World Student Community for Sustainable Development

Youth from Latin-America create the Allianz to combat Climate Change and Protect the Environment.

From 16th to 19th October in Bogotá – Colombia, young leaders, governmental institutions, and international agencies of cooperation gathered in the “VII Latin-American Encounter of Youth for the Environment and Sustainable Development”, organized by Corporación Grupo Tayrona under the central topic “Actions against Climate Change”.

The meeting dealt with issues of economic, environmental and social impacts of Climate Change, adaptation and mitigation measurements, public politics and participation, education and communication for sustainability, as well as the role that youth play as agents of change and social transformation.

This event drew participation from delegations from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panamá, Dominican Republic and United States and established the Bogotá’s declaration. The main agreements within this declaration include:

1. Creation the first World Student Community for Sustainable Development student chapter in Colombia, by the name “Jóvenes por el Planeta, of Corporacion Grupo Tayrona” which is integrated by students from different universities. This is the first WSC-SD chapter in LATINAMERICA.
2. Creation of the Latin-American Alliance of Youth for Environment, ALMA, this will be a regional platform to promote the cooperation and participation of youth in environment and sustainability.
3. Realization of a Regional campaign simultaneous on 5 of July called “Latin-American Campaign of Reforestation” to combat Climate Change and to carry out environmental educative process that contribute to the cultural transformation towards a sustainable.
4. Rotating of the place of the Latin-American and Caribbean Encounter of Youth for the Environment and Sustainable Development in Latin-American and Caribbean countries to promote youth participation, with Dominican Republic as the next venue of the Encounter in 2009.

Adriana Valenzuela, founder of the summit and Regional Director for Latin America in the WSC-SD commented that “the work we are developing to promote the capacity building, empowerment and active participation of youth in environmental topics, are a contribution in the construction of a Latin-America more equitable and sustainable in which solidarity and cooperation between of nations will be the basis for a different future”