Cheryl Goodenough
Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Joyce Mabudafhasi has called on the youth to make their voices heard on environmental issues and to mobilise ahead of the World Summit for Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg next year.
Mabudafhasi made her call to the 400 delegates from 27 countries who converged for the 15th Annual Caretakers of the Environment International Youth Conference (CEI) in Pietermaritzburg last weekend. The conference was organised in partnership with the National Youth Commission.
“The process of youth mobilisation in South Africa and the world towards the World Summit is crucial. It is as important as the conference itself,” Mabudafhasi said.
The deputy minister said the South African government is looking at various partnerships with youth organisations to ensure the inclusion of young people in the summit.
Mabudafhasi said because the youth comprise nearly 30% of the world population, the participation of young people in environmental decision-making was vital to long-term environmental sustainability, as these issues affect their lives today and have implications for their future.
To this end the conference resolved that a youth earth summit team would be established to represent the youth in preparation for the World Summit. The department is also embarking on a public process to encourage other community groups such as women and rural communities to participate in the summit preparations.
Other issues discussed at the conference, under the theme “Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Tourism”, were eco-tourism and community participation, cultural diversity and heritage, people and parks, arts in the environment and waste management.
Highlights of the conference included daily trips to projects around Pietermaritzburg that involved sustainable development, and the conference’s programme emphasised hands-on activities and experiences that could be used in classrooms.
CEI started in 1987 as an international network to link teachers and students who are concerned about the earth and environmental issues, according to CEI president Arjen Wals from Amsterdam. The annual conference is held to exchange concerns, ideas and strategies and to work on joint environmental projects.
Mabudafhasi also announced that a working group would be established to deliberate around the setting up of a national branch of CEI in South Africa to coordinate the efforts of the youth into environmental matters nationally and internationally.