African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC)
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African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC)
The AYICC incoming 2006-2008 Steering Committee
Email: info@ayicc.org
Web Site: http://www.ayicc.org/
Representatives by Region:
Eastern African Representatives:
Rachel Nampinga (Ecowatch-Uganda, Uganda)
David Bwakali (YEN-Kenya, Kenya)
Email: easternreps@ayicc.org
Northern African Representatives:
Dalia Mohammed Ahmed (Sudanese Environment Conservation Society, Sudan)
Email: northernreps@ayicc.org
Western African Representatives:
Excellence Uso (Young Peoples Initiative, Nigeria)
Sena Alouka (Jeunes Volontaires Pour L'Environement, Togo)
Email: westernreps@ayicc.org
Southern African Representatives:
Ingrid Koch (AYICC Founding Committee Member and COY2 Organizing Committee Member, South Africa)
Kogi Iyer (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa)
Email: southernreps@ayicc.org
Central African Representatives:
Email: centralreps@ayicc.org
Description
Discussions between African and francophone youth delegates at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Montreal, agreed to establish a francophone and African youth network on Climate Change. The organization addresses the bigger picture of climate change by appreciating its links with sustainable development. In this regard, AYICC links climate change and poverty reduction targets, especially in terms of utilizing appropriate and ecologically sustainable strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The organization’s mission is to ensure active youth participation at all institutional levels as well as influence the adoption of climate-friendly behavioural changes at the community level by developing skills and building knowledge. Similarly, AYICC envisions an African continent with an empowered and united youth movement, proactively involved in the decision making process and the adoption of sustainable options towards a better climate and social equity.
AYICC’s goal is to build capacity and strong partnerships among African youth to enable them understand the urgency of the situation and take action against the impacts of climate change for both present and future generations. This will be accomplished through participation in the negotiation and implementation of adequate strategies at all institutional levels including strategies at the grassroots level that showcase youth-led initiatives against climate change.
It aims at achieving the following objectives: to build links between African youth working on climate change, adaptation and development issues; to educate African and other youth on international policy development; to promote the exchange of intergenerational and intra-generational knowledge on the international climate change regime; to promote youth lead initiatives for solutions to climate change; to provide a support network to aid in the pursuit of permanent representation for African youth; and, to build on the momentum established at COPs 10 and 11 to further engage youth in the international process.
To achieve these objectives, AYICC carries out activities under three major programs: network and partnership development; communication tools; and, schools and universities initiatives.
The organization has a General Assembly. Each active member of the GA has one vote. Its duties are to approve steering committees action plans, elect steering committee members and discuss relevant issues. The Steering Committee consists of two delegates from each of the 6 African regions (North, East, West, Central, South and Island). They have a two year term. The Advisory Board includes existing coordinating committee members, as well as representatives from NGOs, government, other youth networks and organizations. The national Council has one representative selected from and by each nation. An umbrella organization is selected by the Steering Committee for a two year period to provide assistance during AYICC development stage.
The partners of AYICC include Greenpeace. Its main donors are Greenpeace and Solar Generation.
Track Record
African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) represents a start of the climate action movement on the African continent. This coalition will mobilise African youth organizations and youth oriented organizations working on climate change issues to optimise their actions.
Challenges
The planning committee members serve as volunteers but the organization needs to be financially stable to build institutional capacity. There is relatively limited awareness in Africa on climate change. As a result, people are unable to link climate change on African communities, economies and peoples to international discussions and policy development. This presents a challenge for AYICC to raise sufficient awareness to mobilize action on climate change in Africa. The limited participation of youth in decision-making presents a challenge of influencing policies on climate change sufficiently.
Opportunities
The activities of AYICC present an opportunity for donors to support the engagement of youth in climate change issues in Africa.
