A Rio+20

Toolkit Series :

Part III

Our Future is Worth It:

How YOUth can take ACTION

for Sustainable Development

In partnership with:

Moving toward a Sustainable Future!

In the previous toolkits, we discussed what Sustainable Development is, the

story of Rio+20 and how to take basic actions to start impacting your world.

Let us take a quick look back to remember key points for Rio+20.

The Conference will revolve around 2 main themes:

The Green Economy in the context of Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development

The Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development

and 7 Critical Issues:

Cities, Disasters, Energy, Food, Jobs, Oceans and Water.

Recalling the focus of Rio+20

Moving from Brown to Green

1

IN THIS ISSUE

Recalling Rio+20 and Moving from Brown to Green p. 1

Defining Green Economy pp. 2-3

Green Jobs and Key Challenges p. 4

Using Media as an Advocacy Tool p. 5

Sample Letters pp. 6-7

Creating Your own Media pp. 8-9

Contacts p. 10

As young people, we are all concerned with growth, development, income,

and jobs.

Economy refers to the whole set of production, distribution and consumption

of goods and services in a country or in the world. Sustainable Development

encompasses an economic pillar which is a crucial factor in ensuring income

generation and sustained human activity and jobs.

The system of economy that the world currently uses is called the Brown

Economy. The Brown Economy is an economy that lacks respectful use of

environmental resources and provides enough wealth for communities to live

well. The future of Sustainable Development depends to a large extent on

whether we can move from a Brown Economy to a Green Economy.

The resources we have on Earth are limited. Current practices use more resources than is healthy for the planet.

Collectively, we prevent a large section of the world from enjoying the benefits of economic growth. Our economic

growth pollutes nature, aggravates social inequality and erodes fertile land.

We desperately need to change the pattern of our economy and our consumption. Changing our economy to one

that is green is an important part of the Rio+20 agenda. A Green Economy can help us to eradicate poverty and

ensure Sustainable Development.

Defining a Green Economy

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has offered some perspectives for policy makers on how to

transition into a Green Economy. You can read more in Towards a Green Economy, a Synthesis Report:

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/ger/GER_synthesis_en.pdf

Check out the following UNCSD Major Group for Children and Youth infographic which looks at the puzzle pieces

that we need for a thriving Green Economy! The UNCSD Major Group for Children and Youth have called for

these elements to be recognised in the Outcome Document for Rio+20.

Below are some additional principles which are necessary to create a Green Economy.

Can you think of any others ?

There is no agreed definition of a Green Economy. However, it is generally agreed that a Green Economy should include low carbon emissions, resource efficiency and social inclusion.

Low Carbon Emissions:

Public and private industries are partly responsible for

releasing dangerous levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. CO2 is known to contribute to climate change.

In a Green Economy, these industries would be required

to control their emissions.

Resource Efficiency:

Current forms of consumption and production

are rapidly depleting the natural resources available on Earth. A clearly defined

Green Economy would commit us to use natural

resources in ways that conserve them and

over-exploit the Earth.

Socially Inclusive:

Currently, wealth and income are not being

fairly distributed. A Green Economy should provide fair

access to social and economic benefits. This includes equal access to

jobs, healthcare and education.

2

Creating Green Jobs for Young People

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), young people are three

times more likely to be unemployed than adults. Over 75 million youth

worldwide are currently looking for work. Millions of jobs in key sectors would need

to transition into more sustainable practices within a Green Economy. These jobs

would also directly benefit young people struggling to find employment. Building a

Green Economy is especially relevant to children and youth. Future generations are

more likely to face shortages of food, water and energy, if we continue to operate in

the way that we do.

Did you know?

Economic growth is usually measured in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which

often is used to represent well-being.

total country income ÷ number of people in country = GDP per capita

However, GDP does not consider the ecological and social consequences of

producing wealth. Can you think of other indicators that can measure the success

economy?

Consider Gross National Happiness Index that measures the mental, physical,

spiritual and emotional well-being of people as factors to economic success:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zqdqa4YNvI

Challenges of Key Economic Sectors Food

The population of the world is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050. Green agriculture has the potential of combating food insecurity as well as providing jobs.

Tourism

Global tourism accounts for 5% GDP and about 8% of employment. Tourism also accounts for a large part of CO2 emissions and damages healthy ecosystems.

Industry

Manufacturing is responsible for about 20% of CO2 emissions and 17% global air pollution! However, it also provides over 35% of global jobs.

Energy

The energy sector is responsible for about 2/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in renewable energy could help us avoid global temperature increases by reducing CO2 emissions. Facts and figures taken from:

1. Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication - A Synthesis for Policy Makers, UNEP - 2011.

2. Recommendations on Future Financing Options..., UNFCCC - 2009.

4

Want to learn more about efforts toward the transition of a Green Economy?

