Challenge to Young Thought Leaders: Can You Silence the World at Rio+20 this June?
Posted April 17, 2012 in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
I’ve blogged extensively about why my generation has a crucial stake in the outcomes of Earth Summit 2012 this June (here, here, here...). If young people don’t raise our collective voices now, nations will spend the next two months arguing about abstractions that do little to move us toward a green economy and only serve to maintain the status quo. Now, I’m really excited to join the jury of the Win A Date With History video contest to bring the next generation’s concerns and creativity to the table.
Learn more and enter at: http://datewithhistory.com/
Here’s what you do (sorry, this is only for people between 13-30 years old):
- Learn and react to what’s happening to our planet (we have some good primers here: www.race2rio.org)
- Write a two-minute speech and record it using a flipcam, webcam, smart phone...
- Submit it online at http://datewithhistory.com/
- Get your friends to vote for you!
The videos with the most votes on May 6 will be finalists. Then, a jury of celebrities (including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sergio Marone, Hayden Panettiere), thought leaders (including NRDC President Frances Beinecke, Christiana Figueres...) and Severn Suzuki herself, whose video at the 1992 Earth Summit “silenced the world” and inspired this challenge, will watch them and select one person to go to Rio to deliver their speech in person.
Throughout history, young people have been the drivers of change, often standing up for what’s right in direct opposition to the established norm. Youth voices have transformed political and social landscapes, both in the streets and on the web.
We now need to think bigger.
Rio+20 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity (literally, once every twenty years). We need to be crystal clear: our planet is in peril. We may already be exceeding the capacity of our planet to absorb our pollution while raising the standards of living of everyone to acceptable levels. The Summit should inspire leaders to take specific actions to address these challenges. The Summit should generate not only a new sense of urgency, but also a real sense of hope that we can make the future more sustainable.
Read the full list of jury members.
To learn more about what your country is doing to prepare for Rio+20, visit our newly launched Earth Summit Watch 2012 (www.summitwatch.org).
