Grulac Junior calls on Latin American youth to act in favor of the environment

Grulac Junior calls on Latin American youth to act in favor of the environment

In time, the effects of climate change are becoming more and more evident. For this reason, whether through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the adoption of renewable energies or through the protection of ecosystems, it is essential that nations take measures to mitigate these impacts and guarantee a sustainable future for all generations to come.

In fact, according to the most recent report from the World Meteorological Organization, there is a 66 percent chance that the average annual temperature between 2024 and 2027 will exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. In addition to the increase in droughts, forest fires, and extreme rains, these variations in the average temperature of the Planet will have irreversible consequences. This concerning evidence is the reason for the Eleventh Youth Meeting from Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC Junior) to be held in Bogotá, from April 16th to April 19th. This meeting brings together young people from various countries of the region with the purpose of collaborating in preserving the environment and to actively contribute to formulate a global agenda that addresses issues such as social equity, climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development. GRULAC Junior is an assembly created and organized by Hacienda Los Alcaparros School, an whose educational model focuses on promoting, in students, an environmental awareness since their early start in Kinder 4. “Through assemblies, such as GRULAC Junior, young generations from Latin America are given the opportunity to make their voice be heard at United Nations conferences focused on the environment. We still have time to work for what is left and to restore what we have lost; and, in this process, the new generations play a key role,” said Fernando Casas, founder of GRULAC Junior

The development of the agenda for this assembly consists of conferences and panels by experts who dedicate their lives to protect the environment. The agenda also includes workshops and cultural events that highlight the diversity of the young Colombian and Latin American attendees. These students are from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Chile, and Brazil, together with representatives of institutions such as UNEP, OPOC, Universities, embassies, and research institutions.

Young people from 12 to 17 years old will be distributed to work in the following 11 commissions:

1. Jaguars: Biodiversity (students between the ages of 12 and 14 years)

2. Jaguars: Urban Sustainability Challenges (students between the ages of 12 and 14 years) 3. The Amazon that Unites Us (This commission is spoken in Portuguese) 4. Economic Growth and the Protection of Nature 5. Migrations and Displacement: A Problem of a Few Minorities? 6. Reducing the Risks of Natural Disasters 7. Sustainable Land Use: Mining and Forests 8. Changes in Marine Ecosystems 9. Youth Assembly: The Escazú Agreement 10. Inclusion and Recognition of Vulnerable Populations 11. The Challenges Faced by Social Justice in the Region A special pre-COP16 panel will be held since the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) Conference is being held in Colombia. With the support of UNPEP, on the issues presented by COP16 and in be preparation for this summit, the leaders of the GRULAC Junior delegations will participate in the conference. If you want to participate in next year’s meeting, to be held at the Hacienda Los Alcaparros School, please sign in at www.grulacjunior.org

https://cambiocolombia.com/medio-ambiente/grulac-junior-convoca-jovenes-de-america-latina-para-actuar-en-favor-del-medio