by Zia
Hello all. Hope you all are doing fine. Today we had this opportunity to attend a high level youth Briefing with Dr. Rajendra Pachauri who is the chair of IPCC. I think most of you are already aware that IPCC is the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences.
Dr. Pachauri has been phenomenal in his role at IPCC and the fourth assessment report of IPCC is the basis for all scientific information on climate change. I am now going to share with you all what I experienced at the briefing session.
Dr. Rajendra pachuri, Chair IPCC. Photo Credit: Nazzina
Dr. Pachauri shared his views on different issues of climate change. He expressed his views on the participation of youth in the movement of climate change. No matter what happens in the future the burnt will be felt by the youth. So, youth participation is must for the world to spread the concerns on climate change. And it is evident that climate change is happening and it is happening faster than the predicted time frame. Fourth assessment report has all the evidence of climate change science and this report has been agreed by all parties. So, no one can do the act of denial of the fourth assessment report. He expressed his firmness on the robustness of the process and reliability of science in this crucial matter.
Nazzina asked him a question on his views on politically binding agreement not legally binding and his views were: our world leaders must act fast on the agreement, even if it is politically binding. But everybody has to agree on the GHG emission target by 2020 not 2050. We have to prepare ourselves to fight climate change issue at the earliest and politically binding agreement is fine for the time being if it clearly narrates finance, technology transfer and GHG emission cut by developed nations. The world leaders should also focus on the security and stability in the agricultural production to ensure food security. That way the security issue can be better handled.
Nabin asked him about ‘Hope’ in every negotiation and how long we are going to survive only with hope. Dr. Pachauri’s views are that we should not only survive rather we must thrive with hope. He said, “we may lose a lot of things but we must not lose hope because that is what matters to reach to a consensus. What keeps us going is hope. If we have hope we will have what we want to have and enjoy at what we do”. He shared his views on unified actions which needs to start from the grass root level. All should raise voice collectively to change the views and objectives of the politicians. It is true that all countries are not capable by their own to fight climate change and politicians must not focus only towards the next election. they should focus on the bigger picture and what is going to happen in the future and at he same time they should believe in the profoundly. Youths need to take actions to change the mind of the politicians to work collectively on this burning issue.
Someone asked him about the outcome in the COP15. Dr. Pachuri believes that COP15 is not the end of the world. Knowledge on climate change is wide spread and it should spread more and more. in his words: “We might not be getting a legally binding agreement at COP15 but cop is not the end of the world. Will see more controls within next 6 months or year at most”.
He answered the question on Climate change and water. We have to work on the management of water. Everywhere in the world we have to take decision on waters more sensibly. The last thing the world would want is a crisis. The world needs to take actions on the anticipation of any crisis. Look beyond the next election and look for more distant future challenges. He also said that not everybody is in favor of climate change. Denial has been always there when there is any new knowledge. It is very natural that not everybody will be the advocates of climate change and there will be skeptics who are right now managing huge profit out of their business and climate change is going to affect them as well. He also expressed his concern that some delegation parties have brought scientists in the team. But the negotiations are becoming fully political which is not right.
From tomorrow entry al Bella Center is going to be very restricted and 2/3 of the youth will not be allowed to enter at the venue. How the youths are going to be a part of the whole process then? He suggested us to use the media to spread the word of us around the globe. And after getting back to everyone’s country, youths must jump into action to work on climate change at the same time spread the knowledge to the rest.
Someone from the audience asked him if Nuclear energy is an option for the world. His view is that we are going to see a lot of Nuclear energy in coming days. But it is not an option for all the countries because it is a serious option which requires comprehensive assessment of all issues like safety, security and disposal.
The last question was from Sumaiya and she asked when are we going to see the next (fifth assessment) report. He believes the next report will come out on 2013.
In his concluding remarks he reemphasized the participation of youth in the movement. Youths will have to be the major change event worldwide to fight climate change problems.
That is all from me for the moment. Have a nice day.
Zia, British Council Climate Champion, Bangladesh
by Seetha
Having been a student of English at different stages of my life, I know the feeling of walking into an English class, especially a grammar class…. UGH!!
Students of the British Council Teaching Centre in Chennai, however, have quite a different reaction. From seven in the morning to seven thirty at night you can hear the excited chatter of students coming in to the British Council for class. One can actually see smiles!
