Initiatives

CVF Youth Capacity-Building Fellowship

Overview

In order to promote and advance ambitious climate action for the next generation of changemakers, the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is launching a “Youth Capacity-Building Fellowship” which will recruit youth voices from six CVF countries. The selected youth will receive various training and resources which will empower them and ensure their preparedness against the threatening impacts of climate change. The fellows will undergo targeted training in the run up to COP27 in Sharm-El Sheikh and attend as accredited national delegates. The fellows will represent their countries and the CVF perspective at climate-related events throughout 2022-23. The program aims to empower the voices of the youth and build a delegation that can speak to the impacts of climate breakdown on their generation. The selected fellows will play a crucial role in ensuring that the voices of the youth are heard in the climate negotiations process throughout the world.

Currently there are voices of youth who are prominent in the climate issue, but most belong to activists from the developed countries who are not actually involved in the climate negotiation process. The CVF Youth Fellowship program provides youth affiliated with their country’s delegations at the climate negotiations with an opportunity to have full access within the COP process, as well as the opportunity to be strong and representative voices to raise awareness and advocate for the cause of climate vulnerable countries. This Fellowship will contribute to building a youth constituency among the CVF which will bring forward the voices of young people who can make real change in the world.  The Youth Fellows will amplify voices of the younger generation who will suffer the most if we do not manage to restrain the rate of climate heating. 

This project is aimed at young people aged 18 to 25 in member states of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. They will be supported to represent their country at COP27 and other international meetings as relevant, and given capacity building support to enable them to speak and participate meaningfully and impactfully. 

Scope of the Fellowship

The goal of this Fellowship is to empower the youth in climate vulnerable countries and ensure their preparedness against the threatening impacts of climate change. Accordingly, the Fellowship includes the following opportunities anchored in specific training sessions conducted by the Secretariat throughout the year:

  • Comprehensive trainings on relevant climate change policy topics (e.g., mitigation, adaptation, finance, loss and damage, Paris Agreement compliance, UNFCCC historical development, structure and procedures, international climate finance access, national policy-making on climate change, policy mainstreaming); 
  • A UNFCCC negotiation simulation workshop;
  • A media training tool kit and social media communication to enable them to communicate on their experience and to effectively promote vulnerable countries priorities from the youth perspective; 
  • A real-life experience of climate change negotiations through sponsored participation in UNFCCC COP27, and possibilities to join other key international climate change conferences*;
  • A Certificate of Recognition upon completion of the Fellowship issued by the CVF Secretariat. 

*Any sponsored travel will be economy class and accommodation/subsistence support.

Learning Objectives

The Fellowship will last for approximately one year, with an inaugural timeframe from September 2022 to June 2023. At the end of the Fellowship, this program and its participants are expected to meet the below objectives:

  • Understand the climate change negotiation process, including the Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement;
  • ​​Increased engagement of youth in the role as leaders, actively working for wider climate change advocacy; 
  • Enable youth from CVF members states to be leaders in adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage, as well as amplifying their voices around the world;
  • Facilitate the meaningful inclusion of youth voices in the implementation and design of national climate policies; 
  • Gain the knowledge and skills needed to represent their country at COP27 and other international meetings as relevant, and be given capacity building support to enable them to speak and participate meaningfully and impactfully;
  • Equip participating CVF youth with the necessary communication skills to use media as a platform to raise awareness on the challenges posed by the changing climate.

Conditions of Participation

The Fellowship is open to young activists in CVF countries between the ages of 18 and 25. Applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Citizen and permanent resident of a CVF member country, between the ages of 18-25, the Fellow must be nominated by their government for accreditation to the UNFCCC and will be responsible for securing this accreditation;
  • Demonstrated interest in climate change, environmental protection and/or sustainable development;
  • Motivated to follow the training sessions organized throughout the year;
  • Willing to travel abroad to attend various international negotiations on climate change and on average to dedicate 1-2 days per month to Fellowship activities (aside UNFCCC meetings and in-person trainings)*;
  • Committed to working and sharing information with their national government and national stakeholders after the completion of the Fellowship;
  • Active engagement on social media; 
  • Proficiency in English.

