Arctic Climate Change Youth Forum and Destiny Quebec 2012 April 23, 2012

Transcription

1 Arctic Climate Change Youth Forum and Destiny Quebec 2012 April 23, 2012 In 2012 Lower Canada College was given the unique opportunity to host a conference on one of the most crucial issues of our time Arctic climate change. The International Polar Year (IPY) Conference was being held in Montreal in April and was attracting approximately 3,000 scientists to the city. We were asked to host the Youth Conference that is held in conjunction with the IPY. As such we had the opportunity to work in collaboration with the University of Manitoba, McGill University, the Centre for Earth Observation, ArcticNet Inc. and Schools on Board and attract the foremost scientists, environmentalists and political thinkers on climate change in the Arctic. They presented to over 200 student delegates to help raise awareness of the full magnitude of what is happening in our polar regions, and the environmental, cultural and political implications of these changes for our future. Collaborating with so many partners was an important learning experience for our student leaders. While they had less input this year into the overall theme of the conference, they had more choice in conference presenters and had to adjust the usual structure of the conference to adapt to the unique objectives of our partners. This meant that our committee members, including our Co-chairs Kevin Fraser and Hélène Osterman, had to engage in a great deal of critical thinking and problem solving. In the end they did a fantastic job organizing the conference and ensuring that it came off with as few glitches as possible. Lower Canada College student planning committee Students were exposed to an amazing array of speakers during the day of the conference. Our day started out with an opening assembly attended by the 220 delegates, plus all of the members of our senior school. The opening keynote address was given by Dr. David Barber, Canada s Research Chair in Arctic System Science, and head of a team of 200 international researchers in examining how global warming in the Arctic predicts the effects of climate change on our planet. He set the tone for the conference by giving a logical overview of the science of arctic climate change and the impact on the environment.

2 We then held a variety of small seminar presentations where delegates were allowed to choose between topics as diverse as the health and social issues of climate change to the issue of arctic sovereignty. We had 30 presenters come to the school to lead the seminar sessions. Prior to our lunch break we had the second keynote address by Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Inuit activist, former chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference and nominee for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. She delivered an impassioned speech on the impact of arctic climate change on the indigenous populations of the arctic. We ended the day with a dynamic Town Hall in which we had representatives from four major national political parties and two representatives from the arctic discuss policy issues stemming from this topic. Sheila Watt-Cloutier We really hope that this year s conference can be a stepping-stone for further partnerships in years to come. Our goal would be to align the conference with universities and foundations interested in important issues such as climate change, the global economy and Quebec s potential role in addressing such issues. In this way we can augment the experience for our students, but also broaden the impact of the conference to include more delegates from local, regional, national and even international schools. It is only through open, informed dialogue that we can hope to give our young people the tools to be future problem solvers and visionaries. Co-chairs Kevin Fraser and Hélène Osterman, Dr. David Barber, workshop, student participant addressing the political panel

3 I would like to thank all of the student committee members, plus the faculty that supported the conference this year. Marguerite Comley (Head of the Science Department), Emmanuel Soret (Modern Languages Department), and Maureen Webster (Social Sciences Department) all helped to organize the conference, but also helped to integrate the issues of Arctic climate change into their respective curriculums. All and all the conference was a huge success and a real tribute to team work. Respectfully submitted, Patrick Peotto Assistant Head Advancement and DQ Faculty Liaison

4 Table 1. Seminar topics and descriptions offered at the 2012 DQ/ACCYF. Opening Keynote Speaker The Science and Implications of Arctic Climate Change: Dr. David Barber Seminar Topic Seminar Description A. Health & Social Issues How is climate change affecting the quality of life of people in the Arctic? B. Geocryology C. Economic Development D. Technology Transfer E. Arctic Sovereignty F. Arctic Ocean Exploration & Research G. Indigenous and Local Knowledge H. Science in Action What impact is climate change having on the Arctic environment and geography? What are the possibilities and potential implications of economic development in the high north? How is Arctic research being used to further advances in other fields of research? What should governments and citizen groups be doing to deal with the rapid climate change in the Arctic? What are the obstacles that researchers and others face in the high Arctic? How can scientists use local knowledge of indigenous peoples on climate change? Research scientists will give practical demonstrations of the science of Arctic climate change research. Second Keynote Address Political Town Hall Climate Change and the Impact on Indigenous Cultures: Sheila Watt-Cloutier From knowledge to action: a town hall presentation by representatives of the Federal Government, Provincial Government, Federal Opposition, Green Party and Arctic Youth Leader. Table 2. List of schools/organizations and locations that participated in the 2012 DQ/ACCYF on April 23, 2012 in School/Organization Name Location Lower Canada College (Host school) Villa Maria High School Kuper Academy Lester B. Pearson School Board Trafalgar School for Girls Queen of Angels Academy Dorval, QC Kells Academy West Island College Vanguard Intercultural High School Bialik High School College Francais Marianolopolis College

5 Kangidluasuk Student Program Parkland Secondary School Grant Park High School Elmwood High School Moose Kerr School Diamond Jenness University of Cape Coast Cortez Middle School Nain, Labrador North Saanich, BC Winnipeg, MB Ottawa, ON Aklavik, NWT Hay River, NWT Cape Coast, Ghana Cortez, Colorado, USA Table 3. Summary of High School Delegates Category Number Participated Number of Students 217* Number of Teachers 18 Number of Schools 20 Number of Provinces 5 Number of Territories 1 Other Countries USA, Ghana *Includes planning committee Table 4. Special Guests attending DQ/ACCYF Name Organization Locations Tim Straka Students on Ice Ottawa, ON Lucette Barber Centre for Earth Observation Science U Winnipeg, MB of MB Mandy Arnold Kangidluasuk Student Program Nain, NL Ameena Bajer ACCYF Organizer Uof MB Winnipeg, MB Koulack Pauline Gerrard International Institute for Sustainable Winnipeg, MB Development Peter Gorrie Freelance Science Journalist Toronto, ON Michelle Watts Schools on Board Program Coordinator Winnipeg, MB ArcticNet; U of MB James Kuptana Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Sachs Harbor, NWT, Canada Emma Kreuger Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Baker Lake, NU, Canada Caitlyn Baikie Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Nain, NL, Canada Chelsea Ford Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Nain, NL, Canada Meagan Grabowski Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Whitehorse, YK, Canada Jodi Gustafson Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Whitehorse, YK, Canada Kiera-Dawn Kolson Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Yellowknife, NWT, Canada Niko Partanen Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Helsinki, Finland Alexandra Kellner Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Helsinki, Finland

6 Ivalu Rosling Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Nuuk, Greenland Kelsi Ivanoff Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Anchorage, Alaska, USA Minnie Naylor Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Anchorage, Alaska, USA Julia Loginova Circumpolar Indigenous Youth Leaders Syktyvkar, Russia Table 5. Political Town Hall Speakers Political Party of Group NDP Party Green Party Liberal Party Conservative Party Northern Youth Perspective Members of the CYLP Name or Representative MP for Riviere Des Mille-Iles, Laurin, Liu Jean-Yves Massenet Young Liberals VP Organization, Nadia Kadri Young Conservative, Alexandre Meteressian Jodi Gustafson, Whitehorse, YK Emma Krueger, Baker Lake, NU