On the first day, they are usually inspired by the classrooms, the library membership and even the posters, but in that first lesson they don’t always feel so happy about their new teacher! They often come in expecting to be taught by a ‘native’ speaker or a ‘Britisher’ and are left a little disappointed (some outright annoyed) when they see a ‘local’ teacher. This is something we have to face at the start of every new term. It’s only after the class begins, that we get the chance to prove ourselves and challenge the students’ preconceptions.
Students enjoy the environment and the interaction in the lessons. They love the fact that they are allowed to speak in class, which is a novel but shocking idea for them! Adults, even the 56 year-olds love running around class, taking part in wall-crawls, ‘slap the board’ and races. I was personally surprised to see this! The development in their language is not only obvious to the teacher, but to them as well and they are very happy to know they are making progress.
Most students come in early and wander around the library. They pick up a couple of books and read until class starts. I’ve seen students who have told me they hate reading, coming in early to pore over books! Some just sit around with their classmates chatting before class, making it a point to speak only in English. The environment and ambience inspires the students to continue the learning process outside of class. They come into a completely different world when they enter the BC.
It’s a world where they can access a high-quality educational experience and one that challenges their ideas about ‘local’ teachers. The positive comments we get at the end of term and the excellent feedback we have all achieved demonstrate just how much their opinion alters.
Seetha is a teacher at the British Council Teaching Centre in Chennai, India.
Photograph: Babyruth Villarama / Creative Commons
If you drive under the influence in the state of California and hit another car, committing manslaughter (murder 3), you will go to jail for several years, pay a hefty fine, and have your license revoked. This is the State’s way of bringing people to justice who hurt others without intent, but ended with the same result of premeditated murder. The government holds those people responsible for their damaging actions, even though the party in question had no intent of inflicting pain on others. A society’s responsibility for it’s actions both mistakes and successes is crucial; and while the United States has this concept completely in check for physical injury to it’s own citizens, we cannot seem to apply the same to individuals in areas of the world hurt greatly by climate change.
The nation of Nepal in Southeast Asia is home to a part of the Himalayan Mountains. It has many glaciers and glacial lakes in the high country there, and, in the largely agricultural society, life is in a delicate balance. Due to the harmful emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, the lakes are increasing in size, and threatening this balance. The glaciers have decreased on Mount Everest by over 2 miles since it was first climbed in 1953. The cavities that hold high mountain lakes can only hold so much glacial melt, and the increase in their volume would result in an overflow into the agrarian lands below. Already lakes have overflowed, one releasing over 8 million tons of water into the inhabited valleys below.
Scientists are sure that this glacial melt is a result of GHG emissions and we know that GHG’s are largely emitted by human activity. Science can even tell us how much each country in the world is contributing to the greenhouse effect on our planet. The small nation of Nepal, that is being reamed with natural disasters and glacial melt, emits 0.11% of total carbon emissions. Just about one tenth of a percent. The US emits about 18% of total emissions. That’s 17.9% more than Nepal, for those of us who are keeping score. The United States is indirectly responsible for the destruction of Nepal’s once balanced ecosystem. The United states is indirectly responsible for the infrastructure, culture, and lives lost as a reslut of climate change. It is clear that we caused unintended harm on the Nepalese people, but do we accept this responsibility? Do we respect the destruction the Nepalese people as much as we honor our own laws?
From the actions of our policy makers, negotiators, and leaders, it appears not.
For more information about Nepal’s crisis and youth activism, please see: http://nepaleseyouthforclimateaction.wordpress.com/about/
Read more blogs from our climate champions at COP15 – http://climatechampions.britishcouncil.org/
by Cassandra Andrews
Photograph: Lily Jackson / Creative Commons
I am currently back in the WWF Arctic Tent checking out Indigenous People’s Day. The tent is bustling, free tea and coffee and beautiful images of the Arctic seem to be drawing big crowds.
We just came back from the Greenpeace ship. Actually, there are two, but we only managed to get on the tall ship which was still extremely interesting. We did some filming and were able to compare the ship to the Akademik Shokalskiy (the ship that took us Cape Farewell voyagers through Arctic water.) The captain of the ship gave us a tour. I would like to do some research to find out what all Greenpeace uses their ships for.
It’s been a bit more of a relaxing morning and we haven’t made it back to the conference center yet. It kind of weighs you down, going after session after session of people talking in policy jargon or scientific language that I am not highly educated in.
