Tackling the Problems of Climate Change

How European policymakers and European citizens should be responding to the challenges of Climate Change were the questions discussed at the 2^nd Citizens Agora organized by the European Parliament in Brussels last week. 500 participants representing grass-roots, national and international organizations such as WAGGGS were invited to discuss the environmental, social, economic and cultural effects of climate change, and develop solutions to this major problem facing our societies. 

The Citizens Agora is a new initiative developed by the European Parliament to establish a permanent dialogue with its European citizens and provide an opportunity for the different sectors of European civil society to work together on major issues concerning people living in Europe today and to try and develop common solutions.  

In this edition of the Agora, the participants discussed a range of issues, such as how sustainable use of resources could be improved, how those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change could be protected, what should be the role of education to raise awareness and influence decision-makers, in working groups and in plenary sessions.  WAGGGS worked with other youth organizations attending the Agora to ensure that the role of non-formal education organizations to educate young people on the issues and equip them to participate in the processes to find solutions to the problems of climate change was included in the final conclusions.

How the discussions of the Citizens Agora will be incorporated into the decisions of the European Parliament will become more clear in the coming months.  For more information about the Citizens Agora and the text of the final declarations, please visit their website.