Climate Summit to Unite Communities

Climate Summit to Unite Communities: Young leaders seek to participate in global environment discussion

by Stephanie Evans
FS View (Student newspaper of Florida State University)
January 19, 2006

Americans for Informed Democracy, a national non-partisan organization, is searching for participants for its "Young Global Leaders Summit on Development and Climate Change."

The one-day summit to be held Feb. 11 at Nova Southeastern University in South Florida aims to open a dialogue among young leaders about the role the United States should play in efforts to reduce world poverty and the preservation of the global environment, a press release stated.

The conference is free to all participants and includes tuition and meals, due to donations by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the DarMac Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation.

"There are so many different causes and consequences of climate change," Chair of Americans for Informed Democracy Seth Green said. "It's difficult to get the full picture from the media."

Green said climate change is generally mentioned via a small news brief or with an expert. Either way, he said, it is difficult for the public to gain enough knowledge about the problems with climate change. The experts, he continued, are unable to connect to the public. Green hopes the summit will encourage students to open up and discuss the situation.

"Hopefully the participants will be able to leave and discuss the issues at the cafeteria or with their families," Green said. "We hope they become advocates."

During the daylong conference, students will meet with student leaders throughout the state in order to meet and exchange ideas about improving the global environment as well as ways to implement such ideas. The morning portion will consist of a panel discussion on the topic "International Prosperity and Global Development," while the afternoon portion's discussion will be in regards to "Climate Change: Causes, Consequences, Solutions."

Confirmed speakers for the conference include A. Peter Burleigh, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Lakhdar Boukerrou, research programs coordinator at the Florida Center for Environmental Studies; Tanya Dawkins, founder and director of the Inter-American Forum; Leonard Berry, director of the Florida Center for Environmental Studies; David S. Nolan, a professor of Meteorology at the University of Miami; Kenny Broad, adjunct associate research scientist, the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Columbia University; George Gonzalez, author of Corporate Power and the Environment; Jack Parker, professor of Environmental Studies and Chemistry at Florida International University; and Alexander Reus, president of Global Expansion Group.

"Florida is at the center of the difficulties that the climate poses," Green said. "There is a clear vision of the future. The next generation sees climate change as a top priority."

According to Green, Americans for Informed Democracy is a non-partisan organization hoping to raise global awareness in the young people of the United States. The organization mainly focuses on bringing to light issues that are not generally covered in the mainstream.

At the time of the interview, 120 people had registered and been accepted to participate in the summit. Green said there would be enough room for 250 people.

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply for the summit immediately due to limited space constraints. Participants will be selected via competitive application. Interested students are asked to send a resume and a brief cover letter to globalsummit@aidemocracy.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through midnight Feb. 6. Applicants will be notified within 48 hours of submission regarding their status for the summit.

"I hope there are more people (from FSU) who will participate," said Linda Rivera, an FSU graduate student in international affairs. "It's a really, really interesting way to communicate and is a great learning experience."