Yesterday was definitely interesting. I spent my morning, after writing my blog, feeling a little lost and overwhelmed. Amongst the increasing number of people entering the conference, who had real jobs that might have an influence on the decisions made here, I felt quite insignificant and doubtful of my presence here. In the afternoon though, we had the opportunity to barely squeeze into a High Level Policy briefing where youth had the chance to ask some delegates some pressing questions. I have lost my program so I cannot give you their names or their countries at the moment.
One question asked was this: What can youth do at these conferences in order to make an impact on our negotiators. The answer that we received was the clear fact that the negotiators are not (or should not) be here for themselves. It is our future that is being decided in these next two weeks. That is why, they said, we have to keep pushing; making ourselves heard, and showing our commitment, passion and concern. So, I still know my place. I know that I will not be the one signing, or preventing the signing of a treaty in Copenhagen. I know that my job is more important, now than ever, to keep the pressure on and keep getting other youth to reach the realization of the importance of this issue.
My heart was warmed, when walking to our bus stop, on our way to find something to eat last night, when someone stopped Lily and I on the street. In broken English, he explained to us that he had been in the Arctic tent while we did our presentation on Cape Farewell and was fascinated, and in fact, inspired by our talk. He greatly appreciated the message of Cape Farewell: that science and art can come together in an effective way of explaining climate change. He was an artist himself, with some very interesting projects on the go. Lily and I jumped at the opportunity to give him our British Council business cards, in hope to hear further about his work. The smiles on our faces, knowing that we had actually affected someone with our talk, would have been hard to miss.
Cassy is a British Council Climate Champion and is blogging regularly for us during the COP15 summit.
Read more posts from our Climate Champions at http://climatechampions.britishcouncil.org/
by Tony Reilly
Yesterday was the third in a pattern of large-scale complex attacks (as the security personnel refer to them) to take place in Baghdad since last August.
These horrendous and unimaginable acts of violence have now claimed more than 500 lives and injured thousands of innocent civilians. And yet, amidst the chaos, carnage and tragedy of these terrible events, the British Council’s team here in Iraq have remained, quite remarkably, 100% focused on the task of delivering our ambitious cultural relations programme.
Each time this has happened, I have been struck by their resilience and sheer determination to get on with the work: connecting UK and Iraqi schools, linking universities and colleges, nurturing networks of social activists, bringing young people together through music etc. They are the unsung heroes and heroines who deliver the unique brand of international engagement we call ‘cultural relations’ – and all of this, in what must be the most challenging environment in the world. They do it with hope and determination – undeterred by events like yesterday – indeed possibly even spurred on by them, resolute in their desire to make a difference in this fragile and dangerous place – their country, their home.
One of the targets in yesterday’s bombings was the Baghdad Institute of Fine Arts – the home of Iraq’s National Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra’s director told the BBC defiantly that they would retaliate with more concerts. Our team retaliate with education and cultural relations.
They are truly remarkable.
Tony Reilly is the British Council Country Director in Iraq
by Cassandra Andrew
Photograph: Babyruth Vilarama / Creative Commons
I have been in Copenhagen for nearly three days now and this morning I felt like I was at home, rushing out the door after gulping back some tea, two pieces of toast hastily spread with peanut butter in hand.
I regret not blogging up until now. So, my apologies for the essay that is likely to come out of this one!
I just attended the Environment Canada briefing. They have opened it to any interested Canadians. There was a brief introduction from a Canadian policy delegate, then the floor was opened fo questions. Many youth delegates were present, including several from the Canadian Youth Delegation, as well as several higher status party members.
Although repectful at this point when asking questions, I got a clear sense frustration from most of the members in the room. As usual, our delegate, in policy driven terminolgy that I found difficult to keep up to, seemed to dance around the questions rather than answering directly.
At this point in time, Canada is not taking the leadership role that we need it to in these negotiations. Our leaders, instead, are choosing to point fingers, saying there needs to be a broader understanding amongst other nations. Well there HAS been an understanding reached. Everywhere we turn, the answers are clear before us, that it is completely necessary for an ambitious deal to be met at these negotiations.
With so much information flooding into my head, it is difficult for me to get my thoughts straight. There are so many people here, that have worked so hard, for so long. There may be some differenciating specifics, but as a whole, we are all looking for the same thing. The main thing that is preventing us from reaching this common goal is the failure of developed nations to step up and be the leaders that they are capable of being.
On another note, Lily, Louise and I did our presentation on Cape Farewell last night in the WWF Arctic Tent. Thank you so much to WWF for inviting us and giving us the opportunity to be here!
