to inform us to request the space with the South African police. FOURTH MISTAKE! Clearly, a miscommunication on the part of Sandton Square management and South African police, led us to find ourselves surrounded by 50 policemen, in bullet-proof vests.

Meanwhile, management of the BMW Globe Installation called us up at 9.30am, somewhat irate, demanding why we did not request permission from them! I explained that we had received permission from the Sandton Square management and that we were hosting a press event, not a demonstration of any kind. The BMW manager listened carefully to the description of our event, and realized that he and his company could actually support the goals of our press event. He said Sandton Square management should have called him up, but that the mis-communication would be settled and that we could remain in the square and carry on with our press conference. FIFTH MISTAKE! So, content with two permissions now, we continued preparing, until we were hauled away by South African police.
What ensued were 90 minutes of confusion, mis-communication, defiance on the part of the South African police, and persistence on the part of negotiators from five different countries.

The press event continued, with us surrounded by 50 police, linked arms to trap us within their circle. We had our banner, our pens, and our iron-will, to protect us from being brought down by the S.A police... and more importantly, from mis-communication. The event was a hit, Jan Pronk signed and endorsed our U.S. Youth Plan of Action, and we were released, at the miracle-hands of United Nations top negotiators.

By 11am, were were free again. But I will never forget this day... the day MIS-COMMUNICATION trapped me within the barricade of 50 bullet-proof vest-clad South African police.

As of yesterday, the only text that was left open to negotiation was energy. Like most NGO's, the EU, and Brazil we were pushing for a resolution for 10% renewable energy by 2010 and the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies with 20% going into renewables. The US was in opposition to both of these. To demonstrate our dedication, US youth created a Youth Plan of action to meet or beat Kyoto Protocol Targets and reach 10% renewable energy by 2010.

We made a giant petition and invited Jan Pronk, ex-Dutch Environmental Minister, President of the last Kyoto Conferences, and special envoy to the Secretary of the UN. We reserved space in the mall next to the conference space and cleared it with the management. At 10:00 this morning, during our runthrough 20 south african cops arrived and forcefully grabbed us (and three friends who happen to be wearing greenpeace shirts) and forcefully lead us out the parking lot. Along the way, they grabbed 10 Tibetan freedom activist too because, well, they were there. They ignored us when we told them we had clearance and formed a circle around us as they told us a police bus was on its way.

As Greenpeace people called the media and the UN secretariat, we waited for Jan Pronk. He arrived promply at 10:30 and joined us in the police circle. We went with the press conference and signing as planned, with AP, Reuters and many other news there. Around 11:00 the UN heard that Jan Pronk was in a police circle, and just as the police bus arrived, they came and talked the police into letting us go. Quite a morning.

That is the main news from here. in the end the UN did not agree to any renewable target or a timetable for phasing out subsidies. However, I don't think the conference has been a total failure. I have met so many amazing inspiring people here that I have a renewed faith in the future of this planet and its people. Best wishes to you all, and rest assured I am safe. I need to run to a meeting with the US delegation to ask them about their policies.

Just wanted to check in and let everyone know that our action tomorrow is going to be phenomenal. After a late night of planning we had a Very productive morning full of good people. Abby, Noah, Roberto and I first headed to the hardware store for supplies where the owner insisted on calling us a cab and sat us down for a cup of coffee. when the taxi driver proved unreliable, the owner of the store insisted on driving us to the art supply store. From there, we found directions to a fabric store where the man who was working ordered our requested amount of fabric to have it for us by the time which we specified. We spoke of calling a cab to get to another part of town for more supplies, and he offered a ride as he was headed that way. The people here are wonderful--before, after, and away from business. A couple of nights ago, we were having dinner at a restaurant down the street where Andrea, Melony, Abby, Josh and I struck up conversation with a man and his sister who invited us dancing. Not only did he buy us all flowers, drive us to the dance club and buy us all drinks, he insisted on leaving to take us back to our hostel. The people are absolutely the best part of the city. I miss the fresher air of Kentucky, but I am glad to have had a chance to meet all this goodness.

