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Newsletter - March 2012

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Newsletter #6- March 2012

1. Youth Future Project – The Latest...

Welcome to our first newsletter in 2012!

Last year we spent a lot of time planning and networking and now we want to tell you about the fruits of the latest Youth Future Project work.

The preparations for the VIA (Visionaries in Action) Project is going well, so we are all looking forward to another youth conference this summer!

Especially the first Youth Future intern, Richard, has been a great support to the project since September 2011 and we want to thank him for his wonderful work.

Also, this February, we have elected a new Youth Future Project e.V. board. These core members are going to work extra hard and supervise the projects activities in their respective fields:

· Benjamin Brockhaus – Conferencing, Workshops

· Karolin Oesker – Fundraising, Press

· Theresa Zimmermann – Coordinator Visionaries in Action (VIA)

· Silvia Feige-Oesker – Bookkeeping and Legal Advice

There is also a new addition to the newsletter: Each time we will present an interesting project that is related to the Youth Future Project or is a result of the conference in Bonn 2010 (see 4.).

2. Visionaries in Action – Heidelberg 2012

In August 2012 we are going to address many challenges our generation faces: poverty, environmental degradation, and violent conflicts are only some of the predicaments influencing peoples’ lives all over the world. At times, these challenges may seem intimidating, but it is important to not turn our backs on these issues. Instead, we must be proactive in finding solutions. There are already a number of people out there who have acknowledged the pressing problems of our times and are working towards improving peoples’ lives. Some of these people have been honored with the Right Livelihood Award or the Nobel Peace Price. But in order to truly shape our future, we need young people to combine their efforts and take action to alleviate poverty, build a sustainable path to development and a more peaceful co-existence all over the world.

The key event of Visionaries in Action (VIA) is a conference to connect those who are already active with those who want to become active. Motivated young people and the laureates of the RLA and the Nobel Peace Prize are going to combine their efforts to create strong new projects that help tackle the many global problems our generation faces. With workshops, open-space sessions, and various other kinds of inputs, we will collaborate with the Laureates. With their experience and the motivation of our generation, we hope to build new projects and empower youths to take up responsibility for our future. Never before were laureates of the Right Livelihood Award and the Nobel Peace Price brought together in such a way: to meet the generation of tomorrow, to discuss, and ultimately take action against world poverty, discrimination, degradation of our living environment, and violence. This conference will take place in Heidelberg, Germany, from 12 to 18 of August 2012 and will kicks off what is hopefully going to be a long-lasting partnership between the Youth Future Project, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, and the Heidelberg Student Peace Office.

We are currently looking for financial supporters to make sure that the conference can really take place this summer! Anyone with ideas, contacts, or a helping hand who can assist with fundraising, please get in touch: alexander@visionariesinaction.org or karolin@youthfuture.de

For more information, visit: http://www.visionariesinaction.org/

3. ARS Electronica – Linz 2012

Last year, the Youth Future Project hosted a workshop during the u19 youth festival CREATE YOUR WORLD of the ARS Electronica in Linz (Austria). Now we are planning another cooperation to inform young people and build our network during this year’s ARS Electronica festival from 30^th August to 4^th September.

Please find more information online: http://www.youthfutureproject.org/youth-future-workshop/ AND http://www.aec.at/news/

Those interested in helping out during the workshop or with conceptual ideas, please get in touch (asap) with Karolin: karolin@youthfuture.de

4. Notable Project #1 – Peace Project 2012

“If there is going to be a liveable world for future generations, then only because we will have managed the transition from a society focussed on industrial growth to a society based on preserving life in a sustainable way.”

Joanna Macy

Project Peace is a politically independent and non-ideological project by the Sinn-Stiftung foundation that brings together young people between 18 and 25 years in communities striving for education and growth. Participants experience a time of reorientation, of personal growth, and meaningful initiative – what Project Peace calls “a year for yourself and the world”.

