Fostering Climate Change Awareness for Climate Action
Freedom of information and freedom to information are critical in bringing about Climate Action. — Nisreen Elsaim.
December 11th 2020, Revamp Rave Network launched its first book on the basics of climate change. The book called Ecolog: A Quick Guide to the Basics of Climate Change Knowledge was born out of the Virtual Cohort Programme.
On the15th of April 2020, Revamp Rave Network (RRN) launched the maiden edition of its “Virtual Cohort Programme” curated as a strategy to raise awareness and build youth’s capacity to achieve the mandate set for the decade of action. The maiden edition was to create global access for African youths, particularly emerging climate change actors to learn, proffer solutions, collaborations and take collective actions to tackle the global climate change challenges. The novel innovation started during the COVID-19 outbreak. Learn more — https://rravenetwork.medium.com/collective-action-towards-a-climate-smart-future-25f705a22a11
Revamp Rave Network in its effort to reframe challenges to solutions took advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to curate an orthodox zoom programme aimed to support young people understanding on the implications of climate change, its trajectories and the dynamics. It was to enable youths to spur more ambition on climate change awareness and action by connecting youth with experts, professionals and mentors to continue the climate momentum.
The Revamp Rave Network found one factor that plays a primary role in determining course quality, and that is participants’ perceptions of the degree of interaction which has resulted to Ecolog launched on the 13th of December 2020.
Ecolog: A Quick Guide to Climate Knowledge is an e-book that records the lessons taught during the Network’s Virtual Cohort Programme — challenges, solutions and action young people can take to create climate action, leveraging storytelling mechanisms. The book is authored by the Founder and Coordinator of Network — ABIMBOLA ABIKOYE.
The launch hosted by MAHMOOD M. MAISHANU — The Vice of Ecologistics Integrated Services and a volunteer with the Network. The guest present was Ian Spiers — the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of One Better World Collective, Nasreen Elsahim — Chair of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Group on Climate change, Gloria Kasang Bulus — the Coordinator for the African Climate Reality Project, Adel Ramdani, the Director of Steady-State EU in Brussel, and Marxine Waite a Sustainability Expert and Educator.
The virtual launch began with the opening address by ABIMBOLA ABIKOYE — the Author of Ecolog. Abimbola expressed her gratitude to everyone who took the time to celebrate with RRN. She explained how the virtual training on Climate Change was curated, how it resulted to Ecolog and why Ecolog is a book that educates others on Climate change through storytelling, encompassing the various components of life — food, water, air, lifestyle etc.
IAN SPEIRS — Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, One Better World Collective who was the special guest of honour started by appreciating the organisation and encouraged the organisation to keep on making an impact. He encouraged everyone to be driven to be changemakers. He also expressed that all youths should take small steps to achieve great things. He ended by saying; If we all put our hearts and mind together collectively and collaborate, we can make positive changes. — Ian Speirs.
NISREEN ELSAIM — Chair of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Youths Advisory Group on Climate Change who was the keynote speaker, expressed her gratitude to the organisation and for the birth of the book “Ecolog”. She explicitly illustrated the importance of taking responsibilities and taking action in mitigating and adapting Climate Change working with the six critical elements of the Paris agreement enshrined in article 12.
She emphasised that anyone in different fields can be a climate change agent. Because we are currently living the climate crisis, access to information is very important, especially for Africans. Hence the need for books like Ecolog is relevant. She said’ Ecology is a crucial step in education and advocacy for climate change. She ended saying; Freedom of information and freedom to information are critical in bringing about Climate Action. — Nisreen Elsaim.
MARXINE WAITE — Sustainability Consultant & Educator, the first speaker, stretched the importance of environmental sustainability and the essence of carbon emission monitoring and urged everyone to be conscious in disposing of waste by taking responsibilities in regards to waste management. She stated the need to lead, taking up space to be changemakers and called for collectivism. She closed her speech saying; It is time we all take responsibilities and think about the recipe that will bring about the change we need and not self-reject!” — Marxine Waite.
ADEL RAMDANI — Director and Co-Founder of Steady-State EU, in Brussel, the second speaker appreciated the organisation for the great work done. For him, the level of engagement is proportionate to the level of awareness and recommends that youths be taught how to take a holistic approach to climate change. Since there are no one size fits all solution to the climate.
He also highlighted the importance of Information, System Thinking and Creativity as a tool in taking Climate Action stating three successful principles for climate project implementation, which are: Resilience, Sustainability and Adaptation. He said; We got to understand that all crises are intertwined, and we are to make sure all people understand that climate change affects all components of life. — Adal Ramdani.
GLORIA KASANG BULUS — The West Africa Regional Coordinator at Climate Reality Project who was the 3rd speaker congratulated the Network on the launching of “Ecolog”. She spoke about the importance of Climate Change knowledge for young people and explicitly explained the strength and the power of youths united to a purpose. She ended saying; The impact of climate change soon cannot be quantified; therefore, the time to take action is now, we must get ready and equip ourselves with the right knowledge. — Gloria Bulus
The instructors and participants were happy to be a part of the programme and expressed their gratitude to the organisation for the book, “Ecolog”.
In conclusion, Ian Spiers gave the closing remark advising young people to keep the climate action momentum with creativity and innovation that can change the cause of climate justice.
Written by — Zainab Olaowo and Godiya Zambwa
Read more — https://rravenetwork.medium.com/collective-action-towards-a-climate-smart-future-25f705a22a11
