Climate Change Resilience
29 April, 2015, Noumea, New Caledonia – As the world prepares for the next round of negotiations for a new global climate agreement, it is in a conference room in New Caledonia that a 16 year old asks countries to remember they are negotiating more than words on a document. They are negotiating her future.
Ms. Brianna Fruean, the SPREP Youth Ambassador stood before Pacific island Leaders and Ministers today at the Oceania 21 Meeting to make an intervention during a special session on 'Youth as powerful mobilisers and a source of inspiration in negotiations.'
"Youth need to given a space and a voice in negotiations to be reminders in the room, to inspire, to know what type of future leaders are drafting for us, because a lot of the time many negotiators go for long hours writing, removing, discussing and looking at text," said Ms. Fruean.
"Under these conditions it is easy for them to think that the negotiations are all about text but these are not just words. Within these documents lies the future of our islands, your children's future, my future, and I think I should have a say in my future."
This session was moderated by the Hon. Heremoana Maamaatuaiahutapu, the Minister for Environment, Languages and Culture for French Polynesia. Other presentations shared experiences from youth initiatives at the national level in French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
With this in mind, Ms. Fruean also acknowledged the work of Pacific island youth to address climate change and environment related issues across the region, saying that while she was at this forum, there are many young Pacific islanders actively working to bring about better environment for the region.
"We can no longer afford the luxury of waiting for our future generation to take over in the next 20 – 50 years our young people must be involved now and the best way forward is through is an intergenerational approach. We need a legally binding agreement for our future to be agreed upon in Paris."
Providing a youth perspective at the Oceania 21 meeting is the first official activity for Ms. Brianna Fruean who was presented with the role of the SPREP Youth Ambassador in Samoa last month,
The focus of the third Oceania 21 meeting in Noumea this week has been to strengthen a Pacific voice for the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21). The meeting ends tomorrow with the finalisation of the Lifou Declaration, the topic of a retreat for Pacific Leaders and Ministers.
Oceania 21 is from 28 – 30 April and brings together representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and development partners.
Wednesday, 29 April, 2015, Blog by Ms. Brianna Fruean, SPREP Youth Ambassador
"Just like that the conference part of Oceania 21 is finished, all that is left is the meeting of the Ministers and Leaders to finalise the Lifou Declaration. Today I would have to say was my biggest day as it was the day of my youth intervention. People asked me throughout the day "are you nervous?" And I would say "no I'm ready" and I was ready until I looked throughout the room and realised I am the only youth representative here and with that comes great responsibility.
So as I thought about that my nerves started to make their way up my spine but I thought if I wasn't nervous this intervention wouldn't be very important therefore not worth my time.
The aim of my intervention was to push for more youth involvement in negotiations and to highlight youth as great mobilisers.
My name was called out to come up, I stood up walked to the podium and started off a bit nervous but a few lines in I concentrated on the smiling faces in the audience and immediately I felt at ease.
After finishing I felt like I did the best I could do and was extremely relieved as I sat down the rest of my SPREP delegation turned around and patted me on the back. I don't think they knew it at the time in fact they still might not know it now but just that little kind gesture of theirs meant a lot to me. I have known these people since a little girl, I've been following their projects, reading their pamphlets and hearing them speak since I was 9 years old and to have the roles reversed today made me so extremely overjoyed and honoured to be the SPREP Youth Ambassador.
After my intervention a question was asked - "what practical ways people in the room could work with youth?" to which I answered that we must talk to youth in a language they understand, use as little science as possible, have youth on board to create a for 'youth by youth' approach but most of all to be ready not just to teach youth but to learn from them because most of my most valuable lessons came from my fellow young people.
Today I really do hope that I did my fellow youth proud and I hope that the delegates are now willing to have more youth involved in their work because we are the future of the Oceania."
Ms. Brianna Fruean, the SPREP Youth Ambassador stood before Pacific island Leaders and Ministers today at the Oceania 21 Meeting to make an intervention during a special session on 'Youth as powerful mobilisers and a source of inspiration in negotiations.'
"Youth need to given a space and a voice in negotiations to be reminders in the room, to inspire, to know what type of future leaders are drafting for us, because a lot of the time many negotiators go for long hours writing, removing, discussing and looking at text," said Ms. Fruean.
"Under these conditions it is easy for them to think that the negotiations are all about text but these are not just words. Within these documents lies the future of our islands, your children's future, my future, and I think I should have a say in my future."
This session was moderated by the Hon. Heremoana Maamaatuaiahutapu, the Minister for Environment, Languages and Culture for French Polynesia. Other presentations shared experiences from youth initiatives at the national level in French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
With this in mind, Ms. Fruean also acknowledged the work of Pacific island youth to address climate change and environment related issues across the region, saying that while she was at this forum, there are many young Pacific islanders actively working to bring about better environment for the region.
"We can no longer afford the luxury of waiting for our future generation to take over in the next 20 – 50 years our young people must be involved now and the best way forward is through is an intergenerational approach. We need a legally binding agreement for our future to be agreed upon in Paris."
Providing a youth perspective at the Oceania 21 meeting is the first official activity for Ms. Brianna Fruean who was presented with the role of the SPREP Youth Ambassador in Samoa last month,
The focus of the third Oceania 21 meeting in Noumea this week has been to strengthen a Pacific voice for the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21). The meeting ends tomorrow with the finalisation of the Lifou Declaration, the topic of a retreat for Pacific Leaders and Ministers.
Oceania 21 is from 28 – 30 April and brings together representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and development partners.
Wednesday, 29 April, 2015, Blog by Ms. Brianna Fruean, SPREP Youth Ambassador
"Just like that the conference part of Oceania 21 is finished, all that is left is the meeting of the Ministers and Leaders to finalise the Lifou Declaration. Today I would have to say was my biggest day as it was the day of my youth intervention. People asked me throughout the day "are you nervous?" And I would say "no I'm ready" and I was ready until I looked throughout the room and realised I am the only youth representative here and with that comes great responsibility.
So as I thought about that my nerves started to make their way up my spine but I thought if I wasn't nervous this intervention wouldn't be very important therefore not worth my time.
The aim of my intervention was to push for more youth involvement in negotiations and to highlight youth as great mobilisers.
My name was called out to come up, I stood up walked to the podium and started off a bit nervous but a few lines in I concentrated on the smiling faces in the audience and immediately I felt at ease.
After finishing I felt like I did the best I could do and was extremely relieved as I sat down the rest of my SPREP delegation turned around and patted me on the back. I don't think they knew it at the time in fact they still might not know it now but just that little kind gesture of theirs meant a lot to me. I have known these people since a little girl, I've been following their projects, reading their pamphlets and hearing them speak since I was 9 years old and to have the roles reversed today made me so extremely overjoyed and honoured to be the SPREP Youth Ambassador.
After my intervention a question was asked - "what practical ways people in the room could work with youth?" to which I answered that we must talk to youth in a language they understand, use as little science as possible, have youth on board to create a for 'youth by youth' approach but most of all to be ready not just to teach youth but to learn from them because most of my most valuable lessons came from my fellow young people.
Today I really do hope that I did my fellow youth proud and I hope that the delegates are now willing to have more youth involved in their work because we are the future of the Oceania."