June's Forum lab

FRIDAY 4 JUNE 2021, 2.00-4.00 P.M. CET

IVS for Climate Justice is a worldwide campaign taking place in over 100 countries, coordinated by CCIVS (A global network promoting International Voluntary Service), bringing together the activities of seven International Voluntary Service networks, CCIVS, Service Civil International (SCI), The International Building Organisation (IBO), Alliance of European Voluntary Service organisations, Network for Voluntary Development Asia (NVDA) and the Network of African Voluntary Organisations (NAVO) and International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE). It engages local and international volunteers with local communities to work on grassroots projects that combine hands-on work and awareness-raising actions. These address issues such as climate change, carbon offset, environmental sustainability, protection of ecosystems, water and soil management and conservation and link them with the global call for Climate Justice.

Climate change is a global challenge affecting the entire world and humanity as a whole. At a closer look, however, people most responsible for anthropogenic climate change and those most affected by its consequences differ. Geographical location, economic status as well as means to act may determine the vulnerability of individuals living today. Apart from that, scientists predict increasingly severe consequences of climate change for generations yet to come. The concept of climate justice addresses this unequal allocation of benefits and burdens by relating climate change to matters of social justice and human rights.

The aim of the June’s Forum Lab is

  • To present and exchange about youth led actions for climate justice in the field of International Voluntary Service
  • To highlight findings from the IVS impact research on international volunteering and climate justice.
  • To present the Soil4Life Manifesto, a clear call to action to protect soil in order to preserve humankind and life on earth.

 Guiding Questions for presentations and discussion :

What can we learn from our volunteer experience? How does volunteering contribute to developing young people's perception on climate change? What challenges do we face when we want to organise volunteer projects focusing on environmental issues? How can organisations support young activists? How can institutions facilitate the work of youth organisations and young activists in the field of climate justice?

 Moderator :

  • Júlia Pérez Lema, CCIVS Communication Support, Hungary

 Speakers :

  • Francesco Volpini, Graduate Research Associate, Research Centre for the Local Public Human Resources and Policy Development (LORC), Ryukoku University Japan, Japan
  • Kate Curtis, Trainer and Manifesto Coordinator for Soil4Life, Member of the IVS for Climate Justice Working Group, Green Hearted Director, South Africa
  • Martina Mancini, Legambiente Volunteer and Member of the Alliance Environmental Sustainability Working Group (Coordinator in 2020), Italy
  • Mercy Piti, Representative Global Eco Village in Chaseyama, Zimbabwe Workcamp Organisation, Zimbabwe
  • Milan Calloens, Bouworde vzw (IBO Europe), Belgium
  • Rene Francisco Umaña Rodriguez, Coordinator of Events and Campaigns Slow Food Tegucigalpa Gastronomica, ICYE Honduras, Honduras