Places will be allocated on the basis of interest, gender, and regional distribution according to the limited fellowships available. 

* Subject to pandemic/other travel restrictions in effect.

2022 Fellowship Activities

The following activities are planned for the year 2022/23: 

  • Training on climate change diplomacy, negotiations and media skills  (online – September  2022, TBD)
  • Climate change negotiations in preparation for COP27  (online – October 2022, TBD);
  • Sponsored participation to the UNFCCC 27th Conference of the Parties (“COP27” Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt – 6 to 18 November 2022);
  • Training on selected climate change topics (online –  May 2023)
  • Any other activity organized by the Forum.

*Applications are closed*

2022 YOUTH FELLOWS

Mr. Almustafa Mohamed Hussein Abbas

Mr. Almustafa Mohamed Hussein Abbas is a recent graduate from Alneelian University. He started his volunteer work fighting climate change in an afforestation initiative. In 2021, he joined Mutasim Nimir Centre for Environmental Culture. He was also part of the organising team for the Environmental Citizenship Award 2021. Mr. Abbas is the UN Youth Delegate of Sudan and is also a Representative of the Sudanese Youth as a Civil Society Delegate. He is an active member of YOUNGO and of the Finance and Markets Working Group. Currently, he is the country contact point for Youth17 COY17.

Almustafa M. H. Abbas

Ms. Aslhy Daniela Torres Ureña

Ms. Aslhy Daniela Torres Ureña is an environmental engineer from the Technological Institute of Costa Rica. She is a young activist from the Youth and Climate Change Network of Costa Rica. She is responsible for projects that focus on the capacity-building of community climate science, with adolescents from climate vulnerable areas, including coastal and border populations. She has worked at the German Cooperation Agency in Costa Rica, focusing on climate ambition and mitigation projects. Her areas of interest are loss and damage, climate justice, mitigation and adaptation.

Aslhy Daniela Torres Ureña

Ms. Barbra Kangwana

Ms. Barbra Kangwana is an environmental and climate activist from Kenya. She is a community trainer and climate educator at Planet One. She strives to increase youth representation in the climate space and to empower the youth to find opportunities and be more adaptable in the climate crisis. She has been actively involved in environmental conservation, climate justice and fossil-free campaigns, advocating for better policies and sustainable practices. Barbra is also the Founder of LastShade, a youth-led initiative which focuses on creating awareness on environmental conservation and climate change, as well as increasing resilience in the local communities through behaviour modification.

Barbra Kangwana

Ms. Emelyne Janviere Uwimana

Ms. Emelyne Janviere Uwimana, from Rwanda, is an Executive Assistant at Young Volunteers for the Environment. Ms. Uwimana holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Chemistry (Hons), University of Rwanda. Her main focus at present is working in the area of climate change adaptation and loss & damage. In her current role she is working on environmental education, teaching children about environmental protection and conservation, and about the role of youth in tackling climate change. She is also contributing to raising awareness on climate change to communities. Her purpose is to leave the world a better place than she found it.

Emelyne Janviere Uwimana

Mr. Humphrey Willie Mrema

Mr. Humphrey Willie Mrema is the Chairman of the Youth Survival Organisation (YSO) and the Youth4Climate Tanzanian Delegate. He leads the Youth Survival Organisation and has worked with other NGOs in Tanzania and abroad including Dar es Salaam Global Shapers Community, Peace First, Women in Management Africa, International Christian Youthworks, Singida Innovations for Social Impact (SISI), and the UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY16) under the Global Affairs Unit (GAU). Mr Mrema possesses a diverse skillset, which includes IT experience (MS Office, GIS and CAD), event management, writing skills, public speaking skills, leadership skills and digital marketing skills.