In the first two month of the program, participants live in Schlehdorf by the Kochelsee lake. Young people have the opportunity to learn about a wide range of topics concerning peace and ecology by taking seminars, going on group field trips, or working on an organic farm. After the initial two month, participants spend half a year as volunteers for a wide range of domestic and international programs. After gaining this hands-on experience, the group comes back together in Schlehdorf to reflect on what they have learned and use their new skills by starting their own peace and ecology initiatives.

The next program start date is September 2^nd, 2012.

Are you interested in participating in Peace Project 2012? Please contact us...

www.sinn-stiftung.eu/propeace

propeace@sinn-stiftung.eu or call:

Telephone: 089/72 62 67 66

We are always happy to hear from you with questions, feedback, or ideas!

Your Youth Future Team

Download Newsletter as PDF

OTEPIC

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Organic Technology Extension and Promotion of Initiative Centre (OTEPIC) Kenya project

A dream is coming true in Kenya for more and more village farmers. From a marginal life without much hope for a better future, the OTEPIC directed by Philip Munyasia is bringing knowledge, empowerment, and joy to communities.

Since 2003, the OTEPIC project is bringing change and hope to communities in Northern Kenya. Founder Philip Munyasia is a young man who grew up in this area and knows the current conditions well. As one of seven brothers, he was the only one given the chance to go to school. A deeply grateful and dedicated individual, he took every educational opportunity available to learn as much as he could. He had a clear aim: help his people to create a better life. Then the next miracles came, enabling him to study at an agriculture college in Kenya and then to study bio-intensive agriculture in the USA for 6 months. He took in all information with great eagerness and intelligence, understanding what a radical change this knowledge can bring. In his free time, he worked and earned money, so that he could buy his first piece of land.

With the purchase of the land in 2003, the project was born. Together with one companion, Philip started to grow a variety of organic vegetables, making compost, saving seeds and planting trees. From the beginning he used his knowledge to train other people. Groups of farmers are learning to work their land organically, providing a variety of crops for their families and the local markets. The growing self-reliance in food and income brings health and happiness to the village communities. Many of the participants are women. Philip strongly believes that the women play a central role: ‘Through training women, the whole community is empowered.’

The core staff has grown to four people. They now train hundreds of farmers each year on the OTEPIC land. Each of the participants is required to teach at least another 5 people, so the effect spreads ever wider. A follow-up and farmers’ exchange program has been initiated, where they visit each others farms. This brings not only deepening of knowledge and exchange of local varieties of seeds; now that they meet and work together, the different tribes also start to be friends despite their history of conflict.

Philip is avidly working on project proposals in these different directions. His strong wish is to buy a bigger piece of land (5 acres) in the neighborhood in order to establish a research and education center. Here, the first water retention space is to be built, with terraces for growth of a healthy variety of edible crops and trees together with native herbs and other supporting species. This development will create more stable growing conditions throughout the year, provide a solution for water scarcity, greatly decrease the loss of crops from pests and diseases, and create living environment for wildlife. In the coming year Philip hopes to train many more farmers, women, youth and children and to bring happiness to people’s lives.

The activities of the OTEPIC project can be continued thanks to financial contributions by many individuals. When you decide to give, you are providing an opportunity for OTEPIC to teach people and put food on the table for many families in a year.

For the development of the permaculture training and research site, more funds are needed. Contributions to make this possible are also warmly welcome.

Donation are highly appreciated ,donation can be sent here:

Jutina Leiner

Raifeisenlandesbank Wien-Niederoesterreich

Iban: AT05 3200 0000 0782 5953

Bic: RLNWATWW

Adress: Wichtelgasse 45/1

1160 Wien

Austria

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200

We congratulate all the Laureates of 2011!

The new Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award were announced today, September 29^th. The award is also known as the "Alternative Nobel prize" and is well recognized not only in the "scene" but also in the press.

This year, 123 candidates from 59 countries were proposed for the Awards. 66 candidates were men, 32 women, and 25 were organizations.

39 candidates come from Asia, 37 from Europe, 22 from North America, 13 from Africa, 7 from South/Central America, 3 from Oceania and 2 work internationally.

Here are the four Laureates the jury has chosen this year:

Huang Ming (China) receives the 2011 Honorary Award “for his outstanding success in the development and mass-deployment of cutting-edge technologies for harnessing solar energy, thereby showing how dynamic emerging economies can contribute to resolving the global crisis of anthropogenic climate change“.

