Special Feature—Winter 2010

A call to action

TreeZine SPECIAL FEATURE

In 2009, twenty-six young people met for the inaugural

New England YOUth LEADing Australia Congress for
training and leadership development, raising awareness
about the importance, need and opportunities in the shift to
sustainability.
Delegates of the 2009 congress
This special feature shows how the delegates created display their Vision Statement:
action plans which identified strategies to a united world.
Ꮻ reduce personal environmental footprints; See page 2 for more information.

Ꮻ create community projects to enhance the

sustainability of the New England region;
Ꮻ highlight priorities to accelerate the New
England’s transition to sustainability.

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 left to right Bottom Left: Gabriel &
Griffen; Middle: Kelly; Top Right: Elsie,
Special feature
Aerion & Emily.

A call to action.
Let’s come together to change the world!
Held in November 2009, the inaugural New England
Congress was one of six locations across Australia forming a
national effort of hundreds of young people developing individual
and collective action plans for sustainability.

Delegates shared their stories, actions and inspiration with

hundreds of other young people around the world through digital
media and technology, connected with other groups and
organisations in their own local communities who are already happy, healthy and equal.
Our vision is of a united world that is
making a difference, and discovered new ways of working
together to accelerate the transition to sustainable living. There is freedom and pride in our homes,
Responding to the initiative, twenty-six New England young we have a sustainable global community that is energy efficient.
people discussed ways to respond to global challenges through
local actions. Everyone is conscience and responsible for their environment.
2009 YOUth LEADing Australia Congress—New England delegates vision statement
See their ideas to create a summer of sustainability, here and
beyond!

The group vision—what do YOU want the world to look like in the future?

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 A call to action Day Three Community Presentation
TAWS students Day One: Introductions
Special feature
Gabriel & Kathryn Michel Day One

On the second day of the congress, delegates were encouraged to synthesise the knowledge and skills they had discov-
ered on the first day, creating ACTION PLANS turning their ‘change strategies’ into REAL projects which they will drive
in their own communities and beyond.
Answering the question ‘ What is it you are prepared to do to live sustainably?’, delegates mapped their ideas and plans creatively, using the model shown at
left. Presented below are some of the responses gathered at the forum:

What is it you are prepared to do to live sustainably?’

Kathryn Charlotte

Hannah

Shane

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 According to the Global Footprint Network humanity now uses in total the equivalent of 1.4 Earths to
provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. If everyone on Earth used the equivalent of Australia we
would need more than 4 Earths!
YOUth LEADing aimed to achieve several strategic priorities
identified in the 2008 New England Sustainability Forum. By developing youth skills
in sustainability, enabling youths to be heard and strengthening student and
youth networks, the Congress provided leadership training and education
to help young people to understand sustainability issues and showed
them how they could make a difference.
The response to this initiative’s call to action provided the
New England region a space and place for the young people of this
district to THINK globally whilst acting LOCALLY, and, as one of six areas
involved in the national project, the Congress was able to tie in with other
youth groups around Australia so that delegates could inspire each other and
share ideas.

Where to NOW?
Partnerships, support and resources are needed to swing alongside
the students and youth to assist these delegates to implement their personal TreeZine Special Feature—the Action Plan;
action plans. By providing assistance, the student and young people who Chief Editor: Adam Blakester.
make-up the New England Sustainability Students & Youth network Compiled and designed by: Irene Lemon
(NESSaY) will feel more confident in implementing collective action plans. All images copyright ilemon2009
In return the NESSaY network will create an opportunity to
We would like to acknowledge the support of our sponsors as well as the assistance of
identifying more students and youth who can become involved in this the Congress delegates to create this work. Further copyright conditions are available
leadership training opportunity, and the New England region will be in a at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
better place to make plans for YOUth LEADing Australia 2010
New England Congress, creating opportunities to accelerate the New

England region’s transition to sustainability.

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