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CYCC in brief

The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition is a united front of youth from across Canada tackling the biggest challenge of our generation, the emerging climate crisis. Acting locally, provincially, federally, and internationally, we combine our forces to organize actions, influence government and implement concrete solutions. Working in schools and communities from coast to coast to coast, we are calling for and building a just and prosperous transition to the new Canada we all need to see.

Recent posts from the Canadian youth climate movement

Let’s Make 2012 The Year We Take Back Our Future

January 16th, 2012

Dear friends,

This past year I saw something begin to rise. Across Canada and around the globe we saw young people stand up and demand the right to build the just, liveable future of their dreams. My heart was filled with inspiration, and I began to believe that we might just have what it takes to change the world. This year, its time to prove it.

But we need your help.

Over the past year the CYCC has made building the youth climate movement across Canada our first priority, organizing a nation-wide training program that trained over 200 young climate justice organizers. We also launched Wings of Change, a by-youth-for-youth climate justice education project that we want to reach over 10,000 people with by then end of this year.

The fruits of this labour were seen in at COP17 in Durban, South Africa. The Canadian Youth Delegation held our country’s feet to the fire, letting Canada and the world know that our generation will not go quietly while our future hangs in the balance

But this is justbeginning.

As Wings of Change takes off this year, we are also expanding our training project, planning to hold trainings this spring and summer, all building towards one of our most ambitious plans; to bring hundreds of youth together from across Canada for PowerShift Canada 2012.

To do all this we need your help.

The CYCC is a small organization that does big things, and your support is what gives us the power to fight for our future.

Please help us take back our future.

Sincerely,

Cameron Fenton

Follow the Canadian Youth Delegation in Durban, South Africa

November 19th, 2011

The Canadian Youth Delegation is a project of the CYCC, and acts as the voice of the Canadian youth climate movement at international United Nations climate conferences. Made up of twenty dedicated and inspiring young people from across the country, the delegation represents the demands of an entire generation working to create a just, safe, and livable future for all.

We are going to COP17 in Durban, South Africa for several reasons: to represent the youth climate movement in Canada, to hold our leaders accountable for their actions, to seek justice for those suffering the effects of climate change, and to seek solutions to one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced.  Not only are we a group traveling to South Africa for two weeks, but we are active community organizers working to empower our communities to fight for climate justice, to give more strength to the existing climate movement, and to act in solidarity with frontline communities in Canada and across the globe.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJE3FklFAzE&w=640&h=480]

The CYD is made up of three teams: Media and Communications, Action and Strategy, and Policy and Research. The media and communications team is in charge of connecting with existing media outlets, creating the CYDaily newsletter throughout the negotiations in Durban, producing the CYD podcast, and helping other CYD members deal with media interactions. The Action and Strategy team plans CYD actions focused around various climate issues, create strategic plans for the CYD, and help everyone stay aligned with this strategy.  The Policy team works to follow different policy streams in the negotiations, translate them into terms non-policy buffs can understand, and help the CYD create an official policy stance.

Click here to sign up for the CYDaily – the CYD’s newsletter produced daily in Durban throughout the negotiations, November 28-December 9.

Find out more about the roles of each team here.

All members of the CYD are also working to create a public discourse about climate change and climate justice. This includes delivering workshops about climate science, climate justice and real solutions to grade 5-12 classes across Canada, organizing community discussion groups around climate justice, and partnering with other climate-related organizations. The goal of these activities is to spur debate about what climate change means for Canadians, to broaden the diversity of the youth climate movement, and to increase the capacity of the CYCC.

It is crucial to acknowledge that we will not be able to stop climate change in the halls of any international meeting until we create a mass, self-empowering, grassroots movement that is demanding and creating a more just world. We need as many people as possible organizing and taking action at home; find out how you can get involved here.

Kent’s New Clothes on Adaptation

November 10th, 2011

by Chris Bisson and Robin Tress

Tuesday, Environment Minister Peter Kent announced Canada’s stancegoing into the UN Climate Negotiations in Durban. The Government of Canada will be committing $148.8 million to domestic adaptation programming, most of which will likely go towards environmental research and monitoring, and will only sign onto an international agreement if all major emitters are required to make emissions cuts. Citing the domestic and international focus on economic recovery, jobs and prosperity, the government was happy to announce its ‘straightforward, practical approach’ to domestic climate change adaptation. Read the rest of this entry »

Join Operation Oil Change

November 3rd, 2011

Hold Canada and Other Big Polluters Accountable in Durban and Back Home in Canada

Over the past three years, it has become increasingly clear that the government of Canada has placed the interests of polluters ahead of those of the people. It is time for a change. Our leaders must stop acting as lobbyists for Canada’s dirty energy industry and instead become champions for a just and sustainable future.

This is why youth across Canada have joined together to launch Operation Oil Change, a campaign to call on our government to put people ahead of big polluters. We will deploy Oil Change Agents, in Canada and in South Africa to push Canada at the next round of the UN Climate Negotiations.

Our Domestic Task Force and our Oil Change Agents in Durban will use a variety of tactics combining our skills in policy, communication and non-violent action to put pressure on Canada’s representatives in Durban to commit to a fair, ambitious and binding international climate treaty.

If you are interested in becoming a member of our domestic task force, sign up below.


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Ask A Negotiator

October 25th, 2011

Got a few questions for the Canadian Government’s negotiators to the UNFCCC? Wondering just who exactly they’re looking out for when they block Kyoto“forget” about the tar sands or label the historical responsibility for climate change a  “side car issue”?

From now until the end of the COP17 negotiations, we’ll be accepting questions from Canadian youth that we’ll bring to our meetings with Canada’s official negotiators. Look! The submission form is right here!