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POWERSHIFT
The future starts here

CONTENTS

Introduc)on WhatisPowershi3? WhyDoWeNeedAPowershi3? Timeline

3 4 56 7

HowWillPowershi3Look? 89 WhatMakesPowershi3Dierent? 10 WhatSupportisRequired 11 FindOutMore 11

INTRODUCTION
The challenges we face today due to climate change are unprecedented. An increasingly unstableclimatecantriggeragrowthofextreme andunpredictableweathereventscrea?ngachain reac?onofeectscausingturmoilformanypeople andotherspecies.Risingsealevelsandresul?ng forcedmigra?on;changesinrainseasonsaec?ng crop growth; or changes in ocean temperatures damaging precious ecosystems are but a few examples. Its not surprising that the sheer scale and complexityoftheproblemo)enleadstoapathy, disempowermentorevendenial.Andthatswhy theenvironmentalmovementneedstogiveposi?ve supporttobothinspiringandbuildingtheskillsof youngpeopletotakeac?onandtostrengthenits voiceandtakingforwardthesolu?onstoprevent furtherclima?cchanges. Europe, with training in current climate change issues, building solu?ons to the problems, and empoweringthemtobecomecommunityleaders totakeforwardsubsequentac?on.PowerShi)is modelledonprevioussummitsthathavehappened globallywithsuccessfulexecu?on. At the same ?me, Power Shi) will ac?vely strengthenandbroadenaEuropeanyouthclimate movementworkinginunityforafuturewecanall lookforwardto. In order to make this happen, this proposal is cri?caltogatheringthesupportandcommitment ofawidearrayofplayersacrossEurope.Weneed na?onal policy makers with an understanding of na?onal priori?es, youth organisa?ons with the ambi?ontodeliveraPowerShi),andorganisa?ons with a reach across the con?nent to support the project. With the pressure ever increasing with climatechange,acommondirec?onisneededand the?meandappe?teisripeforfreshopportuni?es to learn and take ac?on. If not us, who? If not now,when?

WiththefalloutoftheUNCopenhagensummiton climatechanges?llbeingadisappointmenttomany people,2011isanimportantyearforupli)ingand unlocking the poten?al ac?vity for change that groupshold.Theopportuni?esareendlessifthey areseized.So,wearecallingforaninterna?onal WehopeyouwilljoinusinmakingaPowerShi) Power Shi). Power Shi) will be simultaneous areality. eventsmobilisingyoungpeopleincountriesacross

Powershi)UK

Powershi)Australia

WHAT IS POWER SHIFT?

PowerShi)is4dayeventthatbringstogetheryoungpeople,youthorganisa?onsandpartnersfromall acrossacountrytoshareandlearntheskillsandknowledgetobecomeeec?ve,innova?veandengaging leadersagainstclimatechange. AHISTORYOFEMPOWERINGYOUTHMOVEMENTS Power Shi) events have been taking place around the world over the past 5 years, and each year it con?nuestomul?plyandgrowinitssize,ambi?onandcrea?vity.AlreadyPowerShi)conferenceshave beenheldinIndia,theUK,America,CanadaandAustraliathatcollec?velymobilisedmorethan25,000 youngpeople. GOINGONEBETTER PowerShi)EuropeaimstogoonebeWeracon?nentwideeventwhichactsasacatalystforthecrea?on ofanew,diverseandconnectedmovementofyoungpeoplecallingforgreenjobsandacleanenergy futurewhilstcrea?ngyouthleadersintheprocess. Ledbyyoungpeople,foryoungpeople,PowerShi)2011willbeaseriesofmobilisa?onsacrossanumber ofEuropeanna?onswhereyoungpeoplearetrainedincommunityorganising,innova?vecommunica?ons andsustainableliving,whilstalsobuildingaEuropeancommunityintheprocess. STRENGTHINDIVERSITY PowerShi)eventsacrossEuropewillaWractacombinedtotalof25,00050,000youngpeoplebetween theagesof1825,rangingfromstudentstoyoungentrepreneurs,andfromexperiencedcampaignersto thosewhosimplycomewithaninterestinprotec?ngtheirfutures. PowerShi)willwelcomepeoplewithaninterestinsocialdevelopment,economicopportunity,biodiversity protec?on and even those whose primary interest is increasing youth engagement with European poli?cs.Indoingso,theseeventswillshowthatyoudonthavetobeanenvironmentalisttobeapart ofthemovementagainstclimatechange,indeedweareinsteadbuildingamovementforanincreasein opportuni?es,wealth,healthandsecurity.

