TITILOLA KAZEEM PARTICIPATION AT UNFCCC COP17 IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

I applied to be a youth delegate at the UNFCCC COP 17 through Centre for 21st Century Issues, C21st is a non-governmental organization based in Lagos which responds to the emergent key issues of the 21st century and one of their thematic focuses is on climate change. I work as a Program Assistant with C21st in their youth projects on climate change. Few weeks back, I was in Durban at the United Nations Climate Talks, South Africa, the two weeks at the conference was the best weeks of my life, though challenging and disheartening but it was glorious. I`d spent two weeks with a clear aim, working with groups of peers with a shared goal and more than enough enthusiasm to make up for our lack of resources. I arrived in Durban with a naive mind and ready to make a change on a truly daunting scale being my first time at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP). I was highly proactive and really want to learn much about the COP. I participated in the UNFCCCC conference of Youths (COY), COY is conference of young people where they gather to submit their prospects and also learn more about the issues, share experience and build capacities. I also participated in the following UNFCCC Youth non- governmental daily meetings (YOUNGO), Nigerian Youth at COP meeting, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC), side events, actions and demonstrations, interviews, lobbying etc. The prominent amongst my activities at the COP was the organization of the first of its kind the teleconference with the Nigerian youth residing in Lagos who are unable to be present in Durban. The teleconference was organized by 3 passionate young Nigerians with the interest of inclusive participation with people back home (Titilola Kazeem, Zaid Shopeju and Issiah Oluwatobi) in partnership with CISCO. This was a very successful one as we were able to bring on board one of the experienced Nigerian delegates, renowned Nigerian Social activists, and passionate young environmentalists from other parts of the world to discuss with Nigerian youths at home. The bizarre experiences are what convey the wonder of it best. I participated in the campaign to demonstrate our support for Africa to extend the Kyoto Protocol in Durban and not allow it to die on the African soil. After all the conference did not deliver a solution but the way the decisions were made was fast, closed and undemocratic. Documents were released and agreed faster than we could get to the documents counter to collects them, let alone read them. This was not the open, consensus process the UNFCCC likes to claim it is. This was old- fashioned, closed door diplomacy. If that was an effective, way of delivering solution, I`d be happy, but it isn’t. It left decisions till the eleventh (if only it was that early) and gave poorer nations no input whatsoever. I have met people of character, sharing common goals as I do and full of energy to help change the world. I have emerged from what I can only define as a great struggle to stronger emergence. It is now 2012. As I start a new year, it is not about finding a new challenge, but about finding a way to continue the old one, and use the skills, connections and experience I have built. For me, this year is about action at home, using knowledge from outside in the context I know best.