The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) aims to bring together existing social justice and environment groups to work cooperatively on climate-change activism. The hope is that a coherent and united youth voice on climate change will emerge.
The idea is that member groups will benefit from the support of being part of an umbrella organisation, and that we can get some really exciting and amazing initiatives going, really quickly!
The AYCC is less than a year old, forming in Melbourne in late November last year. Yet while finding its feet in this first year, some great projects have begun. "adopt a politician" involves young people across the country "adopting" their local candidates to teach them about the urgent need to act on climate change. A schools program is ready for next year — young people will be trained up to do climate change presentations in schools, with a particular focus on getting active. Feeding into this is the "climate messengers" program, which will be a follow-up support network for interested students from schools.
We also hope to build on the amazing "Switched On 2007", Australia's first ever large-scale youth climate conference, held in the Blue Mountains in October. Switched On was put on by AYCC and its member group, the Australian Student Environment Network, and brought together young people from across Australia. In 2008 we're considering having a series of local Switched On conferences, and then having a national convergence at some point during the year.
Recently the AYCC member groups were involved in organising youth contingents to Walk Against Warming rallies. This was a great opportunity to make the youth voice heard and for various groups to walk together and make a powerful impression on the main marches.
Find out more at http://www.youthclimatecoalition.org.