National Youth Forum on Green Solutions in Bangladesh, 11, 18-19 December 2012

National Youth Forum on Green Solutions in Bangladesh, 11, 18-19 December 2012

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) values the potential role that young people can play in promoting sustainable mountain development in the greater Himalaya region. Through the Youth Engagement in Sustainable Mountain Development (Y4SMD) initiative, ICIMOD has been informing and empowering youth from the Asia Pacific region and building their capacity to bring about positive changes in society. The Y4SMD network is made up of over 4,000 youth from the region and beyond, with a majority from ICIMOD’s eight regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. To date, the Y4SMD initiative has implemented over 50 major youth events, including a Global Youth Forum at the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil in June 2012.

The National Youth Forum on Green Solutions in Bangladesh, organized by ICIMOD, our Youth Forum Alumni in Bangladesh and Green Hill, aims: 

·         To take ICIMOD’s youth initiative at national and local level and promote youth actions.

·         To promote SMD relevant education and discussions in Bangladesh among youth living in mountainous areas.

·         To share widely SMD relevant outcome of the Rio+20 Conference, UNFCCC COP18 and APGYF 2012

·         To enhance youth capacity to understand mountain issues and develop green solutions.

·         To initiative a process of developing a mountain conscious youth network in Bangladesh.

Programme highlights:

• Technical and training sessions 
• Paper presentations and discussions on the role of youth in the emerging green economy in the Hilly Regions of Bangladesh.
• Tour of sites that exhibit climate-friendly practices.
• Poster presentation highlighting ‘International Mountain Day 2012’.

Expected outcomes:

·         Improved understanding of local youth about mountainous issues like geo-environmental hazards, climate change and sustainable agriculture etc.

·         Establishment of mountain development dedicated youth’s network in Bangladesh.

·         Success replication of ICIMOD’s Youth Forum at national level.

·         Create a focal point in Bangladesh for national, regional and international collaboration and cooperation on sustainable hill management among youth.

Call for application:

Bangladeshi youth who are interested in participating in the forum and meet the eligibility criteria outlined below are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience.  

• Applicants must be: 
• Bangladeshi nationals 
• 18–29 years of age 
• From or currently residing in any districts of the country, but youths from Hilly Regions will get preference.
• Applications must be submitted through the online system HERE no later than 02 December 2012.
• Applicants will be selected by a small committee of experts. Selected applicants will be notified by 5 December 2012.   
• The organizers will cover expenses related to participation in the National Youth Forum (roundtrip travel, food, and lodging).

For further information, please write to Marufa Ishaque at marufa_ishaque@yahoo.com.

Keep track of ICIMOD youth events and announcements:

• http://ww.facebook.com/APY.Rioplus20
• http://ww.facebook.com/apmnicimod 
• http://ww.facebook.com/icimod
• https://twitter.com/#!/apmnicimod
• http://twitter.com/icimod 

Subscribe to the Mountain Forum/Asia Pacific Mountain Network at www.mtnforum.org/en/users.

Please kindly circulate this announcement in your networks.

ICIMOD’s Youth Initiative – Youth for Sustainable Mountain Development (Y4SMD): A legacy of its own

ICIMOD’s Youth Forum timeline:

2010: SERVIR-Himalaya Youth Forum on Empowering Youth with Earth Observation Information for Climate Actions 1-6 October 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

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2011A: Asia Pacific Youth Forum on Climate Actions and Mountain Issues, 8-12 August 2011 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2011B:  SERVIR-Himalaya Sub-regional Youth Forum (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) on Climate Actions in the Himalaya at Bhutan Climate Summit, 14 – 19 November 2011 in Thimpu, Bhutan

2011C: SERVIR-Himalaya National Youth Forum on Climate Change, 5-8 December 2011 in Islamabad, Pakistan

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2012A: SERVIR-Himalaya National Youth Forum on Climate Change, 23-26 January 2012, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2012B: Global Youth Forum on Mountain Issues and Sustainable Actions at Rio+20 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2012C: Asia Pacific Graduates' Youth Forum on Green Economy, 25-29 September 2012 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2012D: South Asian Youth Forum on Mountain Issues and Sustainable Actions in Islamabad, Pakistan (planned)

Other Major Youth Activities:

2009A: E-discussion on The Young Can Do! Let's Protect Forests with Our Hands, 29 April to 27 May 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal

2009B: Beginning of the youth for Sustainable Mountain Development (Y4SMD) initiative at ICIMOD, with launch of the special report ‘The Young Can Do!’, 12 August 2009, Kathmandu, Nepal

2009C: Cosponsored First South Asian Youth Summit on Climate Change,  3-6 September 2009, Dhulikhel, Nepal

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2010A: ICIMOD-British Council First Café Scientifique in Asia on Climate Change Adaptation, 25 February 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2010B: ICIMOD-British Council Workshop on Creating a Sustainable Network of Climate Change Champions from Bangladesh, Nepal and Uzbekistan, 19-24 September 2010  in Kathmandu, Nepal

2010C: Cosponsored International Graduate Conference on Climate Change and People, 15-19 November 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2010-2011: Promoting Herbal Gardens in Schools

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2011A: Youth and Climate Change Poster Competition, January-February 2011, Kathmandu, Nepal

