Democracy and Activism is the final session in our four-part virtual conference, Climate Futures: Youth Perspectives, in March 2021.
We are joined by young people of diverse backgrounds, from schools, colleges, universities and organisations across the UK and beyond, to discuss the effectiveness of ordinary democratic processes in tackling the climate emergency. Our younger participants will be interacting with policymakers and civil servants, charity representatives, activists, community practitioners and academics.
We examine the role of street-level campaigning and activism in driving positive change in leadership, policymaking and citizen behaviour.
Guest speakers
We are joined by three guest speakers, to kick-start our interactive discussions online:
- Camilla Born - Deputy Director of Strategy for COP26, UK Cabinet Office
- Katie Hodgetts - Campaigner, UK Youth Climate Coalition
- William Eccles - Co-Director, The Commitment
- Elibarick Simon - Environmental activist and youth champion, Raleigh International
Briefing document
William Finnegan has been commissioned as a freelance Research Associate to support this work. He has prepared a briefing document ahead of our virtual conference series, to summarise existing research and guide and inform our discussions.
Climate Futures: Youth Perspectives
This four-part virtual conference is exploring how young people think about environmentalism, stewardship of the natural world, grassroots activism, and the limitations or possibilities of representative democracy and international collaboration with regard to the future of our planet.
Participants are expected to join all four sessions. Our speakers will help to frame and kick-start our conversations, but all participants will be encouraged to play an active part in the open discussions and small-group breakout sessions that follow.
Convened on Zoom to maximise participation, this virtual conference provides a platform for young people to express their views, visions and expectations ahead of the 2021 Pre-COP26 in Milan, Italy and the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26).
Our aim is to facilitate powerful intergenerational dialogue on young people's priorities for climate futures, with input from leaders, change-makers and influencers, from a range of different sectors and personal backgrounds.
We will also be sharing blog posts and recording a series of short, youth-led podcasts, to reflect on key themes of discussion.
William Finnegan will be producing our summary report, Climate Futures: Youth Perspectives, to present key ideas from the conference discussions and a series of practical recommendations for policymakers, influencers and practitioners.
A draft version of our report will be reviewed and refined over a virtual consultation at Cumberland Lodge, involving conference delegates and further experts in the field, before being published and distributed widely in time for Pre-COP in September 2021 and COP26, which is now scheduled to take place in November 2021.
Joining this session
We have exceeded our capacity for participation, with a waiting list of people hoping to get involved. If you have a confirmed place, you should have received a digital conference handbook, with joining links and instructions for each of the four sessions.
If you have any difficulties with joining the sessions, or questions to ask about how to join and get involved, please contact Emily Gow, our Programme Officer, at egow@cumberlandlodge.ac.uk
We will be tweeting from the conference at #clClimateFutures, and sharing digital resources from this session (including a podcast and blog post) on the ‘Read, Watch, Listen’ pages of this website, here.
The other three sessions in this conference are:
- Education for Sustainability – Tuesday 9 March 2021
- Green Business and Careers – Thursday 11 March 2021, 4.30-6.00pm
- Adaptation and Eco-anxiety – Tuesday 16 March 2021, 4.30-6.00pm
Chatham House Rule
As is custom at Cumberland Lodge, this conference will be held under the Chatham House Rule, to facilitate a free and open flow of views and ideas between participants. We encourage participants to share the ideas that emerge and post on social media about the conference, but without revealing who said what and when.
Further details of how this applies can be found in your conference handbook, but please email us or give us a call if you are unsure.