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2023 Mid-Year Edition Voices in ActionVCA has launched a new videofocussing on the Gran Chaco region.The video not only provides insightinto VCA’s work in the Gran Chacoregion but also highlights that there isan opportunity to amplify the voices ofyoung people, women and indigenouspeoples of the Gran Chaco so that theconversations about the effects ofclimate change in the region and itspossible solutions are in line with thethoughts and feelings of those wholive in the area and have a connectionto the land.VCA, together with theClimate and DevelopmentKnowledge Network (CDKN)and the InternationalInstitute for Environmentand Development (IIED),hosted an online side eventduring the UN WaterConference 2023 titled:Locally-Led AdaptationApproaches to achievingwater security: examples andLessons from localimplementation.2023 Mid-Year EditionVIDEO LAUNCH: THE GRAN CHACO REGIONVCA AT UN WATER CONFERENCEThe event aimed to build on the dialogue around implementingthe Locally-Led Adaptation (LLA) agenda. The virtual sessionfocussed on concrete lessons learnt for advancing LLA in thewater sector. It highlighted the potential for locally-led solutionsto build climate resilience across several countries and regions. 15 VCA delegates attended to participate in the conference andamplify VCA's key messages from across the regions. Localpartners also shared their experiences during a VCA in-personside event co-hosted with Avina.Ahead of the UN Water Conference, SouthSouthNorth hosted aKnowledge Drop session: Exploring key messages from localpartners for the upcoming UN Water Conference. Read more.
country updatemultilateral climate change negotiations andcommon proposal for climate-carbon mechanismsand ecosystem management" workshopBoliviaWater forumThe "Water Forum" took place on April28 and 29, 2023 and was attended byrepresentatives of organisations fromindigenous territories of Santa Cruz,indigenous movements of TIM andTIMI, as well as leaders of highlandand lowland indigenous peoples fromall over Bolivia.A workshop entitled "Update on multilateral climate changenegotiations and common proposal for climate-carbonmechanisms and ecosystem management" was recently held withthe participation of different institutions and youth platforms at thenational level. During the event, Marcos Nordgren of the BolivianPlatform for Climate Change (PBFCC) presented an innovativeproposal for ecosystem restoration and management as analternative to carbon markets.The forum's main objective was tomake the problems affecting riversand other water sources visible andgenerate proposals for action tosafeguard the right to water. Thisinitiative is an important step towardsthe next #XIFOSPA (Pan-AmazonianSocial Forum) held in Bolivia in 2024.WWF Bolivia, VAC, and variousinstitutions committed to theprotection of water and theenvironment supported the event.The first participatory laboratory for public policies on climate changeThe objective was to strengthen the alliance between theparticipating institutions and create a joint agenda to influence theUN multilateral climate change negotiation process from theperspective of Bolivian civil society. Organised by the PBFCC, incollaboration with the Youth Platform for Action against ClimateChange, the workshop received support from WWF as part of theVAC project.Plataforma Boliviana Frente al Cambio Climático (PBFCC), and thePlataforma de jóvenes de Acción Frente al Cambio Climático(PBACC), with the support of WWF Bolivia and Voces para la AcciónClimática Justa for public policies on climate change, organised thefirst participatory laboratory, held in Bolivia. More than 80 Bolivianrepresentatives from civil society, social, youth and indigenousorganisations came together to build a joint work agenda. The resultwas a strategic document at national and subnational levels toaddress climate change. This event is a great example of citizenparticipation and intersectoral collaboration in developing effectivepublic policies to address climate change.2023 Mid-Year Edition
BoliviaIndigenous and UrbanAfrobolivians facing climatechange book presentationWe are pleased to announce that the training programme"Against Climate Illiteracy" was launched virtually in April. Thisprogramme, consisting of four modules, ended this May. Duringthe programme, participants acquired key skills and knowledgethat will enable them to empower civil society in the fight againstthe climate crisis. We are proud to have 175 participants from ruraland urban areas across Bolivia, 80% of whom are women andaround 10% are elderly. This training programme is a testament to the commitment andimportance of education in building a sustainable future. We arepleased to see how the participants have taken full advantage ofthis opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in climatechange.The presentation of the book entitled:"INDIGENOUS AND URBANAFROBOLIVIANS FACING CLIMATECHANGE: Perception of the effects ofclimate change” by Ayoreos,Chiquitanos, Guarani, Guarayos,Mojeños, Yuracarés and Afro-Boliviansof the metropolitan region of SantaCruz" was held this month. Authoritiesand representatives of thedepartmental and municipalgovernment, indigenous and Afro-Bolivian representatives, teachers andstudents from different universities,researchers, and public and privateinstitutions attended this importantevent. The presentation of this bookrepresents a significant milestone inthe visibility of the perspectives andexperiences of indigenous and Afro-Bolivian communities in the face ofclimate change in urban environments.It is a valuable resource that allows usto understand better the effects ofclimate change and its impact on thesecommunities. APCOB organised the event andreceived support from AVINA as part ofthe VAC project.Against Climate illiteracy training programmeHarvesting Results workshopWithin the framework ofthe VAC project, we hadthe opportunity to hold anenriching learning spacecalled the HarvestingResults Workshop. Duringthis meeting, our valuablelocal partners and allies inthe VAC project had theopportunity to share We are committed to making a positive impact and working as ateam to address the challenges related to environmentalconservation and sustainability. We thank all workshopparticipants for their dedication and contribution to harvestingthe results. Your commitment and effort are critical to achievingreal and lasting change in our communities and ecosystems. Wewill continue moving forward together in the search forinnovative solutions and building a sustainable future.experiences, identify challenges and celebrate achievements. Thisspace for collaboration and reflection was possible thanks to thejoint work between AVINA and WWF Bolivia.2023 Mid-Year Edition
