Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy
Island Innovation
(
Private sector
)
#SDGAction54730
Description
This project, funded by Open Society Foundations, empowers and supports activists and young leaders in advocating for Climate Justice in the Caribbean region by providing training, connections, and a platform to amplify their voices at the global level, while also promoting Climate Justice as a core topic in the political arena for SIDS at COP28 and COP29. The purpose of this grant is to build an inclusive program that builds capacity for activists and young leaders in Climate Justice across the Caribbean region, and create a wider network by connecting them to other SIDS climate justice activists and movements.
During COP, governments and policymakers build on the outcomes of the previous year’s event to come to agreements to deliver action on issues critical to tackling the climate emergency at a global scale. Many of the other actors and participants attend to try to influence the outcome and decisions through networking, public claims and media coverage. Thus, COP will be key to understand the different power dynamics advancing climate action and advocacy involved in policymaking. Taking the above-mentioned aspects into consideration, the main strategy of the Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy is to build and support a narrative in political environments for Climate Justice as a core topic in Caribbean SIDS with specific objectives and activities that will result in both short-term immediate outcomes and a long term impact that will enable a sustainable program adapting to the changing needs and barriers within the sector and global arena. In light of the overlapping nature of injustices committed against marginalized communities and the environment in the Caribbean, the proposed strategy aims to tackle intersectionality and its interconnectivity, simultaneously advocating for justice. We believe the Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy will drive positive change in the Caribbean region through three core strategies: 1. Elevating Caribbean Climate Justice within core conversations at COP global gatherings and events to address regional climate intersectionality; 2. Raising the profile of Climate Justice Activists at COP and fostering long-lasting relationships and a support network for a stronger global presence, uniting forces and skillset against political and socio-economic barriers; 3. Building capacity for positive change and long-term impact through a retroactive capacity building extending to local and regional groups unfamiliar with Climate Justice Advocacy and potential for change. Participating young people will be able to take leadership and build the path for a stronger national action plan, regional strategy and solutions to continue to elevate Caribbean Climate Justice priorities and needs. The ultimate goal is to enable them to lead the way for their future and future activist generations, integrating them into the key scenarios and conversations to take positive action.
In the 6 months leading up to UNFCCC/COP28 event in December 2023, Island Innovation led the planning and execution of 10 interactive training sessions and events designed specifically for 30 young climate justice activists (18-35 of age) selected for their work and potential who are passionate about taking local action to combat climate change. The sessions were interactive with professional facilitators in their field and there will be several hands-on assignments throughout the course of the program. The participants also had the opportunity to learn from their peers, make connections and plan possible collaborations. The top candidates in the training were selected for funded places at COP28 & COP29 and benefitted from being part of the key conversations and networking. This work at COP28 & COP29 will be further amplified and create a wider impact on the visibility of climate justice issues, we will leverage opportunities to create interactive media. Retroactive training and mentoring program among the participants and future participants to share experience, resources and solutions for a continuum collaboration and support among Caribbean Climate Justice youth and activists
Island Innovation will launch a program aimed at training and connecting two cohorts of 30 young climate justice activists from the Caribbean region and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to promote local action against climate change. This effort is in line with the objectives of other civil society organizations including the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance, which seek to build regional coalitions and grassroots movements that advocate for a just transition to a climate-resilient economy. Island Innovation's proposed program is distinct in that it seeks to foster an inclusive environment that empowers young leaders passionate about climate justice to take meaningful local action. The program builds on the previous work done by other organisations such as CANARI to empower climate activists by training in the form of a regional virtual workshop organized in 2022 and funded by OSF. The proposed program is taking a step further with the systemized training of climate activists, especially ending the program at COP28 where the selected participants of the program will have the possibility to gain first hand practical experience at talking to global stakeholders and representing their countries and causes. By organizing training sessions and events that connect activists across the Caribbean and other SIDS, this program aims to create a community of like-minded individuals who can drive positive change in their respective communities. These efforts complement the work of other organizations focused on promoting a just and climate-resilient approach to economic recovery and development in the region while amplifying the voices of marginalised communities.
The entities that we are partnering with are Open Society Foundations, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, and Grant Thornton. We coordinated with them through weekly meetings, and our governance was based on documenting the progress of the partnership through financial and narrative reports.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.1.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
13.1.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
13.1.3
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
13.2
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.2.1
Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
13.2.2
Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
13.3
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.3.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
13.a
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
13.a.1
Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025
13.b
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
13.b.1
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Climate Justice Application through interactive training sessions per year for 30 activists and young leadersCall for Applications Branding Website Promotion Communications Training Program Training Content Technical setup Program run-through Traini
Activities calendar to Increase voice and profile of Caribbean young voices at COP
A co-branded series of multimedia content and information to be spread among a wider community
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Share
Timeline
Entity
More information
Countries
SIDS regions
- Caribbean
Samoa pathway priority area
- Climate Change
- Social Development
Contact Information
Stacey, Lead Facilitator, Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy
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