For more information, please, click here

The Jury awards Jacqueline Moudeina (Chad) "for her tireless efforts at great personal risk to win justice for the victims of the former dictatorship in Chad and to increase awareness and observance of human rights in Africa”.

For more information, please, click here

The Jury awards GRAIN (International) “for their worldwide work to protect the livelihoods and rights of farming communities and to expose the massive purchases of farmland in developing countries by foreign financial interests”.

For more information, please, click here

The Jury recognises Ina May Gaskin (USA) “for her whole-life’s work teaching and advocating safe, woman-centred childbirth methods that best promote the physical and mental health of mother and child“.

For more information, please, click here

The award will be handed over in the Swedish Parliament on December 5th, 2011.

andnow?!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200

Conference for alumni of volunteer programs

Since 2010 the Youth Future Project has cooperated with the “undjetzt?!” (andnow?!) conference that takes place annualy. We are happy about the good cooperation and would like to invite all the volunteer alumni to participate in the “undjetzt?!” conference:

The andnow?!-conference serves as a platform for volunteers in socialpolitical or development programs. The participants connect and educate themselves during workshops, lectures, and the “market of possibilities”. They are going to be inspired to take action and have lots of free time to do so during the Open Space sessions, where they create and realize solutions for social problems.

In the focus of the conference are development and socialpolitical themes, social and ecological sustainability, and methodical competence for effective realization of your own projects.

This year the “undjetz?!-Konferenz” took place in Witten/Herdecke from the 8th to 14th of August.

We invite you to join next year!

For more information, please visit: www.undjetzt-konferenz.de (only available in German)

Future Festival

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200

(coming soon)

Youth Future Project e.V. in cooperation with Ars Electronica

News

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:05:00 +0200

News - September 30th

The 2010 Right Livelihood Awards

The 2010 Right Livelihood Awards: True change starts at the grassroots level!

Jakob von Uexkull, Founder and Co-Chair of the Right Livelihood Awards, noted after the jury decision:

“True change starts at the grassroots level: physicians who did not wait for politicians before acting to end unnecessary suffering in the Middle East; villagers who work themselves out of poverty; and environmental movements which unite the victims of ecological devastation. Combine this work on the ground with targeted advocacy, for example for the constitutional rights of indigenous people, and you understand why this year’s Right Livelihood Award Laureates yet again offer role models, whose work and commitment can be replicated throughout the world.”

The 2010 Right Livelihood Awards go to four recipients who will share the € 200.000 cash award:

Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria) receives an Award “for revealing the full ecological and human horrors of oil production and for his inspired work to strengthen the environmental movement in Nigeria and globally”.

: Bassey surrounded by journalists during climate talks in Copenhagen, Dec 2009

Bishop Erwin Kräutler (Brazil) is honored “for a lifetime of work for the human and environmental rights of indigenous peoples and for his tireless efforts to save the Amazon forest from destruction”.

: Kräutler (middle) marching against Belo Monte dam

Shrikrishna Upadhyay and the organisation SAPPROS (Nepal) are recognised “for demonstrating over many years the power of community mobilization to address the multiple causes of poverty even when threatened by political violence and instability”.

: Upadhyay (left) discussing with irrigation user group in Makwanpur

The organisation Physicians For Human Rights-Israel (Israel) is awarded “for their indomitable spirit in working for the right to health for all people in Israel and Palestine”.

: Dr. Hassan Matani operating on a Palestinian villager in a class room, Burin village, Nablus district
Picture: Muchamad Abu Ali

News - September 10th

We are fully booked - no more free seats at the youth conference.
Watch our daily-updated conference media...

News - August 13th

Schedule updated.

We've got new laureates and lecturers for our conference - You can find them here.

There are still some free seats at our conference - apply now!

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Good News - July 5th

We have received another donation - now we are able to pay a travel-support to at least ten participants from abroad.

So apply now...

