1st African Regional Youth Green Summit

1st African Regional Youth Green SummitIt is becoming apparent that climate change will have implications for the enjoyment of human rights. The United Nations Human Rights Council recognized this in its resolution 7/23 “Human rights and climate change” (28 March 2008), expressing concern that climate change “poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the word” and requesting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner to prepare a study on the relationship between climate change and human rights. The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007) put it beyond doubt that the global climate system is warming and doing so mainly because of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. IPCC reports and other studies document how global warming will affect, and already is affecting, the basic elements of life for millions of people around the world. Effects include an increasing frequency of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, droughts, increasing water shortages, and the spread of tropical and vector born diseases. Viewing the data through a human rights lens, it is clear that projected climate change-related effects threaten the effective enjoyment of a range of human rights, such as the right to safe and adequate water and food, the right to health and adequate housing. Equally, the human rights perspective brings into focus that climate change is set to hit the poorest countries and communities the hardest. The international human rights standards serve as a guide for measures to tackle climate change, underscoring the fundamental moral and legal obligations to protect and promote full enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the core universal human rights treaties.

Teens Uganda in partnership with UN-HABITAT, UNEP, ICCO, HRCU, Ecological Party, Uganda Sustainable Transport Network, District 24/7, C3 Group, Makerere University, and CSO as well as private agencies will be hosting the youth summit slated for 1-4, October 2014 at the Forest Part Beach in Buloba 5km along Mityana Road. The summit is expected to attract over 1500 delegates from the Civil Society including the UN Agencies, the private sector, government agencies, academic and research institutions, youth clubs as well as associations, and various other regional and international actors and players.

Theme: Youth perspectives on promoting Green Economy in East and Southern Africa: options and opportunities:

For participation Application forms,  please send an email to teensuganda@gmail.com 

Kampala: A future Green City

Most authorities are grappling with addressing unsustainable transport trends that have intensified with the rapid and unprecedented growth, particularly urban areas. Kampala, the capital of Uganda is one of them. The city is faced with rapid motorization and irregular public. Sustainable development has so many definitions; some of which are rather unclear. But it has generally been related to development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It has also been explained that the operationalization, implementation and measurement of that definition is highly contested and varies significantly. Sustainable development practices have been linked to social, economic and environmental needs and benefits. Regarding transport, sustainable modes of transport ought to be socially, economically and environmentally viable. Bicycle transport has been identified and appreciated internationally as sustainable mode of transport. In Kampala, the capital of Uganda, the number of NMT daily trips in the city is estimated to be over 50%, and yet there are limited NMT provisions and no designated facilities yet.

 There have been several initiatives to improve the provision of NMT facilities, including cycling lanes, through policy formulation, on-going transport-related projects as well as cycling promoting activities. There is also no proposed cycling network yet. A practical/operational pilot has not been attempted yet to give a clear indication on how cycling is a great alternative of movement from one place to another. 

In this regard Teens Uganda under the membership of the http://ust-network.org/, is facilitating a pilot bike sharing scheme as a way of demonstrating the usage and convenience of the mode at Makerere University, the largest public institution of higher learning in Uganda. 

Open Book &hands-On Training Programme

Sustainable Food for Urban Communities: 

Backyard Garden (Techniques of enhancing Eco-Based Systems Approaches) 

Perspectives of young people Agriculture contributes most to the sub-Saharan and tropical economies as Uganda through the food basket and incomes. Women do most of the planting and harvesting especially in relation to food crops more than men whose interest is in the commercial cash crops. By adopting simple technologies as Backyard/ kitchen and Sack gardening, Teens Ugandans enhancing action on household food security and sustainability, young people are increasingly gaining interest in participating in active food production at subsistence and commercial levels. This utilities elementary technologies of planting, irrigation and harvesting yet also uses organic waste material for fertilizer thus enhancing ecosystems. 

OPEN BOOK & HANDS-ON Programme

Food Security Techniques:

Backyard and Kitchen gardening increases food sustainability among households because the consistent renewal of plant covers that is harvested by plucking of top covers (leaves & Fruits) and enable farmers not to uproot. Plucking is a good harvest technique especially for crops and plants for vegetable leaves, fruits common among many small scale farmers. This approach utilizes local knowledge and farm techniques including elementary tools of farm production. Square foot gardening will normally give you a better yield for the area you are using. This makes it better for those with limited space. Backyard and Kitchen gardening increases food sustainability among households because the consistent renewal of plant covers that is harvested by plucking of top covers (leaves & Fruits) and enable farmers not to uproot. Plucking is a good harvest technique especially for crops and plants for vegetable leaves, fruits common among many small scale farmers. This approach utilizes local knowledge and farm techniques including elementary tools of farm production. Square foot gardening will normally give you a better yield for the area you are using. This makes it better for those with limited space.

Trevor Lwere collecting seedlings from an already existing garden for his new garden 

Crop and Tree Planting: Crop seed and seedling can be both collected from previous harvests as buffers as well as through the gathering process of transplanting seedlings from already exiting neighboring gardens. Hakim and Trevor as young farmers and peer trainers at Teens Uganda demonstrate a planting process after seedling collection in a one month Open Book and Hands-On Training targeting holiday makers aiming at enhancing hands on  skills and participation of young people in productivity programs that also create jobs for young people. 

Sources Seeds &Seedlings: 

Haumba Akim and Trevor, demonstrating simple techniques of tree planting. 

Many times, its been thought that crop seeds and seedling are expensive on the crop market. Already existing gardens can provide a variety of seedlings and seed for any small scale farmer with low income that can buy expensive seedling on the normal market. The simple technology is the use of elementary tools such as a knife or panga for up-rooting the required seedling. 

This practice is highly considerable for young farmers and those with low incomes there by reducing the high expenditure on inputs. 

 

Nurseries: 

Different types of fruit seedlings collected 

Creating nursery beds for your seedlings is a very fundamental part of successful gar For small hold farmers, organic manures remain a prospect for their crops. Lack of knowledge on simple techniques of use of locally generated manure compels others to spend their small earnings on industrially made growth inputs. However, organic manures contain less chemical composition, allowing easy access from biomass and use, and more sustainable, more friendly to the environment. The mode of production or techniques of application address the possibility of enhancement of the eco-system.

Irrigation Techniques

Simple techniques of urban farming require very simple irrigation techniques. Many practicing farmers have attained minimal yield due to lack of considerable time for irrigating their crops/plants. Teens Uganda, and C3 Group under the Open Book and Hands-on Programme learned and introduced a water battle irrigation techniques as an alternative affordable to  all.

Organic fertilizers

For small hold farmers, organic manures remain a prospect for their crops. Lack of knowledge on simple techniques of use of locally generated manure compels others to spend their small earnings on industrially made growth inputs. However, organic manures contain less chemical composition, allowing easy access from biomass and use, and more sustainable, more friendly to the environment. The mode of production or techniques of application address the possibility of enhancement of the eco-system.

Simple techniques of urban farming require very simple irrigation techniques. Many practicing farmers have attained minimal yield due to lack of considerable time for irrigating their crops/plants. Teens Uganda, and C3 Group under the Open Book and Hands-on Programme learned and introduced a water battle irrigation techniques as an alternative affordable to all.