country updateIndigenous Voices for Just Climate Action at the19th Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre)brazilThe first Activism Award inBrazil reaches its second editionOne of the greatest challenges inBrazil in 2023 and in the coming yearsis to combat the regression ofenvironmental policies and the highrates of deforestation and wildfiresthat escalated during the previousFederal Government administration.For Megaphone Activism Coalition,strengthening organised civil societyand activism are fundamental tools tohalt regressions and ensure rights.In this context, Megaphone ActivismCoalition organised the 1stMegaphone Activism Award in 2022.In 2023, the Award reached its secondedition, receiving 951 submissionsacross 14 categories."The Megaphone Award aims tocontribute to the visibility of activistactions, fostering the practice ofactivism as a catalyst for socialtransformation and the emergence ofnew agents in activism, especiallyyoung people and women, in thedebate and action against the climatecrisis and related causes," says Jonayade Castro from the MegaphoneActivism Coalition. Learn more about the nominees andwinners in 2022 and 2023.The largest indigenous campin Brazil raised its Voice forJust Climate Action. Duringthe 19th Free Land Camp,which took place in Brasíliafrom April 24th to 28th, the“Indigenous PeoplesDeclared ClimateEmergency” in a march tothe Congress.In the Amazon Tent, VCACoalition Indigenous Peoples Photo: Pepyaká Krikati (@pepyaka_krikati)Advocacy for Climate Justice brought together climate authoritiesto discuss how climate change affects the Amazon territories."When we look at the impact, we realise that it is not us(indigenous people) who are causing it, but we are victims of thesechanges, losing our crops, unable to plant, and losing ourcalendar," said Sineia do Vale, an indigenous climate authority fromthe Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR(@cir_conselhoindigenaderoraima) and VCA partner.Plantforms MovementCasa Preta Amazônia, together with its Coalition Strengthening theData Ecosystem in the Amazon, organised the "1st In-PersonMeeting Platforms: Ancestry, Climate, and Social Participation" inApril, with the support of the Belém City Hall and VCA.The free and open agenda for the public took place on CaratateuaIsland, in Outeiro, Pará, following the Training on Technopolitics,Environmental Racism, and Digital Marketing, which reached thenine states of the Legal Amazon and brought together only self-identified Black, Indigenous, Quilombola, and LGBTQIA+participants with direct involvement in projects and socialmovements. The goal of the Meeting was to build a movement fordirect action based on the voices of Amazonian communitymembers.This in-person platform is the first meeting in a series that will takeplace in all nine states of the Legal Amazon. The event offered theinterested community ten workshops on social participation, datajournalism, digital culture, and the environment. Several paneldiscussions also featured important perspectives from terreiroexperiences, quilombola communities, and organisations withexperience in self-management within the Amazon territory.To learn more, follow @movimentoplantaformas.2023 Mid-Year Edition
BrazilCommunication and Climate JusticeFacing the challenge of securing rights and promoting justice onthe climate agenda, the Voices of Tocantins Coalition supports thefight for public policies that engage young people andcommunity organisations from Tocantins in the global discourseon climate justice and the climate agenda of the Amazon. This isdone through continuous training for young people,strengthening grassroots organisations, and an integratedcommunication and advocacy strategy.Training of Young ActivistCommunicatorsTo enhance participation, influence andengagement through activism andcommunication strategies that resonatebeyond their territories, the ChicoMendes Committee and its Coalitionand the ComunicAtiva YouthCommunication Network organised atraining programme for young activistcommunicators.The training lasted for four days andincluded two workshops: "Theater, Art,Thought, and Action," conducted byartists Marcos Luanderson and PateSaturno, and "ATIVA - Communicationas a means of transformation,"facilitated by communicator Ana Luiza.The workshops involved 54 youngindividuals who engaged with theatre,communication, and artivism asnarrative tools to defend territories andaddress climate crises. Among theparticipants were young extractivistsfrom various territories in the ChicoMendes Extractive Reserve, indigenousyouth communicators from IndigenousLands such as Poyanawa, Nukini,Kaxinawá da Praia do Carapanã,Kaxinawá do Baixo Rio Jordão, andMamoadate, as well as young peopleliving in urban contexts in Xapuri,Plácido de Castro, and Rio Branco.Long live the youth of the forest!In this regard, the Coalition promotes the Modular Course onCommunication and Climate Justice, involving 31 young peopleaged 16 to 35 from the region. The course began in March 2023,and has already completed two modules. The class consists ofyoung indigenous representatives from the Krahô and Apinajécommunities, quilombolas from three territories in differentregions of the state, fisherwomen from