Furthermore, we have made more donation requests - but we are awaiting confirmation. However, it appears that we will be able to pay the travel costs of up to 30 foreign participants. Just apply to the conference and aks for "the travel-cost-aplication-formular" - we will get in touch with you asap.

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NEWSLETTER 2 – JUNE 2010

Dear Friends of the Youth Future Project,
this is our second newsletter (June 2010) and we have lots of good news for you!

Exactly one year ago, June 20th 2009, we had our first meeting in Kassel to kick off the youth conference in Bonn this September.

And now the latest news:

1. Program Highlights

We have great news concerning the week-long youth conference in September in Bonn.

The schedule will be slightly adjusted: there will be more time to kick off and present new initiatives.

Numerous projects will present themselves during extensive Open-Spaces (marked ‘free initiatives’ in the schedule).

Laureates and Lectures:

We now have first confirmations from those laureates of the Alternative Nobel Prize that will participate in workshops and give lectures during the youth conference. More will follow.

Workshops

The topics of the individual workshops will be announced in the coming weeks. The specific questions discussed are also dependent on the ideas and interests of individual participants.

There will also be Cluster-Events: Ten external institutions (local community, NGOs, schools) will hold parallel events, in which those award laureates not present at out conference will participate.
We will have the opportunity to send some participants to accompany the laureates during their cluster-events and witness first-hand practical work.

2. City Event

Our conference coincides with the action day ‘Stand up against Poverty’ of the UN’s millennium goals campaign. Thus, we will cooperate with millennium goals campaign and the RLA laureates to organize a ‘flashmob’ in downtown Bonn on September 18th. Also, the UN-youth-delegates will come to the conference to bring our Youth Future message with them to the UN World Poverty Summit in New York.

More information on the UN millennium goals and the Stand Up initiative.

In relation to the city event, we are looking for artists that can give a public street performance, thematically underlining the 8 millennium goals - eight groups of participants will enact the demands of Stand Up theatrically. Tell us if you are interested in participating in or organizing one of the 8 millennium goals groups!

3. Sign up now!

Enrollment for the youth conference is in full swing – our postbox is bursting. Apart from many applicants from Germany we can thus far welcome international participants from Indonesia, Sweden, England, and India.

You can sign up until midnight of August 2nd 2010: Sign up now!

4. Fundraising

The youth conference is mainly funded by donations. Thanks to support from the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, endorsing the Youth Future Project, we have raised 80 percent of the required funds within only 6 months. Thus, we are confident about the realization of our project – all basic provisions for the conference are well financed.

We are already able to pay the travel expenses of around 10 young people from abroad. Everybody can apply. Feel free to contact us.

However, our goal is to enable as many young people as possible to travel to Bonn from all over the world. In most cases, this depends on financial support for travel expenses.
We aim to raise a further 25.000 Euro in the coming weeks to enable at least 30 young people from developing countries to travel to Bonn. Please help us: each participant paying the full fee of 150 Euro can help those in need of travel bursaries by paying an additional sum. Also, if you are connected to any foundations or individuals supporting our cause and willing to sponsor young people who want to meet RLA laureates, let us know! Contact karolin@youthfuture.de

5. Food for Thought

Jakob von Uexküll , founder of the Alternative Nobel Prize, says in his book We owe this to our Children: Had our ancestors lived like we do today, we would be here, because the planet would simply be uninhabitable.
We still have a choice, a choice to take a different course.
Goods have to be produced in a sustainable way, promoting natural balance. Energy has to be produced in a renewable way. We have to change our habits and consumer lifestyle. Global politics have to become more democratic and less self-centered.
To realize a change on this scale, the young generation needs to voice its views more loudly in all social and political processes.
One of the discussion topics at the youth conference will be our demand:
“Stop using up our future!”
---
“I believe that people do not wish to live at the expense of their children and grand-children. This is a universal value of all human societies. We have to act accordingly now, and react to our current global imbalance!”
Jakob v. Uexküll

You can find a list with suggested reading on our website.