Powershi)Australia

WHY DO WE NEED A POWER SHIFT?

1@BECAUSENATIONALYOUTHCLIMATEMOVEMENTSNEEDAKICK@START. DespitetheneedforaEuropeanmovementthatrecognisestheimportanceofcohesiveandunitedwork inordertoachievechangeattheinterna?onallevel,manycountriesareyettohaveauniedyouth movementatana?onallevel. Whilethepassion,understanding,engagementandcrea?vityisthereineachcountry,whathasbeen missingisanambi?ousandexci?ngeventthatwillraiseawarenessandbringtogetheryoungpeople whosharethesamevisionandkickstartasustainableyouthmovementonclimateclimatechange. Par?cipants are all poten?al na?onal leaders who need equipping with the skills and condence to organiseonsuchalargescaleanditisthroughPowerShi)2011thatthisvaluableknowledgecanbe passedpeertopeerfromyoungpioneersalreadymakingwavesincountriesaroundtheworld. 2@BECAUSEWENEEDASTRONGEREUROPEANYOUTHCLIMATEMOVEMENT. Foryearsenvironmentalandclimateorganisa?onshavetriedtouniteEuropeancampaigningunderone banner,oneunitedmessagethatwouldbringeveryonetogethertocreateeec?veandcon?nentwide change. Butwithsomanydierentcountriescomesaplethoraofdierentlanguages,campaigningstylesand poli?cal,socialandeconomiclandscapes.Inturnthiscreatesanequallydiversesetofdemandsand messages,fragmen?ngamovementthatneedstobecohesive. Youngpeoplehavethepowertoovercomethesena?onaldierences.Withthecommonstar?ngpoint of protec?ng our own futures, we already have the beginnings of an overarching narra?ve one of inves?nginthejobs,energiesandtechnologiesthatsecureoursharedvisionofaclean,justsociety. By crea?ng this unied movement we can create the poli?cal and public mandate for governments, nego?ators and decisionmakers to invest in the world that we as a wider environmental movement strivefor.

3@BECAUSEEUROPENEEDSTOREGAINITSPOSITIONASACOMPETITIVELEADERINAFORWARD@ THINKINGSOCIETY. Recognisingtheneedforashi)toalowcarbonsustainableeconomy,ChinaandIndiahavebecome embroiledinagreatpowerracetobecometheworldsleadinginnovatorofcleanandrenewableenergy. Instarkcontrast,Europeiss?llreelingfromtheeectsoftherecessionandlookssettofallbehind missingauniqueopportunitytoboostdevelopment,provideyoungpeoplewithkeytransferableskills, increase engagement with democra?c structures, and to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and gas. 4@BECAUSEWENEEDTOBUILDMOMENTUM,AWARENESSANDENGAGEMENTINTHERUN@UP TOCOP17. COP16inCancunshowedthatthereneedstobesomemomentumbuildingintherunuptoeachCOP. Nego?atorsandpoli?ciansneedtoknowthattheworldiswatchingthemandthattheyneedtocreate aninterna?onalagreementthatprotectsourgenera?onaswellasthosetocome,andbycrea?nga massmobilisa?onearlieronintheyear,PowerShi)willraisetheproleoftheDurbanmee?ng,and thesenseofurgencythattheimpendingKyotoGaprequires.

