First World Youth Sustainability Summit

The international initiative “youthinkgreen - jugend denkt um.welt" organises the 1st World Youth Sustainability Summit in Berlin between the 10th and 20th May 2013. The international educational youth initiative is under the patronage of the Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Christiana Figueres as well as the former President of the European Parliament, MEP Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering. The members of the youthinkgreen movement currently numbers 220 youth from 10 countries. Together they campaign against the climate change and for the environment as well as more sustainable ways of living. 

 

The 1st World Youth Sustainability Summit will revolve around the evocative theme of “Youth and Sustainability in Everyday Life - Challenge, Reflect on and Develop New Global Ways of Living” seen as a great, worldwide challenge and collective task. More than 150 young people from industrialised, emerging and developing countries will come to Berlin to participate in the conference, along with top-class speakers from the scientific, cultural, economic, political and media world to analyse, question and develop the topic through speeches, discussions as well as various workshops. 

The objective is to draft a common, activity-oriented position paper in which the young people from the whole world will develop collective suggestions, impulses and demands for a more responsible future by which they will stand. 

Which lifestyle do I support for today – tomorrow – the future?

Fundamental questions are raised everyday about all kinds of aspects of our social existence throughout the world: how can the individual live, how does s/he orient her/himself? What are the responsibilities of politics, economy and civil society in the organisation of a humane life? Where lie the limits of individual freedoms? Doesn’t the wish for a future socially and ecologically secured belong to the catalogue of human rights? 

youthinkgreen calls for an “open competition” and with this invites young people, who would like to enrich the 1st World Youth Sustainability Summit with their personal experiences, to get involved in dialogs among one another and design common solutions. 

Formal conditions/requirements

The participants must meet the following formal requirements to apply:

- be aged between 15 and 20,

- possess basic knowledge on the fields sustainability and environmental policies,

- have a good command of English (the language of the conference will be English, simultaneous interpretation between English and German will be offered),

- be in good and healthy physical condition for the length of the stay,

- be in possession of a valid passport.

Both applications from individuals and groups are possible. However, in the case of group application, only the representatives of the group can be invited. 

Application procedure

To participate, the applicant must provide the following documents:

1. Résumé including personal information and annotation on the education as well as extracurricular activities

2. Cover letter (1-2 pages): state and explain your reasons for applying to take part in the Summit.

3. Topic-specific key points of your application: select one or more submission possibility that you would like to use to present yourself:

a. Presentation of a distinct, exemplary sustainable project (see youthinkgreen website – Summit 2013 – Project Presentation youthinkgreen – jugend denkt um.welt (PDF))

b. Position report on the topic “Youth and Sustainability in Everyday Life - Challenge, Reflect on and Develop New Global Ways of Living” in the form of: a comprehensive experience report, interviews, structural model, wish list, a contribution video (at least 10 minutes), cartoons, a caricature, a drawing or a comic strip. Research and question the ways of living in industrial, emerging and developing countries. Take the position of a world citizen and try to develop ways of living that would fairly address the big challenges of our time related to the topics “climate change and sustainable development”. Draw on the postulates sustainable mobility, sustainable consumption and sustainable use of energies and resources. To do so, you can base your reflection on the basic existential functions: live, work, support oneself (food, clothing etc.), educate oneself, get well, procreate, live collectively, recycle, contribute to commerce and get involved in communication.

c. Draft a concept “Environmental school: school of the future”. Describe the stepping-stones of your environmental school and create a model out of it.

d. Presentation of a script (idea, treatment, storyboard) for an environment-oriented advertisement (see http://www.youthinkgreen.org/project-news/).

e. Performance of songs that you composed on the topics sustainability and/or climate change.

Please send your submission in electronic format at: info@youthinkgreen.org

Selection procedure/financing

The winners will be selected on the basis of their submission by the jury of the project, composed of experts in sustainable education and who are invited to come to the summit in Berlin. The conference and tours programme, accommodation, catering along with the travelling expenses during the ten-days stay in Berlin are free of charge. In justified cases, travel and visa expenses can be subsidised. 

Closing date for applications

The closing date for applications is February 28th 2013.

