We need to make climate leadership at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen and action on green jobs the #1 issue for Canadians! We are going to keep doing quick actions on our campuses and in our communities every Monday leading up to the international climate summit in Copenhagen this December to raise mass awareness and tell our government that we want climate leadership.

In our quick actions a group of people (a Climate Crew) quickly gather in a public space (from MP’s offices to campuses) to do a quick action, and then disperse after calling MPs. If you can’t join a Climate Crew then you can join our phone/email crew and make a difference wherever you are.

Our goal is to get our government take strong climate action at home, and lead efforts to create a strong and just global climate deal. We will vary the theme every week to keep things fresh, spread the word, and keep growing the flash mobs and phone mobs from week to week.

Let’s keep bringing out more friends, putting together better visuals, doing more fun actions and calling our MPs. Imagine the impact we will have when
we show our government that we are not going anywhere and there are more and more of us each week. They’ll know we’re serious, and we’ll have fun doing it.

Be part of this!

Weekly Themes (Themes May Change)

• Oct. 26 – Time for politician’s to listen
• Nov. 2 – Reduce emissions now
• Nov. 9 – Commit to environmental justice
• Nov. 16 – Invest in clean energy not tar sands
• Nov. 23 – Create effective green jobs
• Nov. 30 – Lead Canada to be part of a progressive global deal in Copenhagen

There will also be Special Missions that will build on Climate Crew Mondays to engage people and politicians in more and more creative and effective ways.

Find the latest on the facebook page, especially the “events” – http://www.facebook.com/ListenEcouter

Email domesticactions@ourclimate.ca to be part of this.

Amber Church, National Director of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition says the actions that took place in the House of Commons earlier today during question period by a group of young protesters were not directed or endorsed by the Coalition.

“We regret that many youth who attended question period, which was intended to be an educational experience, left feeling hurt and unsatisfied,” Church said. “Throughout the Power Shift Canada conference CYCC and the Power Shift organizers have stressed the importance of non-violent, peaceful action.”

Church’s comments come as the youth coalition wraps up it’s national Power Shift Canada conference, the largest ever gathering of young Canadians on climate change in history. The four-day educational conference which began on Friday October 23 brought together over 1000 young Canadians from across the country, and culminated in a series of over 60 meetings between youth and elected MPs and Senators on Monday.

Youth encouraged MPs to take bold action to address climate change in Canada, to invest in new green jobs and to ensure Canada plays a leadership role in Copenhagen this December, when a new international climate deal is to be reached.

Young conference participants, many who were visiting Parliament Hill for the first time, were also given the opportunity to sit in on question period.

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For more information, please contact:

Amber Church
National Director, Canadian Youth Climate Coalition
778-238-9884
cycc.director@gmail.com

The organizers of the Power Shift Canada conference would like to stress to readers that they were not associated in any way with, nor had any prior knowledge of the disruption that took place during the Parliamentary question period today.

An official statement will be released when it is available.

(these are the same detaisl that were mailed out to participants earlier today)

I have been trying to save the world my entire life. I’m sure that sounds like an exaggerated statement, but it’s true. When I was four years old I dictated to my mother my first letter to an elected official and I had run multiple environmental campaigns before I turned ten. By 16 I was working on climate change and before I turned 22 I was running an international youth NGO. The question I want to explore right now is why I did this. Why would a young person feel the need to take on that much responsibility?

My generation has been burdened by those who have come before us – and in more ways than one. We face environmental and social devastation everywhere we turn. Climate change terrifies us – as it should everyone. I can’t walk out of my parent’s back door in Whitehorse without seeing the physical impacts. My friend Ben, a young man from the Pacific Islands, can’t hold back the tears when he talks about sea level rise – most of his country is below an elevation of one metre and he’s facing the reality of his nation being wiped off the map. As if the crushing weight of this reality wasn’t enough, youth have had another burden added to our shoulders – the burden hidden in the statement “you will be the generation to solve the climate crisis”. That sounds incredibly inspiring, but if you think about it that’s also a lot to ask us to do.

The good news is that we are taking on that challenge, by the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. The answer to the question of why is a very simple one – we don’t have a choice. If we don’t do something, we, and every generation that comes after us, loses our future. There’s only one acceptable option. There’s only one moral option. We do not have the luxury of a choice.

In my role as National Director for the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition I have seen the youth climate movement do amazing things. We have changed the course of United Nations climate negotiations; we have set up NGO’s, social enterprises, and democratic governance structures; we have become leading experts in climate science and policy, and the technological and economic solutions to climate change; we have led advocacy and education campaigns; and we have designed and built solutions that are making real differences in communities around the world.

So speaking now to the members of the generations who would feel awkward to be referred to as “youth”, it’s time you started to give us a little bit more credit and respect. I want to throw something across the room every time I hear today’s youth described as “apathetic and un-engaged”. Anyone who makes this statement hasn’t met very many youth. And to be clear, giving us credit and a pat on the back is not good enough – it’s time you start listening to us – and I mean really listening to us.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the body that governs the UN climate negotiations, has just made youth an official constituency within their process. What that means is that it has been recognized at an international level that youth play an integral role in the negotiating process and deserve to be heard.

