We’re Building a Global Movement

The title says it all – we’ve gone global. And it’s not just because of Saturday.

Photo courtesy of 350.org (and inspiring people in London, Sydney, and Copenhagen)

I won’t even try to sum up the awesomeness that was the October 24th International Day of Climate Action. Instead, I’m thinking about how this fits into the even bigger awesomeness that is the international youth climate movement:

International Day of Climate Action – Yesterday was the largest day of distributed political activism ever. It was temporarily the top news story globally. While people of all ages can celebrate in making this day happen, youth played a huge role in creating and participating in many of the actions, in spreading the popularity of the day of action, and working behind the scenes (or more likely in the middle of them) as members of the 350.org staff.

The YOUNGOs – International youth have recently become a recognized constituency within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations. Called the YOUNGOs (youth nongovernmental organzations), they now have the same rights, privileges, responsibilities, and representation as businesses, indigenous peoples, or environmental organizations. That couldn’t have happened until youth had developed the size, institutional and policy knowledge, and organizational capacity to handle such a full-contact struggle for a safe, stable future.

Since the first explosion of youth participation in the climate negotiations in December 2005 in Montreal, to the beginnings of an organized, year-round youth presence after the December 2007 negotiations in Bali, we now have a coordinated, lasting, increasingly (but not perfectly) inclusive and diverse coalition of young people from all over the world participating in the climate negotiations year-round, and actually having an impact with our coalition-building, heartbreaking and eye-catching demonstrations, thoughtful policy submissions, and creative and honest speeches.

Global Power Shifts – What only two years ago was a cool, inventive meeting of mostly United States youth climate leaders in 2007 is growing into an international phenomenon. This year saw Power Shift: The Sequel (otherwise known as Power Shift 2009…), Power Shift Australia, Power Shift UK, Power Shift Canada, Power Shift Regional Summits in the U.S.A., and a host of other power(ful) youth climate summits all over the world, that, while maybe not carrying the Power Shift name, definitely continued its legacy of giving youth the tools and energy to remake their world, cleaner and safer. Transformative meetings, like the Indian Youth Climate Network’s Badlaav, shouldn’t have to call themselves by the Power Shift name, but they are empowering youth just the same.

The Next Bold Move – Despite all of this exciting progress, let’s not kid ourselves that we’ve accomplished all we need to. The planet is still warming up. And so are we. The International Day of Action might just have been the next in a continuing series of coordinated youth actions. Earlier this year, international youth staged a coordinated embassy lobbying campaign in almost a dozen cities. Having youth from a bunch of different countries show up at your country’s consulate door to talk about climate change is uncommon enough. Seeing us show up at them in multiple countries in the same week really got their attention.

So what’s next?! What about multiple, coordinated Power Shifts all happening at the same time worldwide? This already sort of happened October 9-11, when UK Power Shift, Power Shift Indiana, and Power Shift Michigan all held summits. Imagine that, but bigger and more diverse, virtually linking summit after summit together, youth literally seeing each other learn the skills and build the passion needed to care for our world and each other. Imagine not just a coordinated embassy letter drop, but massive simultaneous lobbying of legislatures and elected leaders the world over. Imagine an endless string of Power Vote campaigns – election after election in country after country, the same clean energy message echoing planetwide. Imagine youth taking their organized constituency to every major international negotiation affecting our climate, our jobs, our development, our environment, our rights … affecting our very quality of life.

Imagine that, and you’ve just dreamed of change. And we’re making it happen.