POP – FXB USA Climate Advocate Youth Roundtable: Enabling Youth Leadership Through Cross Learning
On April 24, 2020, FXB-USA, an organization whose vision to promote “a world where everyone has a chance not just to survive but to thrive” and the POP Movement, “Youth inspired by Knowledge to Protect our Planet” organized a Youth Roundtable to discuss the topic: “Enabling Youth Leadership Through Cross-Learning”. The round table brought together 19 participants including young leaders between ages 16 and 23, mentors, and program directors. Five FXB Climate Advocates from New York joined the same number of young POP stars from USA, Nigeria, and Mexico for a one hour and forty-five-minute discussion.
The roundtable was co-facilitated by Karina Weinstein, Program Director of FXB-USA and Dr. Ash Pachauri, POP Movement’s Senior Mentor. The round table started by sharing what made everyone feel proud that week and talking about three things that lay near them on their desks or surroundings. They went on to discuss their commitment to climate action through an open dialogue. The young participants use several words to discuss their climate actions and commitments. Several common terms emerged, including “education, recycling, activism, political issues, communities, advocacy, temperature rise.”
Next, three working groups were formed. The young participants were divided into breakout rooms to share ideas on how they can work together; common goals and commitments; links between science and politics; working with schools and other stakeholders; gaining more access to communities to build movements; exploring ways to strengthen movements and sustain the energy of movements. They returned to the larger group and made presentations.
During the final exercise, participants shared their commitment to work together, continue discussions, and implement actions. The group collectively decided to set up a WhatsApp group to stay in touch and plan more activities and engagement, especially so they can keep moving forward during times of lockdown. They shared their reflections on what they gained from the meeting and the action they will take going forward.
The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to Ms. Bilge Bassani, Chief Executive Officer, FXB International, Ms. Karina Weinstein, FXB-USA’s Climate Advocates, and the POP Stars present.