Check out the Green Economy Coalition: http://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/big-

picture. To keep up with the latest news on Green Economy progress, visit:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-economy .

Using the Media as an Advocacy Tool

Media can be used for advocacy and/or lobbying to influence attitudes in society and policies.

By Media we refer to:

Online and printed newspapers and/or magazines

Television

Social Media (including Blogs)

Photo-Journalism

Radio

Internet News

Independent Film and Cinema

One way to influence the media is to write a letter or article. The following points will help you write an

effective piece.

How to Write a Letter or Article

Make sure you are clear about who you are writing for. For example, if you are writing for a community

which relies on agriculture, you may want to explain sustainability through community issues. Use terms

which your audience will understand.

Keep it short and concise. You are more likely to make an impact if you present short, simple facts. Avoid

long sentences. Check if the platform you are writing for has a word limit and if so, stay within it.

Make it relevant. Usually letters refer to a recent event or article. Choose a popular issue and make sure you

connect why it is relevant and should be discussed.

Label your submission clearly. Remember that newspapers receive a lot of mail, so if sending by post make

sure to label your letter and envelope clearly. If sending via email, be sure to include a clear subject line.

Stick to a single issue. Make the issue clear at the very beginning. It is easier to call for action over a specific

issue than if you present a lot of them without much detail.

Use facts and figures. Back up what you are saying with evidence.

Make your conclusion strong. End the letter with the message that you want people to remember and act

upon.

Avoid using jargon and complicated language. This may prevent the reader from fully understanding your

message.

Proof read. Watch out for typing and grammatical errors. Have a friend read your article to see if he or she

understands it.

5

To put these letter writing tips into action, take a look at the sample letters on the next pages.

The following is a letter sent to a local gardening store. You could use this type of letter to convince local

businesses to be more sustainable.

Dear HOME/GARDEN STORE:

I come to your store whenever I need anything for my home. I love your store, however, I have some real

concerns about some of the products you are selling. I want to know what I'm buying is safe for everyone,

and I am hoping you can be a leader and a resource in this area.

Did you know that homeowners use up to 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than

farmers use on their crops? 70 million tons of fertilizers are applied to residential lawns and gardens. Where

pesticides are used, of 103.9 million households with lawns, more than half use insecticides; 40 million use

herbicides and 14 million use fungicides. Many conventional pesticides used on lawns pose threats to human

health and wildlife. Clorphyrifos (Dursban) has been banned because it poses threats to children's brain and

nervous system development, and is still in store shelves!

Pesticides from our lawns don't just stay outside, but end up in our indoor air and on all indoor surfaces,

usually in the form of floor dust. Exposure to household pesticides is associated with an elevated risk of

childhood leukemia. Not to mention, 95% of streams sampled contained at least one pesticide. Synthetic

fertilizers spiked with nitrogen and phosphorous readily run off lawns or penetrate oversaturated soil,

move into our ground water, storm drains and streams.

Please consider providing non-toxic, organic land care products at the very least as an alternative to

synthetic pesticides or fertilizers--in good conscience, it would be best if you offered only or primarily non-

toxic products.

Further, it would be great if you could carry home-building supplies and products made from rapidly

renewable materials, such as bamboo flooring, natural linoleum, cork and textiles made from wool, sisal,

hemp and organic cotton. I would choose those any day over the alternatives. If you make these strides, I

can guarantee I will continue to come to your store, and proudly encourage everyone else to shop with you

for those very reasons.

Best regards,

Your Name

Your Address

Your Email Address

Your Phone Number

Letter to a Local Store

6

This is a letter sent to a newspaper or magazine editor about an article that was written. What is the

significant difference between this letter and the one on the previous page?

Dear Editor:

As the world examines the achievements and challenges towards eradicating HIV/AIDS on this World AIDS

Day, we must take a critical look at the conflicting realities making women and girls vulnerable to the

perpetual face of HIV/AIDS. Access to treatment is extending the lives of HIV-positive people in remarkable

ways, and yet unwanted pregnancy among HIV-positive women is on the rise. While incidents of HIV are

declining in some African regions, women continue to become infected through sexual transmission at

alarmingly high rates. Unless steps are taken to address their HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health

needs, women and girls will remain the unwilling victims of this deadly epidemic.

Contrary to what some may think, marriage poses significant risk of HIV infection for women in many parts

of the world. In fact, more than eighty percent of new HIV infections in women occur in marriage or in

long-term relationships. Despite global recognition of the unique vulnerabilities of women and girls to HIV

infection, U.S. HIV prevention policy continues to emphasize abstinence education ahead of tools, like

condom use, that would better safe-guard women’s health. Tragically, it also has all but abandoned its 40

year leadership of support for international family planning. The vast amount of funding for HIV/AIDS

prevention are rarely, if ever, integrated with family planning and reproductive health programs that pro-

vide desperately needed services to women and their families.

