By NOAH/Young Friends of the Earth Denmark
A four-day online and offline political summer camp kick-started the summer of 2021 for 60 young people from more than 19 different nationalities. Now, European politicians need to prepare themselves for a killer position paper challenging the existing European Green Deal.
During the past one and a half years, young people around Europe have struggled to join forces on one of the most urgent political fights we face these years. The COVID-19 pandemic has overshadowed all other political issues, but underneath the pandemic, the greatest crisis of our time is lurking. What crisis is that you ask, in a time of political and social upheaval on many fronts. It is of course the climate crisis! But not that one alone – the climate crisis is deeply linked to the biodiversity crisis and to a myriad of other societal crises, such as economic and gender inequalities, racial and cultural discrimination, and social injustice.
A hybrid gathering across nations
In July 2021, 60 people gathered across nations and across online and offline platforms to discuss and debate how we tackle the climate crisis and at the same time deal with other societal challenges that are closely linked to climate change.
During the four-day summer camp that took place physically in Denmark, Iceland, and online, passionate young people from six different organizations held a wide range of workshops that sharply linked climate and environmental problems with social inequality, discrimination, and injustice.
The 60 participants were young people aged 18 – 30 from a total of 19 different countries.
Challenging the European Green Deal
At the end of the camp, participants had the opportunity to meet EU politicians online to confront and discuss with them their common visions and demands for a future green Europe.
At the time of writing, the young people’s visions and demands are being consolidated into a pan-European position paper, which will soon be presented to relevant EU politicians.
