To mitigate climate change: Organisation empowers youth with leadership, decision making skills.

The training was organised at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES, premises in Yaounde on October 22 and 23, 2024.

It aimed at addressing practical aspects of green governance, emphasising the need for a more inclusive and participatory approach to policy-making at the local level. 

Before the Yaounde workshop, the project, spearheaded by the Young Volunteers of the Environment popularly known in French as JVE Cameroon and supported by the European Union’s WYDE Civic Engagement Programme, had offered online training to the selected youth since June 2024.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Project Lead of UniGoVe, Hervé Makebel, stressed the vulnerability of certain social groups to climate change. 

“According to a recent JEV report, youth, women, and children have been identified as the most vulnerable social categories to climate change. In light of this, we deemed it crucial that these populations have a say in the decision-making processes concerning the issues that affect them most. That is why we chose to empower them through this project,” Makebel said. 

He went on to detail the journey of the UniGoVe project, stating that the young people were first drilled online, on themes such as citizen engagement and green fund management. 

“From June 18 to September 6, 2024, we organised 14 online workshops, allowing young people to deepen their knowledge on various topics. This face-to-face workshop marks the culmination of these efforts, bringing together participants eager to take an active role in addressing the challenges of tomorrow,” he disclosed

Makebel further explained that the training aims to create an intergenerational dialogue between decision-makers and aspiring young leaders. 

“Sessions focused on the practical application of green governance, including local development, decentralisation, and the promotion of sustainable policies that reflect the concerns of vulnerable communities,” the UniGoVe Project Lead detailed.

Enter FES Country Director  

According to the Country Director of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Cameroon and Central Africa, Christian Klatt, the workshop was all about the inclusion of youth and women’s roles in shaping a just future.

“At FES, participation and inclusivity are core values. It is therefore essential for everyone; youth, experienced individuals, women, and men to contribute, as each group brings a unique perspective to development,” Klatt said. 

To him, the goal is to foster a collaborative environment that supports the emergence of inclusive local policies, ensuring that the voices of youth and women are heard and that they play a central role in shaping the future of green governance in Cameroon.

Participants commit to sustainable env’t 

Trainees expressed enthusiasm after the session and committed to contributing their own quota in mitigating climate change. 

One of them, Nyotue Guilene, a graduate of the International Relations Institute, IRIC, in Yaounde who spoke to reporters, said: “I am deeply inspired by the discussions and insights gained from this workshop”.

Nyotue added that: “The emphasis on green governance and the need for youth and women to be at the forefront of decision-making has truly resonated with me”. 

According to Nyotue, climate change and sustainable development are not just theoretical concepts but issues that directly impact daily lives and the future of communities. 

Nyotue said he feels a renewed sense of responsibility to take action, collaborate with others, and ensure that the most vulnerable groups, like youth and women, have a stronger voice in shaping policies that affect their future. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3269 of Thursday October 24, 2024