Only through financial and political support for the integration of HIV/AIDS and family planning services do

we give women and girls a true chance at survival. That would be something to celebrate.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Address

Your Email

Your Phone Number

7

Letter to an Editor

Earlier, we discussed how to use media to spread the word about sustainability.

Traditional media like newspapers, journals, news stations and radio are all

important ways to get your message across. Often traditional media is not as far

reaching as you may hope in getting out the message you want.

The 20th Century boost of innovation in technology gave us social media tools like

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumblr and many others. Social media has become

just as important to spread a message as traditional media. Below are some tips

to create your own media brand to add to the sustainability movement.

Many advertising spaces on the Internet are free. Do a search on free spaces to

blog, advertise and network so you can spread your message. If you are a youth

without Internet access, you can start by visiting places where you can find many

people gathering and talk to them there.

Find out all you can about sustainability. Turn that information into a series of

presentations that you can do in person and/or online. Both online and offline

presentations should represent your personality! People are bound to become

excited just because you are active and showing enthusiasm towards the subject.

There may even be opportunities to learn from each other.

Every good piece of media has what marketing executives call a “spark”. The

spark is that great line that is brief, catchy and says a mouthful all in one. One

example of a spark in sustainability is “Go Green”. Both words give you instant

meaning and imply a change in behaviour. Much in the same way, your media

should create its own spark.

What is the one thing you can say that fits your personality and makes a

statement about sustainability? Start brainstorming and let the sparks fly. Test out

your spark first with friends and family before putting it out to the world. Extra

insight is always helpful.

Long, drawn out points are BOR-ING! Keep your points short, with 3-4 points per

topic. If you choose to write a blog, keep it within 800-1000 words.

Creating your own Media

Be Free

Investigate

Spark it

Less is More

8

Maximising your Impact through Social Media

Using social media opens up the possibility of mobilising a lot of people beyond your circle of friends. It is important to make Sustainable Development concepts accessible and inspire people to take action. Focus your social media activity (such as tweets, Facebook updates and blogs)

on a specific issue to raise awareness on a global platform.

Blogs can be a good source of communication for young people to talk

about Sustainable Development. Start by searching for similar blogs on

the topic- what do you notice is missing in the conversation? You can

start your own blog once you figure out the perspective you would

like to bring to the online communities you researched.

Images speak for themselves! A single photo can send out powerful

messages that make people think. Try your photography skills,

create a Tumblr account.

Create short videos about Sustainable Development issues to raise

awareness. Make sure that your video is appealing and enthusiastic. If you use

special effects like animations and flash graphics for your video, make sure they

do not overpower your message. For example, you should not use music,

animation, flash graphics and talk all at the same time.

Tweets are short messages of 140 characters or less, usually used to share

messages publicly. Creating a twitter account is a fast way to send and receive

messages about Rio+20. You can retweet from many other Twitter users who

post about the conference. Follow the official conference twitter account

@UN_Rioplus20 and hashtags #Rioplus20 and #mgcy to see what people are

saying!

Start a Facebook page, group or event. Tag your friends, update your status (maybe one Sustainable Development fact a day) and spread the message through your profile pictures. Create a photo album, share links, comment and “like” pages relevant to Sustainable Development.

Photos

Blogging

What about those who do not have Internet access?

Every young person deserves to have his or her perspective on Sustainable

Development heard. You can support youth that lack access to the Internet by

sharing information with them in workshops and personal conversations.

Record their message. What do youth without internet access have to say about

Sustainable Development? Share their messages through your networks to add

additional perspectives to your online conversations. Lack of Internet access

should not be an obstacle in crafting our future!

Facebook

Twitter

Videos

9

Social Media Tips

Check out Blog.com for fast tips to create your blog

Consider sharing your

photo albums on popular platforms like SlideShare

Create short animated movie messages with

xtranormal.com

Create your own media campaign on youtrust.org

If you are interested in getting involved, taking action, or simply knowing

more about what we’re doing, feel free to contact any of us for more

information:

MAJOR GROUP FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Website: http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/UNCSDYouthCaucus

Twitter: @MGCY_UNCSD

EARTH CHARTER INTERNATIONAL

Website: http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EarthCharter

Twitter: @earthcharter

EOTO WORLD

Website: http://www.eotoworld.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EOTOWorld

Twitter: @EOTOWorld

CONTACT US

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Authors : Barkha Mossae (Mauritius), Sasha Pratt (UK), Neringa

Miliauskaite (Lithuania), Elischia Fludd (USA), Nora Mahmoud (Costa

Rica/USA) .

Photo Credits: Oliver Rieche, Cynthia Keza and Vietnam Jump ,

Radomir Dolejsi, and Kyle Kaianaupuni Robertson.

THANK YOU

This completes the third section of our toolkit series. In our final installment, learn more about the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development and how to use The Arts to advocate for sustainability!

10