Hoping for a Bali breakthrough

Well, here I am in Bali, Indonesia, as a member Canadian Youth Delegation at the UN Conference on Climate Change. This conference is expected to be the largest ever, with over 10,000 people in attendance. Our delegation itself is over 30 members strong, and we are here to encourage our government to take a leadership role on climate change. And what better place to highlight the importance of protecting our environment than Bali? This is an incredible island, with beautiful weather, beaches, volcanoes and vegetation, amazing people, and of course, the conference. Although we are only nearing the end of the first week, it has been an exciting and eventful time for everyone.

"Canadians have a large stake in this process, as our government is slowing the progress of the negotiations significantly and is being criticized publicly for their inaction on what the UN Secretary General calls the 'defining challenge of our age.'" — Jessica Wishart

The youth present at the conference have joined forces to form the International Youth Caucus, with representatives from diverse backgrounds and regions around the world. Together, we form between 150 to 200 people, and although our backgrounds are varied, we are united in our effort to take action on the issue of climate change. We have divided ourselves into sub groups, focusing on policy, media, outreach, and international networking, respectively. I am working with the outreach group, and our main focus is daily actions. These actions are creative ways to display our passion and energy, our comprehension of policy, and our desire to work with delegates. The actions include songs, street theatre, and large visual displays, which have thus far been extremely successful and attracted the daily attention of media from around the world.

We as Canadian youth would like to see Canada act as an environmental leader both domestically and internationally, and protect the rights and interests of its citizens by taking action on climate change. Canadians have a large stake in this process, as our government is slowing the progress of the negotiations significantly and is being criticized publicly for their inaction on what the UN Secretary General calls the "defining challenge of our age."

This year’s conference is important for laying the framework for future negotiations. Phase one of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012, and we have to have the structure in place for the next phase to avoid a ‘lag.’ A key term being floated around is "Bali breakthrough," and we are hopeful that we can see some significant progress in the negotiations in order to move forward to take action both now and in the future. After all, every action we take now will affect our future and our children’s future. That’s why were working hard to ensure our voices are being heard, and we are counting on the Canadian to make us proud to be members of the Canadian Youth Delegation.

Jessica Wishart is a fourth-year student in International Development Studies who is attending the UN Conference on Climate Change in Bali.