Report: One Day Climate Change Capacity Building Training Workshop on Global Work Party

YOUTH VISION ALLIANCE NETWORK

10/10/10 Global Work Party Report of the One Day Climate Change Capacity Building

Training Workshop for Senior Secondary School Students in Lagos State

Venue: Lagos African Church Grammar School, Ifako – Ijaiye

7th October, 2010

Proudly Supported by: Partners:

Lagos State Ministry of the Environment AND

Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi Member, Lagos House of Assembly

BACKGROUND OF YOUTH VISION ALLIANCE NETWORK (YVAN) INVOLVEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE: Youth Vision Alliance Network is a youth-led initiative that was founded in July 2009 based on the premises that youths have important roles to play in the social development and environmental sustainability of their communities. Hence, YVAN projects focuses on inspiring, empowering, equipping and training youths with sustainable leadership skills which can be translated to social actions for change towards a sustainable future.

In 2009, Youth Vision Alliance Network partnered with the Sustainable Market Foundations -350.org; a global climate grassroots movement calling for climate action. 350.org mobilised other grassroots organisations in 140 countries across the globe (including YVAN in Nigeria) to organise what CNN called “the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.” On the historic day, YVAN organised a football

competition for youths that lasted 350 minutes (which stands for the symbolic 350ppm that our planet needs to survive global climate disaster). This year YVAN partner 350.org’s 10/10/10 (10th October 2010) Global Work Party campaign (the objectives of this year’s campaign is to mobilise thousands of communities across the globe to take actions about climate change which could come in form of retrofitting homes, planting gardens, creating awareness, organising capacity building workshops, demanding politicians take proactive steps towards climate solutions and getting back to work to save the earth before it is too late) to organise a one day climate change capacity building training workshop for 100 senior secondary school students from 10 schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. The goal of the training workshop is: To enlighten and educate youths in senior secondary schools about the effects of

climate change; Build and empower participants to take initiative towards climate change actions

that will benefit their communities and challenge their political leaders to ‘get back to work’; and

Teach participants sustainable lifestyle to become role model for others.

PRE-WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: Emails were sent to youth networks within Nigeria, Africa and around the world to

intimate them about the workshop and inspire others to act in their local communities.

Local and National media houses were invited to the workshop

WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: YVAN Programme Coordinator, Abiodun Odunuga and anchor, Ogbenna Onyekachi Dianna (YVAN, Internal & External Communications Coordinator) set the tone for the training by welcoming participating schools to the venue and asking participants to give a brief insight into their individual understanding of climate change phenomenon, while Zaid Shopeju, YVAN Executive Director, briefly introduced YVAN and 350.org vision and mission statement to the participants. 1ST PRESENTATION: WHAT IS 350PPM?

The first presentation made by Zaid Shopeju focuses on the symbolic meaning of the 350ppm (part per million) Science, the 350 global climate grassroots movements, WHAT HAPPENED IN 2009 and 2010: TIME TO GET TO WORK. He related the presentation to the currently ocean surge in Lagos State and the state government effort to mitigate against the incessant ocean sea level rise in the state through the “Eko Atlantis Project” which is

targeted at building a seashore barriers around the state. The presentation was interactive as participants were given opportunity to ask questions and answers were given to clarify misconception about climate change. 2ND PRESENTATION: LIVING A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE: A Guide to Climate Youth Activism

The Honourable Commissioner of Lagos State Ministry of the Environment; Dr. Muiz Banire was ably represented by Ms. Temitope Bello (Climate Change Department) to teach participants sustainable lifestyle. The presentation concentrated on five (5) basic areas – Waste/Refuse, Water Conservation, Transportation/Pollution, Beautification/Greening and Energy. She outlined action plans individual could take in reducing personal emissions e.g.: Stop burning of woods, refuse, plastics etc. Service vehicles regularly Avoid driving all the time Using energy saving bulbs Limit use of air conditioning as this creates a lot of greenhouse gases Unplug chargers when not in use Preserve forests and oceans