The presentation went well, and Lily even got to fit in her project that she completed where she used pictures from the Cape Farewell Youth Expedition and her talented friend composed a piece to go along with a slideshow. Several other members of the British Council ICC group were there, as well as passing Danish citizens. I suggest checking out pictures of the ICE BEAR if you’re not in Copenhagen to see it up close. It’s a beautiful piece of art that has likely come close to being merely a copper skeleton by now.
Just to touch base on a few more things that I have been doing at the COP. We attended a part of the COY and were lucky enough to hear a particularly inspirational speech from the new Executive Director of Greenpeace, an amazing man. Within the British Council we have divided into various groups to focus on our interests and make sure we get as much out of the COP as we can while being as effective and influencial as is possible. I have attended various sessions including the Opening Plenary for these United Nations
Negotiations. Again, all of our leaders seem to be saying the same thing. That the time is now and our situation is urgent. Even though this cannot be more true, the problem facing us is inaction.
I have to go meet with my group in order to find out what sessions I can attend today. I will try to write another blog tonight to sum up some more feelings and happenings with my experiences here in Copenhagen.
Cassandra Andrew is 17 years old, from Yukon, Canada. She is a British Council Climate Champion
Read more blogs from our climate champions at COP 15 at http://climatechampions.britishcouncil.org/
COP 15 is about to start in a few hours.
The Conference of the Youth, however, ended today with a last, impressive highlight.
Kumi Naidoo, the executive director of Greenpeace, gave a speech about the significant role of the youth tackling climate change.
He stated how important it is to not wait for leadership because it might not come.
We should not accept a “made decision“ policy makers have reportedly set already.
It is crucial for all people that politicians agree on one binding treaty. Just a wishy-washy agreement would mean that when politicians get back to their home countries they’d already forgot about what they’d actually signed in Copenhagen.
So that is why we have to keep pushing and show our presence until the very last minute.
Kumi Naidoo also advised us to think big. Nothing of value comes easily. I guess we really have to put our heart into the issue. Many of us do so already . More have to join. We all know, though, that the real work has to be done after the conference. We need to make sure that the implementation works and nations are really ratifying whatever they have signed (and we keep hoping for the best outcome).
Naidoo finished his speech by asking us all to stand up and sing an African song with him. You could truly feel the unity in that very moment. It is that we all have one goal. We as the youth will live on this planet for a much longer time than any of the negotiators or politicians will.
“Obama‘s ‘Yes we can‘ is not enough“, Kumi Naidoo said. „ We should change it to ‘Yes we can, yes we must, yes we will.“
Louise Willneff, British Council Climate Champion
For more blogs from our climate champions at the COP15 summit, visit http://climatechampions.britishcouncil.org/
by Richard Frost
Richard Frost with staff at the British Council teaching centre in Chennai
There is a feeling of something very new in the air. After seven years of working in various teaching centres at the British Council what I have just walked into feels so fresh and exciting.
There are so many similarities between the British Council teaching centre in Chennai and other centres that at first you wouldn’t notice anything is different. We have the same facilities for students, there are the usual systems in place and the teaching is of a really high standard. The big difference here is that the courses are being delivered by local teachers.
In the world of English language teaching there is so much prejudice about employing local teachers or ‘non-native speaker teachers’ (a controversial and much discredited term). I have always felt very strongly about this contentious issue and am really happy to be working for an organisation and on a project where it is being confronted head on. It feels very exciting to be able to challenge this notion and prove the naysayers wrong.
Anyone who has trained on CELTA courses (Certificate in English language teaching for adults) will tell you that the best candidates can be from any background, whether it be fresh out of university in England or with years of experience teaching in state schools in Vietnam. A person’s ability to teach depends on their attitude, their emotional intelligence and their ability to adapt quickly. It depends on how flexible they are and if they are open-minded to new ideas and feedback. None of this is determined by whether or not they are a native speaker.
The problem is that many students (and some teachers) have preconceived views. Local teachers will tell you countless stories of how students openly declare their disappointment on day one because they wanted a British teacher.
These same teachers have to prove themselves with every new group of students and invariably they succeed. The feedback at the British Council centre in Chennai would delight any Teaching Centre Manager.
So, we have a centre that is not only confronting prejudice and meeting a local need for English but also delivering excellent teaching at a price local people can afford. Isn’t that a winning formula?
Over the next few months our teachers will contribute to this blog and tell you about their experiences. Keep checking back!
