Bangladesh set a new record by hosting four country consultations in two weeks in the lead-up to Asia Regional Dialogue on Climate Justice for
Children, Youth and Future Generations
Led by the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP) and YECAP Fellows, the Country Consultations are part of the key activities in the lead-up to the Asia Regional Dialogue on Climate Justice for Children, Youth and Future Generations on 28-30 May 2022.
On 19 April 2022, the first climate justice consultation in Bangladesh was held on site at Safurannessa Mohila College in Satkhira. Satkhira is an area populated by climate refugees, and many participants are identified as climate refugees too. The event was led and facilitated by Ziaur Rahman, and arranged by Uttam Kumar Mozumdar, Executive Director, DEAPTA - Satkhira and Md. Faruk Rahman, Program Officer, DEAPTA - Satkhira. A total of 20 youth participated in the session in which five of them self-nominated to raise pressing local climate issues during the Asia Regional Dialogue on Climate Justice for Children, Youth and Future Generations such as river erosion, flooding, food security, agriculture and water stagnation, having direct impacts on the young participants and their families.
The rest of the country consultations happened virtually on 23, 26 and 28 April. Led and facilitated by YECAP Fellows and Movers Ambassadors, Aung Sing Hla Marma and Probin Tripura specifically for Indigenous peoples (on 23 April); by Mehedi Hasan Bappy, Young Professional at WAVE Foundation and Zawad Alam, YECAP Fellow, Movers Envoy, GenU YPAT Member, Team Lead Project WE, and Co-Founder of Chalkboard Bangladesh (on 26 April); and by Md. Abid Azad Sakib, YECAP Fellow and Sayeba Bintay Zahir, YECAP Fellow, Senior Associate (Content & Documentation), Project WE (on 28 April).
For many of the participants in Bangladesh, this was their first time participating in any consultation or activity on climate justice. But a few of them have participated in programmes that aim to plant trees and create awareness in local communities.
The consultations began by discussing the perspectives and understanding of youth towards climate justice then invited the youth to brainstorm potential strategies as part of the solutions. Some dialogues were connected to Stockholm+50 Youth Task Force and the urgent need for actions to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all, including follow-up activities and recovering from COVID-19. Others reflected on the support for indigenous and female youth advocates and ongoing obstacles faced by them.
To ensure that youth voices are heard, the participants mentioned that having dialogues with adults and raising their awareness of the climate change reality and impacts could be a good starting point. They also added that working with stakeholders, leaders and taking actions would help in that matter. They emphasized the role of both public and private organizations, including their collaboration, and noted that this requires a collective effort from all citizens (youth and adults), to come forward and take responsibilities.
Participants expressed that older adults, teachers, government officials, community leaders and others should take actions by including climate action in academic studies and textbooks, creating climate justice related documentaries and enforce implementation of laws and policies. The urgency requires immediate action from all the sectors who should come forward to take the necessary steps to make sure that there is climate justice.
Learn more about the Asia Regional Dialogue on Climate Justice for
Children, Youth and Future Generations: https://bangkok.ohchr.org/adcj2022/
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