Ms. Bello concluded by saying our activities is like seeds sown into the environment, whatever you sow you reap. Sow sustainable lifestyles and reap a sustainable environment

for us and future generations. Participants were encouraged to ask questions after the presentation. 3RD PRESENTATION: PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Youth Taking Action on Climate Change YVAN’s Chief Operating Officer, Ademola Akinyemi was at hand to empower participants with the basic principles of project management. The presentation highlighted the 6 stages of project management: Define a problem – Make sure you set

SMART goals Develop solutions to your problem Plan the project Execute the plan Monitor and control the process Close the project

Ademola further stressed the need for the participants to master the act of project management because this will serve them in the process of planning, executing and implementing change projects that will benefit their local communities. In summing it up, Ademola told participants only to promise what they can realistically deliver and not to create deadlines that they know they cannot meet. By only promising what they can do, they will be able to finish on time. REAL-TIME ONLINE TV STREAMING OF THE WORKSHOP: Stephen Oguntoyinbo; a renowned youth advocate, media expert and the founder of Talk

Village International provided real-time streaming platform for the purpose of telecasting the workshop to world audience. This wonderful media tool help people around the world watch live the first youth climate change capacity building training workshop in Lagos, Nigeria. This media platform added to the fun and made the participants more responsive to the training workshop.

REAL-TIME ONLINE TV INTERVIEWS AND DISCUSION FORUM:

Stephen conducted series of interviews after the workshop for participants focusing on what has been learnt and how they plan to interpret it into local actions.

The YVAN crew comprising of the Executives were also interviewed and given the platform to provide answers to questions posed such as: What action will you take if you were

made the Minister of Environment and works?

Suggest ways to combat the present Climate crises the world is presently facing?

How will you judge the success of the last COP (Conference of the Parties) in Copenhagen, Denmark?

What actions will you take to galvanize support towards Climate Actions if you were the UN Secretary General?

The above questions and so many others did the YVAN Executives gave live and witty answers to with credible and long-lasting solutions. Find Below the link for the real-time interview with the YVAN Executives. www.ustream.tv/channel/yvan-climate-change-capacity-building-workshop CLOSING REMARKS

The Honourable Member and the Chairman, House Committee on Infrastructure, Lagos State House of Assembly in the person of Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi who was unavoidably absent sent his closing remarks through the Executive Director of YVAN who encourages everyone present to “Keep Acting” because the future lies in the hands of the youths. He also challenged Youth Ambassadors to call on their Representatives in Public Offices to take bold political actions to help combat Climate crises. Also, he appreciated the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of the Environment, Lagos State for the deliberate and pace-setting job being done to address Environmental crises. Lastly, he commended the laudable YVAN initiative and enjoined the Executives to continue the great feat being the first of its kind in Lagos State.

SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATION The event “One Day Climate Change Capacity Building Training Workshop for Senior Secondary School Students in Lagos State” was a rich, inspiring, motivating and action-provoking event. Participating schools were also encouraged to kick-start clubs on Climate change issues at their various levels as a school immediately showed interest to start a club in partnership with YVAN. We (YVAN Executives) believe the seed of capacity-building that has been sown in the event will generate ripple effects that will become a point of reference to the solution the local community, the state, our nation and the global community craves for in this moment where great change is needed urgently to save our climate. Our recommendations are as follows: The Government should acknowledge the important role youths can play in climate

change mitigation and adaptation.

The Government should support active youth initiatives with necessary resources including financial and material.

Consecutive trainings should be given to the youths and the general society by the Government and credible organizations for enlightenment and empowerment.

The Government should invest in Renewable Energy sources to combat Climate Crises and limit dependency on fossil fuel usage and other non-renewable energy sources.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Special thanks to the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi, Stephen Oguntoyinbo, Our Host; Lagos African Church Grammar School, Participating Schools; Damiland High School, Starfield College and Sonmori Senior Comprehensive High School 1&2, our wonderful & resourceful volunteers and the gentlemen & women of the press.

This report was prepared by: Youth Vision Alliance Network (YVAN) Office Address: 174 Tomishe Plaza, 1st Floor, Akute-Ojodu Rd, Alagbole, Ojodu/Berger, Lagos Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.youthvan.org Telephone: 08055168828, 07030545713, 08055455398 October, 2010