Powershi)Australia

TIMELINE
JANUARY2011 NOVEMBER@DECEMBER2011 Partnerorganisa?onswillbeinvitedtosupportthe UnitedNa?onsclimatenego?a?onstakingplacein projectandbecomedeliverypartners.Youngpeople SouthAfrica,COP17. from across Europe will be contacted to take the leadonorganisingrespec?vena?onalconferences. FEBRUARY@APRIL2011 Applica?onsbyregionalleadswillbesubmiWedto theEuropeanfundersfortheEuropeantrainingand seed funding for the na?onal conferences. At the same?mefocuswillbeplacedonrecrui?ngna?onal organising teams and on working with partner organisa?onstosubmitfundingapplica?onsforthe na?onalconferences. MAY2011 A central team of volunteers visit na?onal organiserstooersupportandadviceontailoring the conferences to meet na?onal social, poli?cal andcampaigningneeds.Thiswillbetoensurethe messaging is relevant to young people in those na?ons. JULY@SEPTEMBER2011 Organising, prepara?on and outreach for the na?onal conferences by the na?onal leads and partnerorganisa?ons. SEPTEMBER2011 Outreach programme in the nal stages with volunteers aWending universi?es to generate supportforthena?onalconferences. JANUARY2012 Mee?ngwithalldeliverypartnersandna?onalorganisers Mass mobilisa?on of young people across to evaluate the success of the na?onal events and agree Europe through the Power Shi) programme. where the European Youth Climate Movement should gonext. CommencementofPowerPowerShi)projects. OCTOBER2011 Powershi)UK

HOW WILL POWER SHIFT LOOK

A FOUR-STAGE APPROACH
STAGEONE,TRAINING Therststageissettotakeplaceoverthecourseofthespringof2011,whereagroupofyoungenvironmental leadersalreadyexperiencedinbuildingyouthclimatemovementsandrunningPowerShi)eventswill travelaroundEurope,workingwithacoregroupoforganisersineachcountrytolookat: WhattheywouldliketheirPowerShi3tolooklike; Whatmessaging,targetsandaimsworkbestineachcountry; How to build a sustainable youth movement in the context of each countrys social, poli)cal and campaigningclimateandinlightofeachgroupsorganisingcapacity. The training will also be used to discuss what specic messaging and narra?ve themes work well in dierentcountries,allowingcommonthreadstoemerge(e.g.a30%emissionsreduc?onstargetby2020 or a temperature rise cap of 1.5 degrees etc) which can be used by the movement without aliena?ng audiences. STAGETWO,ORGANISING Even a)er the trainers have le), these young organisers will be supported by a network of partner organisa?onsaswellasacentralyouthcoordina?onteamtoorganisetheirna?onalPowerShi)conference inOctober2011. Thecentralorganisingteamwillprovideoverarchingsupporttothegrowingmovement,ac?ngasafocal point for collabora?on with Europewide organising partners, and for the applica?on and dispersal of Europeanfunding.Ideallytheteamwouldfeatureonepersonfromeachregion(e.g.Balkans,Scandinavia, CentralEuropeetc)toensureequitablerepresenta?onbyall. STAGE3,POWERSHIFT Friday: arrival of young people from across their respec?ve countries in a single loca?on ready for a weekendofclimateac?on. SaturdayandSunday:trainingandworkshopsaimedatempoweringyoungpeopletobecomecommunity leaders.

Monday:dayofac?onacrossEuropecallingforinvestmentingreenjobsandrenewableenergy,andputtheir trainingintoac?on.Acentralac?on(withatargetaudienceof5000+)willtakeplaceinBrusselstofocusmedia aWen?onandtoputpressureontheEuropeandecisionmakersbasedthere. STAGE4,POST@POWERSHIFT Inordertoavoidwas?ngtheenergyandskillscreatedthroughPowerShi)Europe,othersugges?onsarebeing collatedforprojectsthatcouldberunothebackofPowerShi).IdeasincludeAdoptanMEPbuildingonthe successhadbyvariousna?onalAdoptanMPcampaignsinCanadaandAustralia. WHEN? Power Shi) Europe will take place in October 2011 (dates to be conrmed based on a consensus amongst organisers).

Powershi)America

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WHAT MAKES POWER SHIFT DIFFERENT?

