Amman, October 2022: In the presence of HRH Princess Aisha Bint Feisal, HRH Princess Sara Bint Feisal, His Excellency Muhammad Nabulsi the Minister of Youth, and GFP Board Member, His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, UNICEF Jordan and Generations For Peace (GFP) launched today the Sawn Programme for Youth Climate Action, in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Youth (MoY), Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Nahno, and in conjunction with the conclusion of the second Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY).
Sawn (Preservation), the first-of-its-kind Programme in Jordan, aims to raise youth awareness about local and global climate and environmental issues and enhance their participation and contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change. During the event, youth presented the recommendations from LCOY, and four participating youth were nominated to participate in the COP27 in Egypt next month.
During the launching ceremony of Sawn programme, His Excellency the Minister of Youth Mohammad Nabulsi said, “Young people are the most capable of countering and mitigating the impacts of climate change through their innovative solutions and pioneering environmental initiatives.” He added, “The youth centres in the governorates offer environmental programmes and host green initiatives to support national efforts to confront climate change.”
Dr Mohanned Arabiat, President of GFP, said, “We believe that young people are the main players who can impact climate issues, they are the generation that is at risk of being most affected by the consequences of climate change, but they are also the generation that is most capable of preserving the planet.” He continued, “There is no doubt that the effects of climate change are directly related to conflict and inequality in local communities. Our partnership with the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Environment and UNICEF Jordan, is a renewal of our mission of spreading peace by raising the awareness of our youth and promoting their fundamental role in influencing climate issues.”
“Climate change impacts everyone but the future belongs to young people,” said Shairose Mawji, Acting Representative, UNICEF Jordan. “It is really inspiring to see young people becoming leaders for positive change in their communities and nationally. Their message is loud and clear – the world must act now to prevent catastrophic climate disaster and to protect and prioritize children, adolescents, and youth in the response.”
The Sawn Programme will continue until February 2023, providing training for 36 youth leaders interested in climate action aged 19-28 from all governorates in Jordan. The training includes intensive sessions on climate change and youth action, as well as advocacy and leadership tools, which will provide participants with the skills to positively impact their communities and the opportunity to influence decision-makers involved in climate action policies and measures.
Within the different phases of the Programme, participants will conduct Community Needs Assessments (CNA) to determine the environmental priorities in their areas. They will carry out ongoing sessions to transfer the new skills they have gained through the Programme to members of local communities in all governorates. Participants will also lead advocacy events to reach a wider audience, including civil society representatives, local leaders, decision-makers, government officials, experts, and others.
By co-hosting LCOY for the second time, with support of by Bank al Etihad and KOICA under the umbrella of the “YOUNGO”, the official youth constituency at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UNICEF Jordan and GFP provided nearly 100 youth participating in the Sawn Programme and others interested in climate action with the opportunity to discuss and exchange insights with a group of experts and specialists in the field, and to present their solutions to local and global decision-makers. The conference is a starting point for the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27), which will take place next month in Egypt.
