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The UNEP Tunza Global Youth Retreat was held from 16 – 18 February in Nairobi. Bringing together over 40 youth environmental leaders from around the world, the event focused on ensuring youth input into the Global Civil Society Forum and Governing Council negotiations.

Participants received a comprehensive briefing on UNEP and its activities for young people, and discussed the recent partnership with Bayer, who now sponsors the UNEP youth programme. Capacity building workshops on media, fundraising, lobbying and youth engagement were run by UNEP’s own Tunza Youth Advisors, who also lead lively discussions around young people and their respective national experiences with implementing the MDGs. Meetings were also held with Regional Directors, which resulted in the development of new regional plans of action. Most importantly, Global Youth Retreat participants helped further shape youth input into the Global Civil Society Forum and Governing Council. The Youth Statement was distributed to governments prior to the meeting, with two resentations by young people occurring during the Global Civil Society Forum. The presentations strongly supported strengthening the institutional structure for international environmental governance through universal membership and mandatory contributions to UNEP (as opposed to the solicitation of corporate sponsorship) with a long-term goal of establishing a World Environmental Organisation. They also supported a binding international instrument regulating the production and usage of dangerous chemicals, and further development of UNEP engagement processes of young people to ensure full and effective participation in its decision-making.

The UNEP Global Youth Retreat started today. There are over 40 of us youth- about half of them I know or have communicated with, they are all very inspiring.

I’m at the library at the UNEP & UNDP headquarters in Nairobi- the UN headquarters here is so different than in New York or Vienna. There are waterfalls, ponds with fish and the best part is that the halls don’t have walls so you can look out on the beautiful landscape. The atmosphere is much more relaxed, there are people having naps on the lawn and others walking around without shoes! Everyone is busy getting ready for the Global Civil Society Forum this weekend and the Governing Council next week.

We are staying in the rural outskirts of Kenya- it’s surrounded by forests and wildlife. I saw the president of Kenya’s house today!

We’re going to a restaurant by the name of Carnivore tonight, it’s hard being a vegetarian in Africa!

Today I leave for Nairobi, Kenya. I am representing Canadian youth at the UNEP Global Youth Retreat, the Canadian Youth Environmental Network at the Global Civil Society Forum and I’m the youth rep on the Canadian Delegation to the 23rd session of the UNEP Governing council.

This is the most sobering/depressing article I have ever read.
Please read and send along.

My friend is involved in this small local tourism project in Guatemals called Quetzaltrekkers it’s a non-profit organization – and all their profits go to this school for street kids in the local area.