Tomorrow is a big day for us and we are all busy with scripts, artwork, press releases, and logistics. Not only is Jan Pronk coming, but we have approval to have our action in the middle of Sandton Square! Please keep us in your thoughts and do check out the action following this entry...

PAZ Y VIDA!!!

~tricia

**********PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY TO YOUR NETWORKS************

*** U.S. DELEGATION AT THE WORLD SUMMIT THREATENS THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY! ***

We, the Greenpeace Youth Delegation at the World Summit (WSSD) in Johannesburg, have witnessed the continual undoing of major international agreements by the U.S. delegation.

We are calling upon you to join the U.S Youth here at WSSD to commit to renewable energy solutions. Please sign onto the following letter to President Bush urging the United States to make binding commitments to facilitate the global transition to a path of sustainable development.  Additionally, please also include a brief description of actions you and your organization are taking to support sustainable development.

Please fax/email the signed letter to President Bush at:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20500

F: 1-202-456-2461
T: 1-202-456-1111

E: president@whitehouse.gov

Please note: it will be most effective to follow-up after faxing/emailing the letter with a telephone call to the White House. 

To announce our commitment, we have planned a press event to expose this fact and pledge our commitment to the binding agreements for clean, renewable energy. The U.S. youth press event will be tomorrow, on Tuesday, 3 September, 2002 (10.15am - 11.30am, Sandton Square, Jo'burg) and will include youth from over 20 organizations and college campuses across the country. Jan Pronk, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to the WSSD and former chairman of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations, will endorse the signing of the U.S Youth Action Plan by not only U.S. youth representatives, but also the official U.S. Youth Delegate.

*** HELP U.S. YOUTH AT WSSD TAKE ACTION TO COMMIT TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCES! ***

Sincerely,

The Greenpeace Youth Delegation to WSSD
Andrea Avolio - CA
Kristin Casper - CO
Julian Dautremont-Smith - OR
Nadia del Callejo - CA
Patricia Feeney - AL
Abigail Krich - MA
Melony Lewis - LA
Maggie Loo - NY
Roberto Nutlouis - AZ
Noah Scher - VA
Joshua Tulkin – CA

************************************
Resource Links:
1. Current negotiations at WSSD:
http://archive.greenpeace.org/earthsummit/weblog/
2. Renewable Energy:
http://www.repp.org
http://cleanenergy.org/cleanenergy/
3. Greenpeace Youth Delegation to WSSD:
http://archive.greenpeace.org/earthsummit/student_intro.html
4. SustainUS:
http://www.SustainUS.org
*************************************

September 2nd, 2002

President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush,

We, the youth of the United States of America, call for immediate action from the U.S. delegation at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (W.S.S.D.).  The United States must make binding commitments to facilitate the global transition to a path of sustainable development. 

Specifically, we call on our delegation to make binding commitments to ensure:

*       That the global renewable energy target in paragraph 19e does not include large-scale hydro-electric power, nuclear power, incineration, or unsustainable biomass.  Instead, it must increase the share of clean renewable energy in the world’s energy supply to at least 10% by 2010, specified as a binding outcome from the summit;

*       That fossil fuel subsidies that inhibit sustainable development are phased-out, and that 20% of those phased-out monies be redirected into an international fund for sustainable energy projects in developing countries, and economies in transition (paragraph 19p.bis);

*       That a moratorium is declared on fossil fuel exploration, particularly against exploration on or near land of indigenous peoples and poor communities, as they often bear a disproportionate share of the human and ecological devastation associated with unsustainable energy production operations, and

*       That the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol be supported in paragraph 36.

In addition, we support the creation and empowerment of a global organization that will have powers to enforce sustainable development law, multi-lateral environmental agreements and a sustainable future that cannot be undermined by the WTO.

Sincerely,

THIS ENTRY WAS WRITTEN BY ROBERTO NUTLOUIS:

This summit is an important event because we (Human) have realized the enormous negative impact we have had on our environment. World leaders have recognizes that we only hurt ourselves in the end. The losses of human lives and other living beings are mounting and there seems to be no sign that it would end without governmental intervention.

