The following is a guest post by Nicolò Wojewoda, Director of Road to
Rio+20, a coalition of organizations weaving together a global
youth-led movement towards the Earth Summit 2012.
###
There
are two clear reasons for young people worldwide to drop all plans in the
remaining months until the summer break, and organize a MyCity+20 event.
As
other Model UN simulations, it’s a full educational experience by itself. You learn
about global issues through preparatory research, you develop writing, public
speaking, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution, leadership
and cooperation skills. It’s fun.
And it makes for excellent extra-curricular activity, complementing what you
learned in the classroom.
But
if that was all there was to it, we wouldn’t be shouting from the rooftops how
crucial organizing such an event is for the future of your community (or, for
that matter, the world). There are already numerous excellent Model UN events
and networks that do wonders for your CV and professional development
trajectory.
MyCity+20 is about more than that. The
outcome of the simulation is only part of the picture. When you finish your
discussions, when you draft your final declaration, and when you take your
country delegate hat off, you realize something: the simulation is just the
start – action needs to follow.
And
here’s where reality comes into play. Despite being touted by the UN
Secretary-General as one of the most important conferences in the history of
the United Nations, Rio+20 is now flying completely under the radar.
Few governments (if any) are making commitments in policy and funding that
match the current challenges of an unsustainable world and its multiple
multi-faceted crises. Most people around the world don't even know what the
summit or its themes are, due to the notable absence of discussions around it
in schools, universities, and mainstream media channels (aside from the
occasional mention in the environmental column).
There’s
an incredible potential for young generations to take on a leadership role and
address these issues, in international negotiations, and in communities around
the world. Road
to Rio+20 is weaving together such a global youth-led movement, with
its 90+
organizations and their combined outreach to millions of people on
all continents (and yes, even in Antarctica!). Since 2010, we’ve been
mobilizing youth to make their voice heard and to take
action – pushing world leaders in all sectors to play their role in
the development of a more sustainable world, and creating that world ourselves.
MyCity+20
joins the Rio+YOU
campaign as the key initiatives that the coalition is supporting in the lead up
to the summit. We’re encouraging and empowering young people to organize events,
share stories,
grow a global online conversation, educate
each other, become more entrepreneurial,
and become advocates
of the future
they want.
On
April 22, Earth Day, we’ll take the next step in our journey by Mobilizing the Earth towards Rio+20. Our hope
is to see MyCity+20 events spread like wildfire all over the world, in quickly
growing numbers from that day of mobilization. Our belief is that these events
can shift the conversation we’re having in our communities, and build solid
plans of action, led by youth, on how to transition those communities towards a
sustainable future.
So
next time somebody asks you “why another
Model UN?”, remind them that yours is not just a simulation, but more of a simul-action. And that when the outcome
of the event is finalized, and all roles have been successfully played, that’s
when the work really begins.
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