For more information go to: http://www.youthinkgreen.org/1st-world-youth-sustainability-summit-2013/

For contact and questions: info@youthinkgreen.org

Summer Academy Challenges of Sustainable Development in Poland 2013

Sendzimir Foundation invites students and professionals interested in sustainable development to apply for the XVI Summer Academy Challenges of Sustainable Development in Poland 2013. The course, held entirely in English, consists of two phases: an e-learning phase (March-June) and the 3-week long Summer Academy that takes place on 7-27 July in Torun, central Poland. Participation in the e-learning phase is open to applicants from anywhere in the world. Participation in the Summer Academy will be open to selected participants that proved the best alumni of the e-learning course and are residents of Central Eastern Europe and Baltic Sea Basin region. Participation in both the e-learning and the Academy is free of charge (Sendzimir Foundation covers all the related costs except travel to Torun).

Three-week Summer Academy the Challenges of Sustainable Development is one of the most important educational events connected to sustainability in Poland. More than 410 people took part in it since 1998. Since the 12th edition we accept also participants from abroad. The Academy enjoys growing interest from participants from different countries - In 2012 around 400 people applied to take part in it. The competition is high but those who do get accepted praise the high standard of the training.

Who can take part in the course?

The course is addressed to students and PhD students, researchers as well as representatives of the business, administration and NGO-sector from the Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea Region. Students represent different areas and specialties, especially they were: nature protection and environmental engineering, architecture, management, economic sciences, agriculture, biology, ecology, arts, history, journalism. We encourage participants from all over the world to apply for the e-learning phase, however only applicants from Europe will be considered eligible to participate in the Academy. This is due to the local focus of the practical component of the training and excessive carbon footprint caused by long-distance travels. If you feel your case needs exceptional, please write us an e-mail before the end of the second stage of the e-learning course.

The additional criteria taken into account will be:

• fluency in English,
• country of the applicant (approximately 60% of participants will be from Poland, from other CEE and Baltic countries we will accept up to 3 participants from a certain country taking into consideration the number of application from a given country). Please note: due to excessive carbon footprint generated by long-distance travels participants from countries outside Europe will not be admitted to participate in the Academy. 
• specialization (the course has an interdisciplinary character and we try to create a diverse group of participants to share knowledge and experience in their fields).

How can I take part in this course?

If you want to take part in 16th edition of our Summer Academy or the e-learning alone, you should send an application form, that is available on our website. The applications will be received between 11th of February and 4th of March 2013. 

An integral element of the recruitment process for the Academy is a two-step e-learning course that we will provide from 9th March 2013. Those who do not complete it will not be eligible to take part in the Academy, however you may decide to participate in the e-learning stage alone, without applying for the Academy. If that should be the case, please indicate it in the application form.

What is the subject of the course?

Sustainable development: explanation of the concept, theory from different perspectives and practical workshops and projects. The course includes also additional activities which integrates the group such as dance classes or hiking.

 

What can I expect from this course?

The Academy programme includes: lectures, debates, workshops, simulation games, country activities and practical projects in the domain of sustainable development. Guided by experienced instructors from Poland and abroad, the participants work on two important practical projects. First concentrates on the implementation of sustainable development principles into the municipality; the other into the companies or institutions.

Read more about the application process here.

"Way Home": Volunteering in a New Ecovillage near Kiev, Ukraine

We are a group of sustainability enthusiasts from Kiev, Ukraine. We're starting an ecovillage near Yushky, Kiev region.  This year we are going to build our first, common house, which will become the community center later.

We are looking for volunteers to share the joy and help us with the construction.

The first leg of construction started on 28 April 2012. The construction will go on until October. The ecovillage is only 1h on a bus from Kiev, so you may come for any period of time you feel like.

We offer vegetarian food three times a day. Living in tents on the building site or in a local club building 4km away whichever you prefer (you will have to take a sleeping bag and a rug with you anyway). Nice, cheerful people. There is mobile network coverage on the building site. The toilet is outside. Shower water is heated by the sun.

Expect to work 6 hours a day. In spare time we will practice various crafts including pottery, woodcutting, wickerwork, macrame. During the main work you will receive a hands-on experience of building with local materials.

We have place for sleeping in our club building in Kiev. So you may come earlier and spend some time in Kiev and getting more acquainted with us.

The ecovillage will be situated in a beautiful draw. There is a stream, a forest, a beaver dam. A forest reserve is situated 2km from the building site.

No alcohol or any other drugs are allowed on the building site.

If you are interested please fill in this form: goo.gl/1rIUl

We will reach you via email with further details.

~Club for applied ecology.~

http://hatabobriv.org.ua

bthechangeu12c@gmail.com