Here at home the upcoming Power Shift Canada conference taking place in Ottawa on Oct. 23-26 provides the opportunity for Canadian leaders to learn from the UNFCCC and really start to listen to and value what the youth of Canada have to say. The conference, the largest ever Canadian youth event on the environment, will form a historic moment for the Canadian youth climate movement. Over 1000 young people from every region of Canada will converge on the nation’s capitol for four days of workshops, concerts, keynotes, and actions. We’ll be topping it all off on Oct. 26 on Parliament Hill for the Power Shift Canada lobby day. On that day we will be meeting with MPs and Senators, as well as asking each of the major federal party leaders to join us at our national press conference to publically sign on to the Power Shift Principles. The Power Shift Principles represent the asks of the Canadian youth climate movement of our elected officials and include: an immediate reduction in carbon emissions, investing in clean and renewable energy, creating effective green jobs, demonstrating a commitment to environmental justice, managing a sustainable and clean economy, and taking a strong leadership role at the UN climate negotiations this December in Copenhagen.

Canadian youth have taken up the huge weight that has been handed to us. I now ask that our leaders and fellow Canadian help us carry it.

You should be asking yourself: “Why Powershift? And why is it going to be so awesome”? If you’re not yet pondering these questions then ask yourself: “Why travel to Powershift Canada and why is it going to be so awesome”?

First and foremost, your presence at Powershift Canada will definitely make up a huge part of the awesomeness of this event. Also, there’s going to be amazing artists like Dead Prez and world renowned speakers like Majora Carter and Clayton Thomas-Muller. In case you didn’t know, Clayton’s recognized as one of the top 30 under 30 young visionary activists in the United States, and Majora’s an incredible environmental entrepreneur and pioneer in green-collar job training. Just type their names in Google and see for yourself.

Oh, and did you know it’s going to be the largest gathering of youth for an environmental cause ever in the history of this country –no big deal, right? Wrong. How could anyone not want to be a part of such a huge milestone? For one, you’ll be helping strengthen the voice of concern over the state of our climate to the people that can actually make a difference. Powershift Canada just promises so much!

Registering with Powershift provides the super big bonus of being able to take part in a number of different workshops related to both climate and shifting to a clean energy economy. These workshops will give all participants of Powershift the tools and knowledge they need to take the fight to Canada’s leaders and the world. And that’s the best part! As a participant you’ll not only be a witness to the event that will take place on Parliament Hill, but also one of the reasons our leaders will have to adopt a healthier and more influential stance on climate at Copenhagen later this year.

Of course, since youth from across Canada will be taking part and Canada is the second largest country in the world, there’s the whole issue of how to get to Ottawa. Well, there’s a bunch of options. You can meet up with other participants in your area and drive down together or you can check out the sweet discount Via Rail has given Powershift participants in the travel section of the Powershift Canada website. There’s also a bunch of other options for travel right here at powershiftcanada.org so keep looking around, register, and be a part of history!

If you can’t come, consider helping someone who can. Check out our sponsor a youth campaign. 25$ could be food for a day, or one night’s hotel. See you there Canada!

To learn more, check out our Programming At-A-Glance page.

Inspiring environmental activist, Majora Carter, and amazing hip hop artists, Dead Prez, will be headlining the opening night of Power Shift Canada.

Carter’s confidence, energy and intensely emotional delivery make her talks themselves a force of nature.

~TED.com

“We could not fail to be inspired by Majora Carter’s efforts to bring green space for exercise to the South Bronx. We need more ideas like these to bring solutions to minority communities.”

~ Time Magazine

“Dead Prez uses music not to lie about having expensive cars or girlfriends with big bottoms, but to rail against the inequities in American society. They do so with an insight and honesty that is rare in any art-form, let alone hip-hop.”

~ London Daily Telegraph

And as if this wasn’t exciting enough, we are also proud to announce that the Sierra Youth Coalition’s Sustainable Campuses 11^th Annual National Conference will take place this year as part of Power Shift Canada.

To learn more visit our conference highlights page.

And here are the latests photos from the Tck Tck Tck event:

Here is an excerpt:

On October 23-26, 2009, Power Shift Canada will be coming to Ottawa to take a message of bold, comprehensive and immediate federal climate action to Parliament Hill. Power Shift will be three days of training, strategy and action and one mass lobby day to hold our elected officials accountable for their part to solve the climate crisis. We also will be building a cohesive and effective youth climate movement. This will be the largest-ever youth climate gathering of its kind in the history of this country.

On Friday, October 23^rd, we will be welcoming young leaders from all over the country as they converge in Ottawa. During the day, the Canadian Youth Delegation (CYD), representing our country’s youth in Copenhagen, will be meeting, collaborating and organizing for December. Concurrently, training will be held for volunteers in preparation for lobby day training over the weekend. These volunteers will act as lead facilitators during our preparatory session for our visits to Members of Parliament and Senators.

Read the full overview here.