Project background
Tackling climate crisis comes as a priority for Eastern European Green youth, as shown by the outputs of the Strategic Planning Meeting 2020 of CDN and not without a cause. Contrary to popular perception, Eastern Europe faces significant threats from climate change, with a number of the most serious risks already in evidence. The climate is changing, and the Eastern European region is vulnerable to the consequences, as many other places on Earth. This issue is local and global at the same time. Many of the region’s countries are facing warmer temperatures, a changing humidity, and more extreme weather conditions, droughts, floods, heat waves, wind storms, and forest fires. As it is the case worldwide, climate crisis is disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, forcing them into climate migrations, deteriorating the work conditions and constantly changing the job and economic markets, creating a hostile environment for these groups. Vulnerability over the next 10 to 20 years is likely to be dominated by these socio-economic factors and legacy issues. Nevertheless, even countries and sectors that stand to benefit from climate change are poorly positioned to do so, while the next decade offers a window of opportunity for these actors in EE countries to make their development more resilient to climate change while reaping numerous co-benefits. We have seen efforts and changes being implemented in Eastern European countries – participations in the international climate movement Fridays for Future and the rise of local climate activism. However, the steps taken currently are not nearly enough for sustaining the life on this planet as we know it and in order to lead a sustainable change, a push for systemic change and mobilisation of Eastern European Climate Resistance movements is undeniably a regional priority. Only by practicing grassroot, youth, informed mobilisation on climate issues we will be able to build resilient, just and Green Eastern Europe, where the human rights and the environment are respected.
To achieve this, our project aims to equip the young people from the Eastern Europe with better understanding of climate crisis and skills for mobilising the youth around the issue, in order to empower them to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.
This will be done by reaching the following objectives:
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- Equip young people from the Eastern Europe with better understanding of climate crisis;
- Empower young people from the Eastern Europe to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.
Project summary:
The project will incorporate two phases: an Eastern European Climate Summer Camp which will be followed by Local, Regional and Cross-Country Actions across Eastern European countries. Both activities aim to bring a greater understanding and mobilisation on topics of climate rights and the climate crisis, as well as expand on the long term consequences of the climate crisis. These activities will help raise awareness among young people from the Eastern Europe on the importance of addressing the issues and actively campaigning for change.
1st phase – Eastern European Climate Summer Camp
The first event of the Work plan is a nine days long Summer Camp with the aim to equip the young people from the Eastern Europe with better understanding of climate crisis and skills for mobilising the youth around the issue. This will be achieved by reaching the following objectives:
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- Equip the participants with the knowledge on climate crisis, its history and outcomes;
- Explore the causes and effects of the climate crisis on the Eastern European level;
- Empower the participants to fight for better climate, in order to sustain the society, culture and the world we live in;
- Equipping the participants with skills and tools for mobilising around climate crisis.
Date: 5-11 June 2023
Location: Montenegro
Call for Participants (coming soon)
2nd phase – Eastern European Climate Campaigns
The second phase of the work plan is the direct outcome of the first phase – participants will apply in organising local, cross regional or regional (maximum 4 countries) activities in order to kickstart context-specific discussions and campaigns on climate activism. The aim of this activity will be to empower young people from the Eastern Europe to bring the systemic change in their local communities and regions. This will be achieved by reaching the following objectives:
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- To provide the participants with an opportunity to practically apply gained knowledge;
- To provide the participants with an opportunity to influence relevant stakeholders and climate crisis related processes across Eastern European countries;
- To showcase different practices of fighting for climate in countries of the Eastern Europe with different levels of shrinking space for the civil society.
Funding will be provided for Climate Campaign related activities for participants from 10 countries throughout a 4 month period of preparation, implementation and reporting. In this period, campaign organisers will create an activity which will contribute to project aims and build the capacity of organisations in implementing local and regional events.
Date: September-November 2023
Duration: Optional
Location: Participating countries
Methodology
The program of the International Activityies will be based on the principles of non-formal education and intercultural learning. We strive for active, inclusive and direct communication and transfer and sharing of knowledge. Sessions of the International Activityies will be balanced between theoretical inputs, training, workshops, discussions, reflection, planning, brainstorming and other interactive methods of learning.
*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo