A CALL TO ACTION. Young people play the malaria game at the Branch offices

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1 U ganda is very vulnerable to adverse effects of Climate Change, as more threatening signs are unveiling in the different Districts of the country; Malaria breakouts in Kabale the once cold area, mudslides in Bududa due to increasing amounts of drastic rainfall, Flooding in Soroti among the many examples recorded. Many National and private social, economic, cultural and political objectives are increasingly becoming difficult and expensive to attain due to the effects the climate hazards which are directly and indirectly leaving on almost all A CALL TO ACTION The complex and multifaceted challenges of our times call for an urgent and holistic response. An indepth rethinking of development in all its dimensions is imperative. The future needs green economies. The future needs green societies citizens livelihoods and natural resources tampered with. Despite the global climate change Danger, many Ugandans do not know the basics of the climate change causes and outcomes. Increasing level of poverty and climate refugees will definitely be recorded until every individual contributes positively in the fight against climate change in the simplest way as adaptation techniques are embraced. Uganda has so far experienced an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events with serious socio-economic and political consequences. We live in a globalised world where humanitarian challenges need collective innovations and adaptability, Many National and private social, economic, cultural and political objectives are increasingly becoming difficult and expensive to attain due to the effects of climate hazards which are directly and indirectly living on almost all citizens, the achievement of food security, the question of disaster risk resilience, and the duty to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability through information dissemination and ground work are the most driving objects of the HCF, further more The need for improved advocacy and decentralized capacity building Programs of action is of more significance, now that the livelihoods of the local people are threatened by the over whelming effects of climate change. The Humanitarian Youth Climate Change Forum (HCF) is confronting the global challenge, through ground up actions for improved mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The forum will build on the unique Networks of Red Cross millions of volunteers to address the need for grass root action and advocacy. Games can be used both formally and informally, during school hours or after hours with youth groups. They can be used as short activities during community risk assessments or as longer sessions acting as information channels focusing on young people and climate change as well as DRR. Short activities, for example, can be used by youth groups, teachers, or other planners to fill gaps of time, such as an extra ten minutes between lessons or at the beginning of a community meeting. They can be used to simply get young people thinking about climate change and its effects before they become involved in other lessons or activities. Youth leaders, teachers, or relevant community groups will be integrated from time to Young people play the malaria game at the Branch offices Theses games will be a focus to create capacity in schools for this Road Map campaign time The Branch has a dedicated Kweyunga Emmanuel Playing a climate change game with other IFRC Youth climate Spokespersons in a hotel in Cancun, Mexico 2010 Attending the United Nations Conference on climate change volunteer force and for years after one its own has been at the international level as spokesperson for climate change in Cancun and Durban, climate change Mitigation and adaptation programs have been given the first priority in its outreach programs. At the fellowship the first Saturday of May, a malaria game was played linking effects of malaria to the already vulnerable communities in Entebbe sub-district, Young people learnt form the game, how breeding places are so vital for multiplication mosquitoes and further the necessity of sleeping under a mosquito treated net as a defensive action bites

2 Climate change is one of the most serious global threats to our environment, our economies and our lives. But why is the Earth's climate changing? Why is it heating up? The atmosphere is like a blanket or greenhouse, trapping heat escaping from the Earth's surface. Carbon dioxide is very effective at trapping heat, and as we burn more wood, coal, gas and oil than ever before, we release more carbon dioxide into this blanket. At the same time, we are cutting forests and changing agricultural land use, so that less carbon dioxide is returned to the soil. As the Earth's atmosphere becomes warmer, we expect temperature to rise, storms to increase, and rain and snowfall patterns to change. The world's political leaders responded to this threat by signing an international agreement called the "Framework Convention on Climate Change" in 1992, designed to reduce the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Later, in 1997, leaders from 159 countries gathered in Japan to hammer out a more specific agreement. Known as the Kyoto Protocol, which commits industrialized countries to cut their emissions of these greenhouse gases. In November 1998, another global meeting produced the "Buenos Aires Action Plan," establishing deadlines to meet targets for emissions reductions In participating school, discussion forum will be open to the whole school during assemblies and Friday Debates talking about the following: What climate change means to you and how will it affect your life? What would you tell your friends, family and community about climate change? What changes would you make to the way you live now and in the future to help prevent climate change from affecting your life? What would you do to get people you know to make the same changes in their lives? Each week, we'll also have two of the above discussion questions: one on climate change and another on youth awareness and action. For example Climate Change Do you think it's too late to make a difference about climate change? Youth Action and Awareness 'Youth can make a difference?' Do you agree or disagree? Why? These questions will be competitive in the first phase to motivate the others to be part of the Discussion Forum; participation school will be given Forum Notes boards where successive written answers can be pined for others to read. T- shirts will be used as gifts as they can pass more information to the community, in this regards school authorities will be advised to allow the students put on these T-shirts on Fridays. This four months, of school the Humanitarian forum on climate change is designing participatory approaches to promote youth involvement in this area and to empower them to act as leaders and spokespeople, advocating on climate change related issues. The forum wants young people in school links to lead the move on climate change leadership and actions, as we recognize that it is today s young people who will bear the impact of climate change for decades to come and so deserve to be empowered to present solutions to their communities and best practices will be documented and shared across the member societies. The Branch is establishing a Tree-Nursery Bed for native trees to minimize costs of buying trees for links that will be involved in the Road map Campaign, we expect by the next rain season to have trees ready for planting in school and community links, this venture will also tackle the challenge of food insecurity, through promotion of backyard farming of food crops and Grapes that can be sold by the household to earn income for their other needs.

