Between April 5-16, 2021, we will be joining youth from across the world for two weeks of learning, storytelling, connecting and momentum building ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
At Youth4Nature we know that conservation is a complex topic. It carries a history of violence against Indigenous and local communities - from land grabbing to forced relocation to the criminalization and deaths of land defenders - with these injustices still taking place today. We are concerned that international conservation goals - like the 30x30 targets - have the potential to perpetuate these same injustices, if input from on-the-ground experts is not considered carefully.
Simultaneously, we know that conservation efforts are some of the best methods for protecting critical carbon sinks, water ways, and biodiversity hotspots (as well as food systems, livelihoods, cultures, languages and more!) from the impacts of extraction, exploitation, and development. Today, we look all around and see the incredible efforts of Indigenous, Afro-decedent, and local communities leading us towards new frameworks of conservation, rooted in practices that have survived across generations and centuries. We look around us and see global solidarity building for land rights movements, backed by the science that tells us again and again that some of the most important biodiversity areas on earth are closest to, and protected by, Indigenous and local communities. We look around and see youth approaching conservation with this holistic, system-thinking lens - a tool to support people and nature, to address climate change, and more.
These are the thoughts and motivations that bring us to the IUCN One Nature, One Future Global Youth Summit. As Youth4Nature, we step into the upcoming two weeks ready to call out outdated and unjust practices and ways of working, ready to highlight the success stories we see unfolding around the world, ready to meet and learn alongside those who have historically been snubbed from conservation conversations. As we have done before, we are ready to demand ambitious action from global leaders, backed by science and community knowledge, and rooted in intergenerational, intersectional justice.
And we would love for you to join us!
At the IUCN Global Youth Summit, Youth4Nature will be hosting three events:
Nature-based Solutions for people, for nature and for justice
April 6, 2021 from 15:00-17:00 UTC
This event will focus on the rights and injustices of local and Indigenous communities, their essential role in the protection of nature, and how they are addressing climate change. We will welcome youth speakers from three different corners of the globe to share the solutions being used in their regions so that nature and people can thrive together.
Session participants will have the opportunity to learn about real world examples of grassroots action from Indigenous and local communities and how international solidarity can support these efforts.
Register to join us: https://www.iucnyouthsummit.org/
Nature, Climate & Youth Engagement within the Private Sector
April 7, 2021 from 13:00-15:00 UTC
This intergenerational event will bring together expert speakers from NGOs, global governance, multinational corporations, environmental consultancy firms, and other fields to focus on the private sector’s engagement with nature through supply chains and externalities, as well as opportunities for improvement and youth engagement. The event will have a global, intergenerational focus, with voices from various UN global regions.
We seek to bring to the table stakeholders who do not usually have the opportunity to discuss and share their knowledge, reflections and actions, as a way to move forward on environmental and social justice topics. Participants will leave with an understanding of the solutions that private sector actors and stakeholders, especially youth, have at their disposal to advance solutions for climate and biodiversity.
Whether you are able to join us at this session or not, we invite you to fill in this survey about the private sector ahead of the event!
Register to join us: https://www.iucnyouthsummit.org/
Nature-based Solutions or Nature-based Excuses?
April 15, 2021 from 15:00-17:00 UTC
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are becoming an increasingly contested issue in several policy fora. While many governments, businesses and even big NGOs in the climate space are pushing for swift global implementation and are praising NbS as an important response to climate change, many grassroot NGOs, Indigenous and local communities as well as an increasing number of young people are concerned that some projects implemented as NbS schemes could post serious risks to ecosystems and species and perpetuate business as usual approaches or even greenwashing, leading to delayed decarbonization.
The lack of a universally agreed definition of NbS as well as concerns about human rights and missing biodiversity safeguards are gaining traction, particularly in the biodiversity space.
Through this event we hope to bring more clarity to the discussion about NbS, build a better common understanding and discuss how it can be used as a tool to engage other actors.
Register to join us: https://www.iucnyouthsummit.org/