Indigenous peoples believe that the earth is a living entity and must be respected. Humanity has moved away from this type of mindset to where the land is now viewed as a resource that must be exploited. The elders have said that if it should ever come where human kind begins to create technology that is destructive to our mother her wrath would be unleashed. The wrath of our mother is just now beginning to be revealed through the natural disasters that are occurring.

In the traditional oral stories, coyote or trickster is always present so that progress will not be achieved. At this important event, it is only right to say that United States is the trickster. It is sickening to know this because this is where one of the most severe environmental degradation begins. Climate change is happening and it will affect the entire world. US plays a huge role and responsibility to address it but will sad to say, it will not. It only wants to protect its greed by ensuring that the corporate world continues to plunder the land.

According to the oral traditions of our elders, mankind has to enter a new world to restore balance. I believe that we are entering a new world although the trickster is present to block progress. The youth are here to make sure that the world leaders know that we are concerned about our future. We love our land and we want to keep it that way it was intended to be. Many groups are present here and they are all doing their part at a local level to ensure that sustainable way of living is achieved. A new way of thinking about our land is beginning. Respect and honor to all creation has begun. It the leaders cannot agree on words, the youth will agree in action. We are entering a new world and it will come on its own time. The fulfillment of the “Seventh Generation” prophecy is happening. The youth are rising.

Roberto Nutlouis (Navajo)

I've been quiet in the weblog until now because, just as the other youth have mentioned, I was not sure what purpose I was serving in being here. The frustrations of being blocked from entering the convention center and meetings, getting held up by security for wearing GreenPeace T-shirts, and heightened security making actions difficult to impossible was taking its toll on me. But after a workshop I helped organize yesterday, I feel a new energy rising inside of me and excitement for what we can accomplish in the last few days of the summit.

The workshop was called Solar Schools in Action and was a discussion on how to implement the 10% new renewable energy goal at the local level. We held the workshop at NASREC, the convention center to which all the non-UN-accredited people are relegated. While Sandton is a frenzy of suis pushing political agendas behind closed doors, NASREC is a garden of diversity with a warm, open feeling. Young and old, Africans and Asians, civil society and delegates mix there for solid discussions on the future of their planet and the local actions they can take.

To start the workshop, we had four speakers introduce examples of what is already being done:
It started out with Mlusi Zwane, the principal of Myeka high school, speaking about the solar instalation that has changed the very fabric of education at his school. 55 miles from Durban, the school had no access to electricity until the first solar panels were put in place six years ago. Mlusi felt unable to provide his students with a quality education, as without electricity they were cut off from the technologically 'advancing' world. Thanks to the help of many groups, including the Solar Electric Light Fund, the school now has a photovoltaic/biogas hybrid electrical system. This provides the energy to power their forty computers (with a sattelite internet link), projectors, televisions, printers, and lights. Not only do the students now have light with which to read by at night, they also have access to the largest library in the world. Literacy rates are up thirty percent and graduation rates have just about doubled. Who knew the sun could do so much!

Next was Namosonto, a student at Myeka high school who exemplified the success of this project. Wonderfully bright and bright-eyed, she didn't bat an eye when she said she intends to be an electrical engineer when she is older.

Paul Horsman from GreenPeace spoke about the need for renewable energy at the community level to combat poverty in addition to global climate change.

I spoke about two projects I have worked on. The first was at my school, Cornell University, where I worked with a group of students to put a study together on the feasibility of putting photovoltaics on the residence halls about to be constructed. Though this project has not yet been implemented, I presented examples of fifteen other colleges and universities around the world that have already installed PV on their buildings. This information is all available at http://www.rso.cornell.edu/kyotonow/cleanenergy/solarunis.html

Next I spoke about a project I worked on last summer with Professor Duffy of UMass Lowell, USA. We installed a PV system in a primary school in the Peruvian Andes as a way to increase both educational opportunities for the students and to build the local economy. While half of the electricity produced went to lights and a laptop for the school, the other half went to a battery charging sation. Previously, villagers who could afford it would use a car battery to power a couple lights and a television. When it was drained, they would send the battery down to the city on the bus that came once a week. The busdriver would charge the batteries and bring them back the next week, charging a pretty penny. Now, batteries are brought to the school, filled with clean energy, and money is divided between the school and the village governing body.