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4 In order to fully benefit from unique contributions of Youth in addressing global social and developmental constraints, we ought to make the youth the custodians of information and support them to reach out to the grass roots, where information is needed most. Climate change directly affects the Red Cross and Red Crescent s core work: assistance to the most vulnerable. We are concerned about climate change because it will make us more vulnerable to disasters and health problems and those that are already poor and vulnerable are most at risk. The Humanitarian Youth Climate Change Forum is a unique position of Youth in the Humanitarian Movement, the Uganda Red Cross Society recognizing Youth volunteerism as a critical player in ensuring community awareness and resilience to the effects of climate change, the forum will capitalize its work through traditional strategies for combating and reduction of green gas emission. The work of HCF will be guided at all times by the fundamental principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, independence, voluntary service, Unity and Universality. Changes in our climate are already happening. Uniting the Youth in schools and community links would be of most importance in mitigating and leading actions to reduce the Green House Gases for global benefits, and ensuring an informed volunteer force that will link up information for community actions. Urban clean-ups are one of the most effective ways to involve community in promoting their own health goals,

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6 Raising awareness about climate change and effects of Disasters through game playing Mobilizing the Youth in groups, camps to discuss climate change and assist in designing own projects to address its impacts in their own communities Operate and produce seedlings for distribution in the community and school links, part of the seedlings will be fruits to boost Household income for vulnerable communities. Making the Branch a climate centre, where the citizens can seek right information Increasing Information and creating more information channels can be a mechanism best to let every one act as a stakeholder in combating vulnerability from risks of climate change. There is need for advocacy and action for solutions, this need to be reduced through working together for a better tomorrow, the main objective of HCF is to unite the youth and train them in actions of most importance in reducing GHGs; these are traditional actions and can be implemented at link level without necessarily involving big sums of funds. Through this mechanism most of the global challenges that are interlinked with the effects of climate change and affecting humanity like never before will be mainstreamed using the unique network of volunteers all across the country. Key Objectives of HCF-Road Map to COP18; and stories from most affected climate refugees, poetry, song and music that promoted risk reduction measures in the face of a changing climate To highlight the climate change adaptation and mitigation critical role that Youth volunteerism, children, indigenous minority play and the challenges they face and promote policies that are sensitive to their need and bring together climate change likeminded institutions and individuals to a platform of action. Come up with mechanism for strengthening the voices of people most vulnerable to climate change to be heard and listened to at both national and international levels and build-up efforts for sharing climate change information and other resources through networking. Act as a bridge for information and action mentoring from the youth on the move, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre recognizing the challenges in our different communities and take on actions to reduce the impact of climate change by preparing our communities to deal with the consequences To ensure that the Branch takes on community trainings in life skills and recognize participation of those most vulnerable in traditional technologies that can reduce malaria, flooding, food insecurity, water contamination, and energy saver stoves. Mobilize and strengthen communities and youth at link levels to collectively address structures, mechanisms and processes that influence pro-poor climate change adaptation. (game playing involving the parliamentary forum on climate change and Grassroot citizens) To formulate programs for improved actions at the ground level and dissemination of information about climate change viable for Ugandans, (the Discussion Forum will generate more information to direct actions at school and individual level). Questions have been set seeking answers from young people and these will feed into the National targets. Most importantly, this being one of its kinds, the objective is to explore strategies that make the Youth and volunteerism an integral and regular component of future resilience Challenges The whole program is participatory with no source of funding, and this makes the running of the activities hard to scale up, the Nursery Bed needs funds, the outreach programs needs funds and in addition the Branch has no means of transport To design learning forums in schools and communities, through Drama festivals, camps painting competitions

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