Fact of the Month:

From Frances Moore - Lappé’s book Getting a Grip
The notion of Thin Democracy
Our current democratic system is flawed, because it has given itself up to the ‘magic of the markets’ (Reagan) and reduces democracy to two things: An elected government and a market economy – a minimalistic duo.
However, democracy actually rests on the decentralization of power. Yet, the market economy is inevitable moving in the opposite direction: there is a continuous concentration of power in the hands of shareholders and CEOs. The number of billionaires has increased eight times faster than the world’s economic growth. In 2007, 40 percent of the global wealth was commanded by only 946 people.
We know very well that markets do not automatically lead to harmonious societies and good livelihood. We also know that we thus need to regulate market forces in a way that does not give the highest returns to shareholders and CEOs, while humanity faces increasing poverty in developing countries.
More on this issue – take a look at Frances Moore - Lappé’s Getting a Grip.

Laureates 2010

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200

The 2010 Right Livelihood Awards

The 2010 Right Livelihood Awards: True change starts at the grassroots level!

Jakob von Uexkull, Founder and Co-Chair of the Right Livelihood Awards, noted after the jury decision:

The 2010 Right Livelihood Awards go to four recipients who will share the € 200.000 cash award:

: Bassey surrounded by journalists during climate talks in Copenhagen, Dec 2009

: Kräutler (middle) marching against Belo Monte dam

: Upadhyay (left) discussing with irrigation user group in Makwanpur

: Dr. Hassan Matani operating on a Palestinian villager in a class room, Burin village, Nablus district
Picture: Muchamad Abu Ali

The organisation Physicians For Human Rights-Israel (Israel) is awarded “for their indomitable spirit in working for the right to health for all people in Israel and Palestine”.

Daily Youth Future Video-Report

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Stay up to date with our "daily reports".
Our film team will keep you updated with our daily online-broadcast from our convention center in Bonn, Germany. Every night at 10pm we keep you informed about the activites at the youth conference as well as introducing some of the laureates of the Right Livelihood Award and the jury who is working hard to choose the next laureate.

Click on the tv to launch the video reports and the trailer:

Welcome to the Youth Future Project!

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0200

Find out more about the 2010 youth conference in Bonn, our partners, and stay up to date with our latest projects.

On occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Right Livelihood Awards, also known as “Alternative Nobel Prize”, all past Award Laureates, as well as a group of outstanding scientists, activists, and opinion leaders will be invited to Bonn, Germany, from September 14th to 19th, 2010.

The award recipients will discuss major global issues with experts from the region and the wider German public:

What could a sustainable and socially fair future for all people on the planet look like?
What are current global trends and which risks will we be facing? What kind of alternative models exist, providing sustainable solutions beyond short term mitigation.

To implement some of the laureate’s solutions in a sustainable way, young people's involvement is vital to our progress.
All over the world, young people will be the pioneers and decision makers of tomorrow. They are eager to learn about what kind of new approaches to economics, ecology, education, and consumer behavior can be realized.

For this reason, a conference for students between 18 and 26 will take place in close cooperation with the Right Livelihood Award conference.

During the conference about 120 young people will have the opportunity to enter into a dialogue with Award recipients, meet them in person, and participate in lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and activities promoting inspiring projects. Events involving our partner NGOs and youth initiatives will complement the program.

The Issues

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Tropical Deforestation
Extinction of Species
Human Rights
Poverty
Hunger
Humanitarian Aid
Alternative/Renewable Energy
Technologies
Climate Change
Nuclear Threat /Disarmament
Globalisation
Basic Right to Water
Peacemaking & „Conflict reduction“
Women's Rights
Protection of the Environment
Loss of Biodiversity
North- South Disparity
Management of Natural Disasters
Genetic Engineering

The world population is growing rapidly. Almost one third of all people are adolescents. We live in a world of teenagers. Young people are the future, and they will have to cope with the issues we do not face.

We use the resources of our planet in a wasteful manner. Following generations will not have access to these resources. We are causing irreversible damage to our climate, environment, and cultures.

It is possible and absolutely necessary to take initiative.
We need to change education, science and research, the economy, and our lifestyles – and we need to change soon.

We need sustainable industrial production, renewable energy, and environmentally conscious consumer habits. Moreover, we need to strenghten public involvement in the democratic process.