Because we wanted the PV system to integrate into the educational program, I put together a set of twenty basic experiments on electricity, magnetism, and photovoltaics. At each of the three schools we visited, I gave the teachers a workshop on how to teach all of the experiments, the supplies they would need, and info packets translated into spanish.

When the speakers were done, Tricia led an amazing discussion wth the four main points:
1) What is clean energy
2) Where do we start?
3) How do we get funding?
4) How do we form a network and what should we do with it?

There were over sixty people in attendance at the workshop, each of them with ideas and dreams about clean energy at their schools. The hour we had to discuss things felt like five minutes, and before I knew it the workshop was over. The main point that kept coming up throughout the discussion had been the lack of information available. We decided that the outcome of the workshop would be an information packet to be distributed to everyone who attended and made available to others who are interested.

I felt so good coming out of the meeting, feeling that I had made some personal connections that could lead to concrete change. I am studying to be an engineer, and I like concrete things that I can wrap my hands around. The political posturing and amorphous negotiations taking place in Sandton have been difficult for me to get passionate about. However small the projects may be that come out of this workshop, it is steps like these that help to spread clean energy around the globe.

Yesterday, Roberto, Nadia, and I participated in a march from Alexandra township, one of the poorest sections of the city, to Sandton, where the summit is being held and also the richest part of the city. This route provided a juxtaposition of rich and poor communities to highlight the growing inequality around the world. The march was organized by several South African social justice organizations. The Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Landless People's Movement were two of the major groups. While I am not sure of the exact number of marchers, I know that there were thousands.

The march was entirely peaceful and the police seemed overdressed with their helicopters, armored personnel carriers, horses, and machine guns. There were no arrests that I know of, and the South African government went so far as to thank the organizers this morning on the radio for such a peaceful march.
Throughout the entire march, the main music was call and response singing and chanting in Zulu, one of 11 official languages. We were taught a few of the songs by our fellow marchers before the day was through, although our pronunciation leaves a lot of room for improvement.

The march was primarily black South Africans, but also had a strong international mix and NGO presence. It was wonderful to finally be surrounded by people who held a holistic radical critique of the Summit and the world. The march provided me with the energy that is so noticeably lacking in the halls and meeting rooms of Sandton. If the official participants of the Summit at one time were excited at the prospect of social and environmental justice and committed to struggle for such goals, it is hard to discern at this point.

When compared with the delegates, the marchers take a different approach to problem solving. Some of the organizations at the march yesterday are those that turn water back on when water supplies are going to be cut off, block electricity companies from shutting off electricity, teach other townships how to do the same, and work for long term solutions to their problems so that they will not have to continue in their current predicament indefinitely.

While the Summit seems to be bogging down and the end compromise will most likely not be anything extraordinary, it was refreshing to be reminded that social change is not in the hands of the delegates to the WSSD. This power is in the hands of the people all over the world and no political compromises will change that. People change the world every day through their struggles, and while it would be nice to see some semblance of movement at the international level, it is not a be all end all. My apologies to those in Sandton; I do value there work. It is just that, while I knew that this conference alone would not solve our problems even if it went extremely well, the march yesterday reminded me that neither will it be our end if the U.S. gets it way and shreds all committments. The march helped me to put the conference in perspective so that while I still think global frameworks and committments are important, I think that these frameworks may end up needing to be cultural. Political frameworks are miserable in their prospects at this point: compromised words and no actions. The conference so far has been a great reminder of why so little has been accomplished since the Earth summit in Rio, and the march yesterday was a great reminder of why things have been accomplished at all.

Talk to you all later, Noah

I was very honored when the International Youth Delegation asked me to present the Youth Statement on Energy before the entire UN and offical delegates this past Wednesday. After three days sitting around a laptop in a cafe near the WSSD conference center with 5 to 15 young people who are incredibly passionate and knowledge but from very divergent backgrounds, we we able to draft a text that was visionary and got straight to the point that all the countries have failed the youth!