Richard Frost is the Academic Manager at the British Council teaching centre in Chennai, India
by Andrew Kneale
The US and UK have famously been said to be ‘divided by a common language’. For instance, the term ‘Cultural Relations’ isn’t well recognized in Washington; it might conjure up images strictly of high art and champagne receptions, rather than programming that actively builds trust among young people. The foreign policy elites who deconstruct the ebb and flow of geopolitics on ‘the hill’, within the halls of power-house think-tanks, and amongst the prolific blogs which shape public opinion, talk more often of ‘Smart Power’ and the merits of strategic communications, and do not necessarily recognize the critical role of Cultural Relations. Increasingly however, I think this is more a function of language, rather than disagreement about the nature or importance of intercultural engagement.
Yesterday, Chief Executive Martin Davidson and Raoul Shah – one of the British Council’s trustees – were invited to participate on a roundtable at the New America Foundation, a public policy institute in Washington, DC. Steve Clemons - foreign policy analyst, political commentator and influential author of The Washington Note, hosted and facilitated a conversation about ‘British Smart Power’ via Skype from a hotel room in Berlin. Director of New America’s Middle East Task Force, Amjad Atallah, assisted in Washington. With the backdrop of President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy speech the previous night, bloggers, think-tankers and journalists at the roundtable asked questions of Martin and Raoul. They discussed the merits of public diplomacy, cultural relations and other forms of engagement with those countries in which the UK and US have a deficit of trust, with the view to identifying what sorts of practices yield more positive, credible and closer relationships with these countries for the future.
Cultural Relations as a function of national security, and as a contributing factor to more stable societies the world over, is not a construct that many are used to. However, during the roundtable, Martin was quick to point out that in 1936, then British Council Chairman William Tyrrell successfully appealed to the Chancellor for more funds, making the argument that the organization should be seen as ‘assisting practically in our national defence. Modern defence consists not only in arms but in removing misunderstanding and promoting understanding’. This belief, Martin said, still rings true today. Where we ended up, I think, in this fantastic conversation, was an agreement that dialogue which celebrates difference and does not seek to push false consensus, is a key element of a credible, positive global engagement. And while language is one of many barriers to our conversations (even between the US and UK) continual investment in exchange between civil societies around the world is essential for our collective futures.
Andrew Kneale is Cultural Relations Project Manager at the British Council in Washington
by Scott Forbes
Yesterday wasn’t any ordinary World AIDS Day, in fact it was marked by a number of events put together after months of hard work, from ‘Global Forum 40′ a Community Action Project supported by the British Council’s Global Changemakers programme.
The day started out early on what was a cold frosty morning here in London. It was a day that my team and I at Global Forum 40 had spent months working hard to prepare for; we wanted to mark World AIDS Day 2009 with a difference and that is simply what we done.
Starting out just over 5 months ago with a rough concept of hosting a Gala Dinner, it soon became a reality when we managed to secure an up and coming top restaurant in the City called Ping Pong, who offered us something that no other place could and it was totally the making to a magical evening.
But this wasn’t the only event we managed to pull together – after weeks of emails and letters back and fourth to St Paul’s Cathedral our request of evening prayer was finally accepted. The idea would be that the Cannon of St Paul’s would offer a blessing and a short service to reflect on those that had lost their lives in the battle with AIDS. The service was beautifully constructed and the turnout was high. This of course led on into the Gala dinner, which was a mere 10 minute walk from St Paul’s.
The evening started with a drinks reception, which gave various people the chance to network, followed by a sit down five course meal of delicious dim sum catered and provided by Ping Pong’s Executive Chef. We managed to bring around 160 people together from a wide range of backgrounds, whether that be famous TV personalities such as Denise Robertson from This Morning, comedian Francesca Martinez and writer Sir Tom Stoppard to successful business men and women from the city, CEO’s of various charities and trusts like Nicholas Hynter Director of the National Theatre, or even just a family coming out to enjoy a night to remember.
During the dinner we enlisted the support of the Shakespeare School’s Festival, whereby young people who have participated in the festival dazzled our guests with a collection of Shakespeare’s greatest pieces – which were performed to a very high standard and received thunderous applause.
The evening slowly came to a close, but before our guests began to leave we took the opportunity to play a number of video messages from young people living with HIV across the globe, who are either attending our forum next year in San Patrignano or working with our partner Hope’s Voice International.
Overall the event was a huge success and helped to raise much needed funds. We were really pleased with how things went and the feedback we have received has been amazing. We can’t wait until the next event in February when we officially launch Global Forum 40.
Scott Forbes is a Global Changemaker and founder of Global Forum 40.
