Call for Application: Kathmandu+20, June 2nd-3rd 2012

Worldwide Nepalese Students' Organization together with the Nepali Youth Task Force on Rio+20 is organizing Kathmandu+20 – a wider gathering of Nepalese Youth on 7th June 2012 in Kathmandu, Nepal as part of "MyCity+20". In the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (also known as Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro this June, young people around the globe want to share their views on the future of their planet.

Webinar on Mountain Agenda and Rio+20

After organizing different workshops, consultation and interaction programs regarding different themes of Rio+20 and Mountain Issues, Asia Pacific Youth Task Force on Rio+20 has decided to organize a webinar jointly with ICIMOD, Earth Charter and UNCSD MGCY. It aims to strengthen the voice of youth from HKH Region at global level creating an opportunity for the youth to form a network from local level to global level. It will also provide the youth around the world a virtual platform to exchanges their views and knowledge.

Interaction Program (Series I) : Mobilize the Earth from Earth Day to The Earth Summit (Rio+20)

-By Kabita Gautam

On the occasion of 42nd anniversary of Earth day, the series of Interaction Programs kicked off in Kathmandu which was jointly organized by Nepal Youth Task Force on Rio+20 along with Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), Earth Day Network, WWF Nepal, The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Call for "Asia Pacific Photo-Story Contest 2012"

Asia Pacific Youth Task Force on RIO +20 is organizing the Asia Pacific Photo-Story Contest 2012 to mark the Voices of Youth globally in RIO+20, The UN Conference on Sustainable Development which is going to be held on June 20-22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

THEME /CATEGORIES FOR THE PHOTO CONTEST 

1. Mountain and Green Economy

2. Youth Employment and Green Jobs

3. Water, Energy and Food Nexus

South and Central Asian Youth Perspective on Rio+20

-By Jeeban Panthi
Consultation Methodology and Participation of Youth

The youth consultation was made in the South and Central Asia as “South and Central Asia Regional Virtual Consultation on Youth Perspectives on Rio+20”. The consultation was open for all the participants in web based through community group (Dgroup), social networks (facebook and twitters) for the three weeks (9-29 May 2011) on three different themes compatible to Rio+20. Weekly Skype conferences among the country focal points appointed and the facilitators were organized to summarize the discussions. Altogether, 550 youth were participated in the consultation representing 9 countries. Youth had raised their issues and moderators were facilitating the discussion to make sure that the debate is in right track. Different case studies related to sustainable development from the region were also posted in the group compiled by a team. The consultation was organized jointly by The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) and Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

“REDD+” and “The Mountain Voices of Pakistan”

-By Kamran Hussain (Pakistan)

In the past, there have been experiences of inter-dependencies between the laws, regulations, rehabilitation of degraded forest cover and zoning of protected areas at the cost of relocating communities connected in diversified livelihood, especially the mountain communities. Many conservation policies in the south-east Asia related to shifting cultivation whereas in some governments restricted shifting cultivation without providing alternative livelihood incentives and green productivity mechanism. This practice has resulted threats for future declining of carbon stocks by 90 %. Increase in the population, land use pressures, inconsistent and conflicting policies and degradation of soil and land, reduction in species and plants biodiversity have significantly affected and imbalanced the existing carbon stocks resulting food insecurity and socio-economic hardships for the mountain communities. One can ask the question as to why the past forest conservation management practices failed to achieve the desired objectives?. How the REDD+ would be a possible solution to resolve these worse experiences? There is no concrete answer to it, I think that REDD+, is debated globally and it is now the time to experience and demonstrate it practically.

Youth Perspectives on Green Economy: From South and Central Asia Regional Virtual Consultation on Rio+20, 9-29 May 2011

-By Jeeban Panthi
Green Economy: An introduction

Poster Concept : Jeeban Panthi

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, 2011) defines a green economy to be “one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.” In other words, Greening the economy refers to the process of re-configuring businesses and infrastructure to deliver better returns on natural, human and economic capital investments, while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, extracting and using less natural resources, creating less waste and reducing social disparities.