The Tribune

LAST week, the Regional Conference of Youth on Climate Change was held at University of The Bahamas, bringing young people from the region together to talk about the climate crisis and the climate action we all need to take.

I was on the last panel of the day, focused on human rights. Allicia Rolle, from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister opened the panel by providing context for the conversation. She gave important definitions and explanations related to human rights, and connected human rights to the issue the participants all care about - the environment and the intensifying climate crisis. She opened the discussion perfectly, by making a new topic (for many) immediately relevant by putting it in context and giving relatable examples. The participants were responsive and indicated they understood how people, and our rights, are affected by what is happening in our environments.

Steffon Evans, from Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG) Bahamas, was up next, and he shared his career path with the young people in the room. He talked about the events that sparked his love for and interest in the environment. It all started with the opportunity to join a club while he was in high school, and this is evidence of the importance and impact of engaging young people in fun, productive activities and exposing them to opportunities beyond school and the go-to career options.

Further down the road, Evans worked at Bahamas National Trust where he spent a significant amount of time outdoors, enjoying nature and interacting with people. While this was work he truly enjoyed, he wanted to be able to influence policy, so he moved on to ORG. In sharing his story, he became visible evidence, to each of the students at that session, that there are many different ways to use knowledge, experience, and interest, and that it is okay to shift from one to another.

Changing gears, British High Commission political attaché Jerusa Ali told the participants about climate diplomacy. She gave them a glimpse of COP 26, held in November 2021 in Glasgow where the climate change policy objectives included raising partner country commitments (Nationally Determined Commitments). Ali added that COP 27 will be held in Egypt later this year, and the goals include mobilisation of funding for climate transition and accountability measures to track pledges. She then explained that climate change is not gender neutral; it affects certain groups of people disproportionately. This means that our response has to target these groups in specific ways. The threat of violence, compromised and lost food sources, displacement, and death are heightened for women and girls, people with disabilities, Indigenous people, and other marginalized groups.

Ali expertly connected this reality with international mechanisms The Bahamas has ratified and adopted such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the SDGs.

One of the most important parts of conferences like this regional one is the outcome document. There are many presentations and conversations, and they are often treated as separate from the end goal - to produce an outcome document that everyone agrees on, is prepared to promote and work toward, and can affect change. At the end of her presentation, Ali reminded that we were not at a talk shop, and there was work to be done. No one was there to simply sit and listen. She posed several questions to the young people and encouraged them to consider them as they got closer to drafting and finalising the document.

What does gender-responsive policy mean in your local community? How will you include gender equality in your outcome document? How can we build women’s and girls’ resilience to climate impacts and disasters? Questions like these inspire deep thought, productive conversation, and proposals that centre people who are often forgotten, excluded, and left worse off.

My presentation was the last of the panel and the day which is not an enviable position. I started with the confession that I never intended to work on environmental issues, preferring to focus on women’s human rights and hoping to leave the former to the science-minded people. From one hurricane to another, however, I had to face the fact that the communities I centre in my work are disproportionately affected by climate disaster. There was no way I could, in good conscience, focus on women’s and LGBTQI+ people’s rights without acknowledging that the same people’s lives were being changed and threatened by the climate crisis. Housing, food supply, physical health, mental health, income, education and safety were all being affected by climate events, and Hurricane Dorian made it impossible to side step or leave for others to address.

The issues of climate and gender are connected, just as the issue of climate and human rights are connected.

At conferences, one of the most interesting parts is the feedback from participants. They often have impressive insights, challenging questions, and exciting ideas, so I engaged them as much as I could. Even as we moved toward the end of a very long day, they rose to the challenge of using their lived experiences and what they observe on a daily basis to answer the questions I posed.

I told them about my experience managing a hurricane relief centre, and I asked why they thought most of the people coming for assistance were women. Their responses made it clear they see the way gender ideology constrains men and women, dictating how we all must behave. One participant said men have too much pride, and another said it would not make sense for men to ask for help when they are supposed to provide for their families.

Another participant said two words no one was expecting - toxic masculinity. The response from the room said no explanation was needed, so he moved on to make his other points. To be sure, I asked them if they knew what it meant, and they said yes. I asked them if it meant masculinity is bad, or that men are bad, and they said no. They were clear on the meaning and its relevance to the conversation. There are many terms they have heard before, that they understand, and that they probably do not get many opportunities to discuss.

Young people are paying attention. They are observing interactions and drawing conclusions. They are encountering new language and ideas, and they are fully capable of applying them to real life. They are constantly learning, questioning, and changing their minds. It is always a pleasure to be in a room full of young people because of this. They are curious, they are interested, they are willing to learn, and they have more to share than many adults may guess.

We need more space for young people to be together, working on issues that interest them, developing solutions and testing their ideas. The regional conference was a great way to expand their networks, their thinking, and their horizons. Young people are often tasked with fixing the problems created or ignored by other generations, so the burden on them is heavy. We need to do a better job of preparing them, encouraging them, listening to them, and making space for them now. Climate change will not wait, nor will any other issue. We have to continue to do our part while resourcing youth-led initiatives and creating opportunities for them to grow, explore and innovate.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1 Visit an art gallery. We are fortunate to have several great art gallery featuring the work of Bahamian artists. The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) is a great place to start, and it is open Tuesday through Sunday. On Sunday, it is free for residents. While there, be sure to check out the sculpture garden. Just down the street from the NAGB is the D’Aguilar Art Foundation, open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whenever you’re in the downtown area, stop by Sixty 2 Sixty Art Gallery, owned by artist June Collie whose colorful, cheerful murals you have definitely seen around New Providence. Take your children to a few galleries this summer. It’s a great way to spend a few hours out of the house, and you’ll be able to enjoy some air conditioning too!

2 Visit a national park. There is probably one you have not yet visited. The Primeval Forest National Park is on the southwestern part of New Providence. Once you enter, you may think you have been transported to another time or place. Maybe both. Check the days and times it is open and make it a family and/or friend adventure.