Orcas Island Youth Delegation to the United Nations

“We have no hidden agenda; we are fighting for our future ... youth are not vulnerable, and our inclusion in development strategies is crucial. We are ethically and morally bound to take action in implementing the necessary measures for true sustainability. The vision must be followed by the venture. Let it not be tomorrow, and let it not be others. Let it be now, and let it be us.”

These were the final words given by the Children and Youth Major Group at the 17th Commission on Sustainable Development closing session on May 15.

The UN General Assembly instituted CSD in 1992 after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit. The Commission on Sustainable Development reviews the local, national, and international implementation of Agenda 21 through two-year cycles that focus on groups of specific thematic and crosscutting issues. The past two CSD years have focused on land, agriculture, Africa, drought and desertification, and rural development. Participation includes government delegates and civil society – this is divided into nine major groups, one of which is Children and Youth. For more information see: http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/csd/csd_csd17.shtml

Serena Sanders, Jacqlynn Zier, and Makala Forster are three sophomores at Orcas Island High School, and for two weeks, alongside dozens of youth from around the world, they worked for the inclusion of youth in the policies being created by international government delegations. The Children and Youth Major Group has continually been recognized for its effectiveness, originality, focus, and hard work. From discussing the extermination of child labor to reiterating the need to involve local communities in sustainable development, the experience and valuable lessons gained from twelve-hour days in the UN included the experience of lobbying government delegations.

Coming from a small, rural community, the Orcas students say they feel privileged to be able to participate in such a monumental decision making process in a time where action is critical.

"The voice of youth is being taken more seriously now than ever before and the OIYD delegation was directly involved in that process," they said. "We had a definitive impact on the final outcome, including the negotiated text resulting from this session of the CSD. We would like to send our sincere gratitude to all the generous people who donated to our cause. Thank you so much for even a few dollars or change – it made a difference. We are so appreciative of how supportive our community has been to us, and thank you especially to Odd Fellows."

The students will be sharing what they learned during a presentation on Wednesday, July 8 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Senior Center. There will be an hour of discussion and Q & A.

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