Jan Pronk, the same man that chaired the Kyoto negotiations, facilitated the Energy planary. His style was like that of Phil Donahue. He ran around the floor fielding tough questions to get the real story from all of us on the floor. In addition to the youth representation, there was business, labor, women, indigenous peoples, etc.. representing all of the major groups. But Youth dominated the conversation proving that while we are young, we do know what we are talking about! After every comment I made, the strong youth presence in the audience cheered loudly, no one could ignore us!

Trying to be as professional and informed as possible, we focused the state on three points in the "plan of action" that has yet to be adopted. First, we demanded that they governments define clean energy as: wind, solar, wave and tidal, small hydro... youth would not put up with coal being defined as a form of clean energy. Second, we did not want the US delegation to once again undermine international efforts to put Kyoto in force. We made it very clear that the "plan of action" must keep Kyoto in. Finally, we called for the immediate phase-out of dirty energy subsidies and 20% of that money be funneled into a fund for clean renewable energy technology transfere for developing Nations.

Now that our opportunities to speak before the UN are over, the Greenpeace youth delegation, is moving on to Plan B and watching the official US delegation and reporting back to the rest of the world what mischeif they are up to!

August 29, 2002

I feel as though we have been living in the depths of a cloudy bureaucracy ever since my flight landed on the 23rd. The first United Nations event I have participated in, WSSD has shown only small sparkles of sustainable development. The disorganization illustrated in the uncertainties of NGO access was insulting; the narrow representation within the youth caucus is disheartening; and the ability of those with powerful political influence to talk for a quarter of an hour without answering one yes-or-no-question sets me beyond frustration. How did we get here? With amounts of money I cannot begin to comprehend backing selfish, globally degrading agendas that are hidden in a complex web of policy and subsidies, How will we ever achieve ecological stability?

As youth, we can take action at international conferences to pressure delegates, while also gaining knowledge to take home. We can embrace the tangible examples of activism and empowerment. Here are some of the small actions we have taken during our first week in Johannesburg.

The fun started Yesterday. We joined ASEED Japan in a morning demonstration outside the entrance to the main complex of Sandton with signs and singing. As the regulations against demonstrations within the Sandton have greatly limited our options, we have utilized the handy dandy t-shirt as our next tactic. We invoke attention, photographs, and dialogue with slogans such as "Corporate polluters are eating my brain!" and " The Toxic Texan" on a shirt with a picture of President Bush. We also advertise "clean energy now" along with "KYOTO" which five of us spelled out in the front row of an energy meeting with NGO's and members of the US delegation.

After countless meetings to organize statements from the youth caucus, our very own Kristen Casper represented the youth at the multi-stakeholder dialogue for energy. Her statements were the only ones that had the crowd in the plenary session hooping and clapping. She was brilliant and brought a sense of vitality to our delegation.

That vitality certainly influenced my involvement in the Greenpeace Action that took place this morning. Four of us from the youth delegation joined Greenpeace activists at the Dow Chemical Plant about twenty minutes outside of Johannesburg. This was my first action with Greenpeace, and it was the most well organized action of which I have ever been a part. As soon as we pulled up to the gates of the plant at ten this morning and began unfolding the banner, media came running towards us. As we blocked the gates, the idle trucks provided platforms for photographers, and Greenpeace reps discussed the matter calmly with security and reporters.

Directly after the action we were on our way to the press conference with our Congressional leaders. All of us said a bit at the press conference, but Nadia gave the outstanding speech. Kids Against Pollution (also from the US) surprised us all with a song, and left a few of us with water in our eyes.

Afterwards, we had yet more discussion with congressmen and a brainstorming session among ourselves. We will wake up tomorrow to attend the unveiling of a mural that incorporated some of 2 million petitions (all calling for clean renewable energy) into the artwork.

Creativity is in the air, and any you have to offer would be greatly appreciated. Also, let us know what you are curious about … there is so much to tell.

Peace.
~ tricia

August 29, 2002

Who would have thought that Greenpeace and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development would make a joint statement to call for concrete action and leadership from national governments (especially the US) to address climate change and to put into force the Kyoto Protocol? Well, maybe I.

Believe it or not, it happened last night! The two groups sat down in front a packed auditorium (with audience and press overflowing into the outside lobby of the IUCN building) and delivered the truly historic statement. To me, last night was extremely inspiring to my personal passion: making a business case to corporations that becoming sustainable in their business practices today will not only make them socially and environmentally responsible, it will help these first-movers become more competitive.