Humphrey Willie Mrema

Mr. Imran Hossain

Mr. Imran Hossain is a young climate activist from Bangladesh’s coastal area of Noakhali. When he was 8 years old, his family was devastated by the Severe Cyclonic Storm Aila, which killed his father and around 339 people in Bangladesh and India, as well as displacing over 1 million people. Since then, he has been engaged with youth-led climate networks. He is a master facilitator at YouthNet for Climate Justice, and an active campaigner with Fridays for Future Bangladesh, which mobilised the youth, the media, and the government, and ultimately led to a parliamentary motion, titled “Planetary Emergency”.

Imran Hossain

Ms. Isabel Nana Yaa Andam

Ms. Isabel Nana Yaa Andam is a research intern working with the Climate Change and Ozone Department of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency. In order to build her capacity, she earned a certificate in sustainable development – “Goals at the University of Copenhagen”, through Coursera. Furthermore, she recently joined the working team of the Youth in Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (Youth-NREG). As an active member of this platform, she is contributing to raising awareness, sharing knowledge and building capacity and skills of the Youth in Climate Change and Environmental Matters. Her mission is to empower the youth, teaching it to live sustainably.

Isabel Nana Yaa Andam

Ms. Jollia Peter

Ms. Jollia Peter attended the 3rd Youth Leadership Coalition – Combating Climate Change, as a high school student. She then took part in the Heirs to Our Oceans (H2OO) SEAL in Palau, and was selected to represent H2OO SEAL, attending the Our Ocean Youth Summit in Bali, Indonesia. In spring 2020, she pursued her A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts at the College of the Marshall Islands. While attending college, she interned at an NGO – the Jo-Jikum Youth Centre. She currently works at Jo-Jikum as PPAC Project Coordinator and is also a National Climate Youth Representative under the UNDP Deep Dive Project.

Jollia Peter

Mr. Jodahi Bezabih Petros

Mr. Jodahi Bezabih Petros has been part of the Environmental movement since his younger age. He has always been a charismatic and goal-oriented person, which made him stand out in most rooms. Finishing his bachelor’s as an Applied Biologist he explored the scientific view of the environmental crisis and then followed up with his master’s on Environment and Sustainable Development studies at Addis Ababa University. He has been a proud volunteer in various youth-led organizations such as Youth Negotiation on Climate Change Crisis, Rotaract Clubs and Global Shapers. With his personal initiative, he also became the founder and host of Joda’s E-nflunece digital show and now the Director for #Enfluencer as well, in addition to his start-up businesses called Farmboo Ethiopia and JAB Digitals.

Jodahi Bezabih Petros

Mr. Koto Daniel Dagnon

Mr. Koto Daniel Dagnon has been implementing concrete initiatives to ensure the well-being of his community for 3 years. In 2020, Mr. Dagnon was nominated as a Green Ambassador for Climate in Africa by Climate Change and Africa Opportunities (CCAO). In 2022, he was recognised by Earth.org, as one of the 10 inspiring young activists worldwide who are leading the way for climate action. Since November 2021, he coordinates an eco-justice programme called Green Amazones. At COP26, Mr. Koto had to participate in the negotiation sessions on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. He is currently a Junior Consultant in Water & Climate Change.

Koto Daniel Dagnon

Mr. Nyombi Morris

Mr. Nyombi Morris is a 24-year-old Ugandan climate activist, TED speaker, and 2022 Earth Champion Award Winner, Fridays for Future Uganda organiser, and CEO of Earth Volunteers, a non-profit organisation founded in 2020 to unite young people who are passionate about climate change, conservation, holding leaders accountable through strikes, and planting trees.

Nyombi Morris

Ms. Rubina Adhikari

“Ms. Rubina Adhikari is a 23-year-old environmentalist from Nepal. For two years, she was engaged in Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP as a thematic facilitator, where she was involved in UNEA 5.2 and Stockholm+50 processes. She is also a project Coordinator of Gross International Nature where she focuses on Climate Change Adaptation in the mountain region. She envisions becoming an environmental analysts and loves to work among grassroots communities. She is looking forward to the CVF journey and to seeing what it has to unfold. She is very much excited and dedicated to be a part of this fellowship.”

Rubina Adhikari

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