Forum Talk - Our climate, our future: young people leading global climate action
June's Forum talk
FRIDAY, 25 JUNE 2021, 4.30-6.00 P.M. CET
co-organised with the Council of Europe's Advisory Council on Youth
The fight against climate change is a top priority of young people in Europe and in countries located in other regions of the world. Increasing numbers of young people are taking an active stand to influence political decision-making in favour of a healthy environment for all. Never before have this many children and young people seen themselves as powerful actors of change who are willing and able to participate in the shaping of democracy.
Increasingly, the right to a healthy environment is seen as a human rights issue most dramatically impacting children and youth. Youth climate activism, however, is also a direct example of the opportunity for increasing citizen participation in agenda setting and decision making processes. Young people consistently demonstrate creative and forward-looking methods of expressing the political will for climate action, but how can our governmental and institutional systems ensure these expressions are being heard and reflected in policies and actions?
Join us on Friday the 25th to discuss how we can ensure full participation for young people in decision making processes. Its important because our climate is our future.
Zuzana PAVELKOVÁ
Federation of Young European Greens
Zuzana Pavelková is a member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth, representing the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG). She was the Co-Spokesperson of the Federation between 2018-2019 and served on the board of the Federation between 2017 to 2019. During this term, she focussed on getting young people engaged in the European elections of 2019. She lives in Prague where she tends to a small urban garden and a compost.
Belinda GOTTARDI
Mayor of Castel Maggiore, Italy; Member of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
Since 2016, Belinda Gottardi has been a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Ms Gottardi has served as Mayor of Castel Maggiore (Italy) since 2014 and was re-elected in 2019. Passionate about youth issues, she was a driving force behind Castel Maggiore’s first youth plan and has served as Councillor for Youth and Participation. As Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) Spokesperson on Climate and Administrator of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Europe, Ms Gottardi is a strong advocate for cross-border co-operation for local climate action. Ms Gottardi studied law and has been a member of the bar since 2002.
Leonie MARTIN
Advisory Council on Youth, Shrinking space portfolio
Leonie Martin is a member of the Advisory Council on Youth, representing the Young European Federalists (JEF), a non-partisan youth organisation. She works on the portfolio on shrinking civic space in the AC and is President of JEF.
Atlas SARRAFOGLU
Youth climate activist, Turkey
Atlas Sarrafoğlu is a 14 year old, 9th grade student and a climate activist from Turkey. He founded Fridays For Future in Turkey on March 2019 when he was 11 and striking ever since. He also writes interviews with climate activists around the globe in search of how everyone deals with their own climate crisis and activism. He also recieved 2020 WWF Global Youth Award and is now active in Youth For Climate Turkey.
Selin SAYEK BÖKE
Member of the Turkish Parliament
Selin Sayek Böke graduated from the Economics Department of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University in 1993. She got her M.A. and Ph.D from Duke University in 1996 and 1999, respectively. After working as an Economist at IMF, she held faculty positions at Bentley College between 1999-2001 as assistant professor, at Georgetown University in 2003 as adjunct professor, at Bilkent University between 2003-2014 as associate professor. She chaired the Department of Economics at Bilkent University from 2011 until she left academia to stand for parliamentary elections in 2015.
She was elected to the Party Assembly of the CHP in 2014 and has been reelected up to date and since August 2020 is the Secretary General of the CHP. She served as the Deputy Chair responsible for Economic Policy from 2014 through 2017, served as the Party Spokesperson from 2016 through 2017 of CHP. She has been elected as Member of Parliament, representing İzmir in both 2015 and 2018 parliamentary elections and is currently a Member of the Turkish Parliament. She is currently a member of the national delegation of Turkey at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Monika SKADBORG
Board Member in the European Youth Forum, Denmark
Monika Skadborg is a Board Member in the European Youth Forum representing more than 100 youth-led organizations in Europe. Her portfolio includes supporting those members in fighting the climate crisis and striving towards sustainable development. In her own country, she chairs the Youth Climate Council, which is an advisory body to the climate minister.
Ashok KRISHNAN
Blue Ribbon Movement, India
Ashok is a volunteer for an urban youth movement concentrating on nurturing young leaders through a journey of civic action in communities and following a deep democratic process of 100% consent (Sarv-anumati) for its internal functioning. He is anchoring the Campaigns and Events vertical of the movement which facilitates a connection and interaction between the alternative communities.
Gianluca PIRAN FUSELLI
Global Peace Chain - Country Director, Asociación Conciencia (San Juan) - Youth Team Leader, Argentina
Gianluca was raised in a State where political participation is a must, having made him involve in education and human rights issues since he was in the middle school. In 2014 he started participating in the public arena from leading his State Federation of Secondary Students to founding his own project the Foreign Affairs and International Politics Student Society and volunteering for Tadamon (Multicultural Egyptian Council for Refugees). Currently, he is in his last year of a Licentiate degree in Political Sciences, while he also keeps an active role at college level participating as student teacher, at local level as a team leader for Asociación Conciencia, and at international level being the country director of Global Peace Chain.
Natascha SKJALDGAARD
External Representative for the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), member of the Advisory Council on Youth and Global Youth Advisor in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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