( ENSPIRE News ) Youth Worldwide to Help Save the Planet in One Million Ways
ENSPIRE Contributor: Sophia Kang
Amid the ongoing environmental crisis, and the unpredictability of when the next environmental disaster will hit, at least one thing is clear: young people worldwide aren’t waiting around for policymakers to do something about it. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) recently introduced the One Million Youth Actions Challenge (1MYAC), a year-long initiative that will mobilize young people worldwide to take one million actions for a greener planet. On August 24, a group of local and international climate activists gathered at the Rhône Glacier for 1MYAC’s official announcement; once 12,000 feet high, the glacier has, as of November 2019, retreated almost 1.2 miles uphill because of climate change, Reuters reported.
“Having launched 1MYAC only at the beginning of September, we are now working on getting the word out and motivating as many young people as possible to join the challenge,” Rebecca Jimenez, Communication and Creatives Director of 1MYAC, told ENSPIRE. “We want to show policy- and decision-makers that young people are actively contributing toward a greener planet and thus request ambitious leadership and action from them.”
Each action involves one of the four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 6, “clean water and sanitation”; SDG 12, “responsible consumption and production”; SDG 13, “climate action”; and SDG 15, “life on land (biodiversity). Participants have one year to achieve and document their actions, either as an individual or in a group.
“On our online 1MYAC platform, youth can sign up for practical actions, such as organizing a clothes swap event, cleaning up a beach or river areas with a group of friends, or decreasing their meat consumption,” Rebecca said. “…we hope to help improve the environment through a million small steps.”
To join the Challenge, register a person or group profile here. Commit to one (or more) of the Standard Actions, ranging from low to high effort, provided by the 1MYAC Challenge Coordination Committee—or, if you have an action in mind that’s not on the list, email your proposal to [email protected] for review.
“1MYAC is providing me with a great opportunity to connect with thousands of peers who feel the same way [about climate action],” Rebecca told us. “We only have one Earth, and we need to take care of it.”
Learn more about the Challenge here. Anyone between the ages of 10 and 30 can take part.
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