Proposal


 * Youth Engagement and Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability: Toward a Cross-Commission Action Plan **

Workshop
 * Event type: **

Collaboration between people of different generations, genders and geographies can promote sustainability and conservation outcomes by fostering engaged action, sharing of knowledge and experience, and mutual learning. Involving youth and creating intergenerational partnerships within IUCN and with outside partners both builds capacity among emerging leaders and helps increase the efficacy of established leaders. Developing a Cross-Commission Action Plan will provide a platform from which to advance the Commission’s Mandates and the IUCN vision. Through proactive and meaningful youth engagement, we can help put into practice the IUCN Program Themes.
 * Abstract: **

Our workshop purpose is to draft a Cross-Commission Action Plan that promotes greater youth engagement and collaboration across generations in pursuit of the IUCN vision of “a just world that values and conserves nature.” We will invite a diverse and talented range of young and senior professionals, drawing on our Commission networks and active Young Professionals Groups, as well as women and men from different fields, countries, and parts of the IUCN family to contribute to our action planning process.
 * Session description: **

The workshop aims to build on past successes and increase the use of this approach across the IUCN. Thus, this workshop will provide an opportunity to reflect on achievements and plan next actions that will build on the IUCN Program, asking workshop participants questions like: * How can active groups and individuals within IUCN Commissions, Secretariat, and Member Organizations interact to support IUCN's vision and work program? * Which approaches would best facilitate a functional and effective international youth network of conservation volunteers? * What tools could we use to engage and motivate young people around the world to conserve nature? We strongly feel that youth engagement and intergenerational partnership are essential for achieving biodiversity outcomes, including more effective and equitable governance of nature’s use.

The Task Force on Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability is leading the workshop and will help support the implementation of the Action Plan across Commissions. This event represents the first opportunity for the Task Force and IUCN young professionals to meet on a large scale since the Congress in 2008. It was in Barcelona that the Members’ Assembly adopted Resolution 4.098 on intergenerational partnership and the next generation of IUCN leaders have been working hard to support the Union ever since.

Gender; Social equity; Sustainability; Policy
 * Keywords: **

Valuing and conserving biodiversity; Sharing nature’s benefits fairly and equitably
 * Link to IUCN Programme: **

Moving to action
 * Link to Congress objective(s): **

Before the Congress, we will draw on our existing Facebook Groups and Wikispace to post online surveys and receive feedback on documents prepared towards Action Planning within each Commission.
 * Engaging Audience: **

At Congress, youth experts from each Commission’s Young Professionals Group will jointly introduce achievements and lessons learnt since their inception. After an opportunity for individual brainstorming of ideas, we will focus on small group discussions to identify Commission-specific ways to support the IUCN Program and Resolution 4.098, as well as proposals for cross-Commission collaboration. Groups will then report back to workshop participants on both sets of ideas, followed by a discussion that identifies synergies for cross-Commission initiatives. These initiatives, along with Commission-specific action ideas, will form the core of our Action Plan for 2013-2016. If we can secure funding, we will live stream the workshop, and host an online wall for real time contributions from virtual participants.

After our workshop, young professionals will feed back information through our various Facebook Groups and our Intergenerational Wikispace.

Our objectives are threefold. (1) Review past achievements of youth engagement and intergenerational partnership within each Commission, with a focus on sharing lessons learnt since 2008; (2) Draft an agenda and work plan for action for 2013-2016 within each Commission and across the IUCN Commissions as a whole; and (3) Highlight all youth and intergenerational events at the Congress.
 * Main objective of the session: **

In addition to the Cross-Commission Action Plan, including Commission-specific action ideas, expected results of the workshop include: increasing the proactive and meaningful participation of young people in IUCN structures, policies and activities (for example, through a permanent position as Intergenerational Advisor in the Steering Committee of each Commission); and developing a common approach for youth/intergenerational partners to provide input on the IUCN Program, Resolutions, and initiatives.

Practice brainstorming, collaborative and creative discussion, and strategic planning.
 * Skills transmitted to participants: **

Global
 * Geographical Scope: **

English
 * Session language: **

No thanks, we don’t need any facilitation support
 * Facilitate: **

Less than 100 people
 * Financial Organizing: **

No, several workshop facilitators will need to fundraise to be able to cover the expenses of the event
 * Fundraising: **

Catie Burlando, Task Force on Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability
 * Organizer: **

(OWNER) Catie Burlando – Steering Committee Member, CEESP Dominic Stucker - Steering Committee Member, CEC, IUCN Sarah Dalrymple – SSC and CEC, member of Young Professionals Groups, IUCN Jean-Yves Pirot - IUCN Aroha Mead - CEESP Chair
 * Co-organizers: **

World Commission on Protected Areas – WCPA; Commission on Education and Communication - CEC; Commission on Ecosystem Management – CEM; Commission on Environmental Law – CEL; Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy – CEESP; Species Survival Commission – SSC.
 * IUCN Commissions: **

Young Professional Team members from CEC, CEESP, CEL, WCPA, SSC and CEM.
 * IUCN Partners: **

IUCN Regional Office for Mesoamerica and Caribbean Initiative (ORMA); IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
 * IUCN Secretariat: **

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH_AF1280 - Germany
 * Members Involved: **