Youth climate warriors 'Power Shift' this weekend Parramatta

by StreetCorner
11/07/2009

1500 young people from across Australia will converge in Sydney this weekend to be trained as climate change activists using techniques from the Obama election campaign team.

Former Australian of the Year, scientists Tim Flannery, the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Dr Rajendra Pachauri and former Vice President of the United States Al Gore will also address the young people concerned about climate change at Power Shift 2009, Australia’s first national youth climate summit.

The campaign techniques are detailed in a manual, the “Little Green Book’, to be distributed to all participants at Power Shift, organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

Young people will be trained in marginal seat campaigning, online political organising, “flash mobs”, “carrot mobs” and personal narrative – a technique that was at the cornerstone of Obama’s election strategy.

Delegates aged 15-25 will learn campaign strategy aimed at pushing politicians to aim higher on climate change. The Little Green Book is a part of this strategy.

AYCC co-directors Amanda McKenzie & Anna Rose said, “Young people have been at the forefront of key social changes – the civil rights movement, women’s rights, ending the Vietnam War, overthrowing dictators. When young people decide it is time for change, there is nothing we cannot do.”

“We are the last generation with the chance to solve climate change. We have the most to lose from inadequate action today and we won’t stop until we achieve fundamental social and economic change to solve this crisis.”

Young people also have the support of the broader Australian public with recent polling results by Essential Media Communications demonstrating that a majority (61%) of the Australian public believe that the future of young Australia's should be a national priority in decisions on climate change.

Event details: Power Shift 2009 at the University of Western Sydney, Parramatta Campus. Monday 13th will be held at University of Technology Sydney. Media are welcome to attend.

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