2011B: ICIMOD-British Council Youth Corner on Climate Change Adaptation, 12 March 2011 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2011C: ICIMOD-British Council Café Scientifique on 'Climate Change and Water' with Dr Garrett Kilroy, 25 March 2011, Kathmandu, Nepal

2011D: South and Central Asia regional virtual consultation on youth perspectives on Rio +20, 9-29 May 2011 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2011E: Asia Pacific Youth on Green Economy-Special Side Event at the UNEP-TUNZA Conference, 27 September 2011 in Bandung, Indonesia

2011F: Contributed to Panel Discussion on Youth Engagement on Climate Change & Rio+20 Processes at UNFCCC COP17, 8 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa

2011G: ICIMOD-CONDESAN-SDC and VerbierGPS: Engaging Children and Youth in Mountain Development (Asia, Europe and South America) – Test launch of the World Mountain Forum, 11 December 2011 in Kathmandu, Nepal

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2012A: Earth Debate in the Hindu Kush–Himalayas - 'Ecosystem economics – can we put a price on nature?', 24 February 2012 in Kathmandu, Nepal

2012B: Youth and Adaptation panel discussion at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, 12-13 March 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand

2012C: Youth Perspectives on Promoting Green Economy in South and Central Asia at Planet Under Pressure 2012, 26 March 2012, in London, UK

2012D: Formation of ‘Asia Pacific’ and ‘Nepal’ task Forces on Rio+20 and advocacy in Nepal, HKH and globally, January-August 2012 (http://nepaliyouthrio20.blogspot.com/,http://rioplus20.blogspot.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/APY.Rioplus20)

2012E: ICIMOD Funded Youth Alumni organised ‘Youth and Green Economy’ and ‘My sustainable dream and practice’ side events at the UNCSD MGCY Youth Blast Conference, 8-12 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ICIMOD Publications on Youth:

2009: The Young Can Do! Let's Protect Forests with Our Hands : e-discussion summary, 12 August 2009 (International Youth Day)

2010: Asia-Pacific Mountain Courier : Special issue on youth and climate change

2011: Asia-Pacific Mountain Courier : Special issue on youth action for climate change through art (International Youth Day)

2011: Asia- Pacific Mountain Courier : Special issue on youth perspectives on Rio+20

2011: Conserve, Construct and Celebrate Mountains: Test Launch of the World Mountain Forum (WMF) for Sustainable Development, 11 December 2011 (International Mountain Day)

ICIMOD Multimedia Products aimed at Youth:

2011: Herbal Gardens in Schools

2011: The Hindu Kush-Himalayan approach to conservation, construction, and celebration

2011: Prakriti Prem (Nature Love)

2012: Sights and sounds of the mountains

For more information:

Tek Jung Mahat, Team Leader and Utsav Maden, Events Manager at youthmedia@icimod.org.

Call for applications for the Asia-Pacific Graduates' Youth Forum on Green Economy

Call for applications for the Asia-Pacific Graduates' Youth Forum on Green Economy

25–29 September 2012, Kathmandu, Nepal

Through its Asia-Pacific Mountain Network (APMN), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has been engaging youth and building their capacity to bring about positive changes in society through several different initiatives. Since it began in 2009, the global membership of the Youth Engagement in Sustainable Mountain Development (Y4SMD) initiative has grown to 2,000 members, a majority of whom are from ICIMOD’s regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. In 2010, ICIMOD started organizing youth forums in member countries to build the technical capacity and leadership skills of youth in the region as well as enhance their knowledge on the most burning issues in mountain development. In 2011, these forums were expanded to include the entire Asia-Pacific region, and the recent Global Youth Forum on Mountain Issues and Sustainable Actions, held in conjunction with the Rio+20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, included participants from around the globe.

Building on the success of these ventures, ICIMOD is now partnering with the Consortium for Capacity Building (CCB) at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Small Earth Nepal (SEN) to bring together young graduates from the region and develop their knowledge on green economy at the second Asia-Pacific youth forum.

The Asia-Pacific Graduates' Youth Forum on Green Economy – to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, 25–29 September 2012 – will bring together 40 participants from more than 15 countries who are engaged in sustainability issues. With technical support from several leading institutions, the five-day programme will include capacity building and knowledge exchange sessions, leadership exercises, and excursions to nearby environmental projects.

This forum has been made possible with support from the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) under the CAPaBLE Program. It is also supported by the Government of Nepal, the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the Mountain Partnership (MP), the United States Agency for International Development/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), Small Earth Australia (SEA), and the Centre for Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Who can apply?                                                                      

Youth between the ages of 18 and 30 from the Asia-Pacific region with an academic or a professional degree in related fields are eligible to apply. Those with demonstrated leadership in the green economy sector are strongly encouraged to apply.

Sponsorship

Partial funding (including round-trip airfare and local expenses) is available for deserving candidates from the Asia-Pacific region. Funding details are available upon request.

Selection                                                                                                                                  
The names of selected participants will be posted on ICIMOD web (http://www.icimod.org/?q=8189) and Facebook page. Selected participants will also be notified via email.          

                       

Selected participants will be required to present a copy of their valid passport/national identity card from their stated country of origin. Inability to do so will result in disqualification from the programme.

How to Apply?

Please click here for the application form.

Deadline for Application:

17 August 2012

For further information, pls write to:

Initiative Leader: Mr. Tek Jung Mahat

Event Focal Point: Mr. Utsav Maden, umaden@icimod.org.

Best,

Tek