I have always held the belief that business and environmentalists need not be antagonistic. Joburg has really reaffirmed my beliefs.

On Tuesday, August 27, 2002, I attended a Dialogue Event sponsored by the Young Managers’ Team of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development as a representative of the Greenpeace Youth Delegation, along with Andrea Avolio (also from the Greenpeace Youth Delegation). Even before Andrea and I arrived in Johannesburg, we held a conference call to prepare for this event to make sure that something concrete came out of this event. We didn’t want it to be just another forum for businesses to talk the walk, but not really walk the walk. But as this week has shown me, businesses have begun walking the walk; it’s the US government that has failed to show the leadership in our efforts to achieve a sustainable future.

Let me tell you a little bit more about the Dialogue Event. The Young Managers’ Team is consisted of young managers from about thirty member companies of the WBCSD, assembled (as far as I can tell) for the purpose of this Summit. The idea of the dialogue event was to create a forum for these young professionals to interface with the youth from various NGOs and government delegations. After an initial introductory presentation, the group of about 60 participants broke out into four discussion groups: Sustainable Development in the Context of Globalization; Corporate Social Responsibility; Corporate Accountability; and Capacity Building.

I arrived in my discussion group on Globalization to find an extremely diverse set of young managers, students, and young representatives of various NGOs. The moderator, a young manager from Interface, Inc., asked each of us to introduce ourselves and to include how each of us came to become interested in the issue of sustainable development. People’s responses were quite interesting in that most people attributed their passion to either the influence of family members or that of media.

For some, the inextricable link between humans and our environment was demonstrated when a young ant was accidentally crushed or when images of the Ethiopian famine appeared on the television set. For me, the TV image of the ozone hole more than a decade ago first demonstrated to me the incredible power of humankind to change the environment. This power was first manifested to me by ozone depletion, and today I strongly believe that anthropogenic climate change is the greatest threat facing our civilization, disproportionately affecting those that have had the least hand in creating the problem in the first place.

After the introductions, the discussion group launched into an envisioning session in which we put forth what we would like to see by 2012, Joburg plus ten. The discussions were very fruitful and could have continued for hours had we had more time. I then had the pleasure of bringing our discussions back to the full group as one of the panelists. I shared with the entire audience our visions of full corporate social and environmental accountability and responsibility; proportionate and meaningful representation and participation by groups currently marginalized at the negotiating table such as youth and indigenous peoples; and governmental and intergovernmental leadership to achieve sustainable living.

Representatives from the other discussion groups also summarized the discussions from their respective groups. If my discussion group was indicative of the others, I must say that these dialogues were extremely inspiring and encouraging, especially to myself, who believes in the potential of the business sector to be the catalyst for positive change.

After the presentations of the discussion summaries, the other two panelists Bjorn Stigson, president of WBCSD, and Miguel, the director of corporate strategy of IUCN, the World Conservation Union also spoke of the important role of youth in business in innovating the business sector for companies to be responsible stewards of the earth. Youth in the audience and on the panel then challenged Bjorn and Miguel to make a commitment to support forums of this sort in order to continue the beneficial dialogue between young professionals that will become the future business leaders and youth within the NGO sector. Personally, this was a tremendous breakthrough. Bjorn and Miguel were also very encouraging of my mission to create change within the business sector through my job as a business analyst at a major consulting company.

And then Bjorn mentioned that Greenpeace and the WBCSD were going to hold a joint press conference. Not having heard any news of such an event, my first instinct was that such joint action between these two “archrivals” was unlikely.

I guess I should not have been that surprised. If Greenpeace was going to include a consultant on its youth delegation, it certainly should not be beyond the realm of possibility that GP would join forces with the WBCSD to show their frustration about the lack of leadership shown in addressing climate change. Afterall, all things are possible. And I’m hopeful that concrete and binding frameworks for achieving sustainability will come out of Joburg. If you think I’m just a young idealist, so be it because even Jan Pronk admitted to having a bit of idealism left in him in the energy plenary session. And I certainly don’t mind being likened to Mr. Pronk.