Byyoungpeople,foryoungpeopleUnlikemanyeventsaimedatyoungpeople,thisprojectisen?rely themakingofyoungpeople.Beingso,everyevent,howeversmall,becomesasymbolofthestrength, ambi?on,tenacityandabilityoftheyouthclimatemovement,andisthereforeaninspira?onnotjustto campaignersandorganisa?onswithinEuropebuttothewiderInterna?onalYouthClimateMovement. Byavoidingbeingprescrip?vewestandamuchbeWerchanceofcrea?ngasustainablemovementfor ourselves,whichwefeelownershipoverandrightlyproudof. AstrategicplanforasustainableoutcomePowerShi)isntjustanotherashinthepanevent.Ithas comeaboutthroughstrategicplanningandhasbeenbuiltwiththeoutcomeofasustainablemovement inmind. TakingthetrainingtothemBytravellingtoeachgroup(orifneedsbegroupsofneighbouringcountries) individuallythequalityandusefulnessoftrainingwillbevastlyincreased.Tooo)entrainingeventsask par?cipantstotraveltoonehubloca?ontoreceiveagenericsetoftrainingwhichtheymustthenapplyto theircommunity.Takingthetrainingtothemallowsittobetailoredandthereforethechancesofsuccess notonlyinorganisingaPowerShi)butalsoincrea?ngsustainablena?onalyouthclimatemovementswill bevastlyincreased.

NotjustaboutCOPThewiderclimatemovement has, on several occasions, fallen into a trap of concentra?ngontheinterna?onalnego?a?onsand pushingforanglobalclimatedeal.Whilstthisisa vitalac?vityoftheclimatemovement,itshouldnt bethesolefocus.Againandagainadealhasntbeen struckandtheenvironmentalmovementbecomes downtrodden, less ambi?ous, and less able to engageatthegrassroots.PowerShi)isdesignedin awaythatincludesbuildingthemovementtowards COP17 in Durban, but is focused on building a sustainable European movement, innova?ve new na?onal movements and on building las?ng collabora?ve projects. By having projects ready to launch o the back of Power Shi) we prevent our rst group ac?vity being centered on a UNFCCCevent.

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WHAT SUPPORT IS REQUIRED?

Atthe?meofwri?ngthisproposal,PowerShi)is s?llinitsearlystages.Asaresult,thisdocumenthas beenpreparedfortheaWen?onofaselectnumber ofstakeholdersandpartnerorganisa?onswhowe believewillbecrucialinensuringthatthisproject isasuccess. Primarily we are looking to iden?fy a number of organisa?ons who work across the European Union who can support this project as delivery partners assis?ng the many young people from around Europe who are already working to make PowerShi)happen.Thissupportcouldrangefrom recrui?ngpar?cipantstoeventstoensuretheyare wellaWended,tohelpingorganisespecicelements oftheeventsuchasthedayofac?ononthethird andnalday. We are also eagerly looking for young people or youth groups who can and will step forward as the na?onal organisers, receiving training and working with the steering group and na?onal and interna?onalpartnerstodelivertheproject. Although we are not directly asking partner organisa?ons for funding, it is a crucial element in ensuring that Power Shi) 2011 is a success. Experienceshowsthatthevastmajorityofeortsin organisingtheseeventsisinsecuringfunding,and tohelpeachgroupovercomethisbiggestobstacle isvital.Thesteeringgroup,withspecichelpfrom the UK Youth Climate Coali?on will endeavour to submitapplica?onstoEuropeangrantsandfunding pots, which would then be used to support the na?onal organisers in submimng applica?ons to domes?csources.

Similarly, environmental organisa?ons with experienceinpolicy,researchandcommunica?ons Shouldyoubeinterestedinsuppor?ngthisproject arecrucialtoassis?ngthemaindeliverypartner. in any capacity, please refer to the contact details below.

FIND OUT MORE

ThisprojectiscurrentlybeingfacilitatedbytheUKYouthClimateCoali?on. IfyouwanttondoutmoreaboutPowerShi)2011,ortodiscussotherideas,youcancontactEllie Hopkins,UKYCCCoDirector,inthefollowingways: EMAIL:ellie@ukycc.org PHONE:+44(0)7851276122 SKYPE:ellie.ukycc WRITETOUS:BroomBank,SandyLane,Woodbridge,Ipswich,Suolk,IP136LW

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uk youth climate coalition

uk youth united for a clean, just future

hello@ukycc.org www.ukycc.org +44(0)7851276122 facebook.com/ukycc twitter.com/ukycc

TheUKYouthClimateCoali?onLimited,tradingastheUKYouthClimateCoali?on(UKYCC),isanotforprotcompanylimitedbyguaranteewith nosharecapital.Incorporatedon2ndJuly2009,ourcompanynumberis06950454. Ourregisteredaddressis:BroomBank,SandyLane,LiWleBealings,Woodbridge,Ipswich,IP136LW.