the Araguacema FishingColony, settlers and camped individuals associated with theLandless Workers' Movement (MST), babaçu coconut breakers,and agroextractivists from the Cantão/Araguaia region. The fourin-person modules are held in immersion within four differentcommunities.The goal of this intercultural education process is to contribute tothe development of change agents through the cultivation ofcompetencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) for action in theface of the invisibility of youth and the insufficient representationof traditional peoples and communities from Tocantins in thediscourse on climate justice and the struggle for the recognitionof traditional territories and family farming for environmentalconservation, food and nutritional security and sovereigntyassociated with BemViver (WellLiving) in Brazil. This is in contrastto the intensified economic model in the state of Tocantins inrecent years, based on the expansion of agribusiness, and landgrabbing, leading to the displacement of communities from theirterritories, deforestation, and social exclusion.2023 Mid-Year Edition
country update2023 Mid-Year EditionMr and Miss Climate Kenya eventKenyaVideos of local solutionsUnder the VCA programme, Hivosdocumented videos of local solutionsfrom different counties in Kenya. The activity aimed to profile localsolutions that generate evidence ofclimate impact and promote collectiveadvocacy at national, regional, andglobal levels for changing the supporttowards local-led climate solutions andusing them to influence discussions onclimate action.As part of the VCA approachto building a broad-basedclimate alliance at thecountry level and bridgingdivides (urban-rural, gender,youth) that amplify voices innew and unusual ways,Hivos collaborated withAction Aid and NIBCcreation media insupporting the Mr and MissClimate Kenya event. Theidea resonates with the VCAobjective of amplifyingvoices for just climate actionby supporting young peoplewho are equally affected by the impacts of climate change but areless involved in climate discourse. Being the first national event of its kind in the history of Kenya,the VCA programme took advantage and participated. The eventaimed at formulating a mindset shift for young people towardsclimate change, ensuring they become the foremost advocatesfor climate change at their local levels. The event began with regional events held in eachcounty/subnational during February and March 2023, and theclimax took place on 28th April 2023 at Kenya International Mr and Miss Climate Change contestants 2023 Conference Centre (KICC).
country update2023 Mid-Year EditionparaguayWWF Paraguay supported thepublication of the four-volumeQuadrilingual Dictionary: Ayoreo -Spanish - Guaraní - Portuguese. The first official presentationoccurred in Paraguay's capital,Asunción, at the NationalCongress and the second in theAyoreo community centre inNueva Esperanza, CarmeloPeralta, the main beneficiaries ofthe materials.quadrilingual dictionaries for the integration ofborder communitiesThe dictionaries are communication tools for the local people ofthe district of Carmelo Peralta in Alto Paraguay, Chaco and PortoMortinho (Brazil). Four different cultures and languages convergein these areas, which will be strongly linked due to the imminentconnection with the Brazilian territory through an internationalbridge to be inaugurated in 2025.Both events were attended by national and internationalauthorities, teachers, students and representatives of the Ayoreocommunity, who expressed their culture through traditionalsinging. These publications were declared of national, social,educational and cultural interest by the Permanent Commission ofthe National Congress and of linguistic interest by the Secretariatof Linguistic Policies of Paraguay.dictionary launchAccording to one of the authors of the dictionaries, this is the first time that translations from Ayoreo into Guaraniand Portuguese were made available, and they are tools that the community has been longing for learning andcommunication. Finally, the dictionary volumes were delivered free of charge to public libraries, as well as to indigenous schoolsfor use in the Chaco region.These publications were declared a national, social, educational and cultural interest by the PermanentCommission of the National Congress and of linguistic interest by the Secretariat of Linguistic Policies ofParaguay.
country update2023 Mid-Year EditionTUNISIAOn Wednesday, April 19th,partner NGOs within the VCA(Voices for Just Climate Action)programme gathered in Tunisfor an in-person meeting tostrengthen the network andexchange ideas. The meetingwas organised as a follow-up toa monthly call and provided an VCA Monthly Meeting: Partners Gathering SparkDiscussions on Local Positioning and AdvocacyIn addition to the discussions and the moodboard, partners were also asked to bringprinted photos of the projects they areimplementing. These photos were used tofacilitate interactive and productive discussionsduring the meeting. Partners were asked tobring photos that illustrate the project's spirit, akey moment in the project, inspiring activities,content, or initiatives undertaken as part of theproject, and any photo with target groups.The meeting started with a fast-breaking dinner, prepared collaboratively by the partners, which allowed them toget to know each other better. The highlight of the gathering was the open discussion session, where partnerswere encouraged to design the session themselves and engage in an interactive discussion. During this session,partners discussed several topics, including how the VCA wants to position itself at the local level, whether theVCA will focus solely on awareness or advocacy and at which level, and whether the VCA is willing to convey boldopinions about climate justice locally.Overall, the gathering was successful, andpartners left with a renewed sense of purposeand direction for the VCA programme. Theinteractive discussions and the collaborativemood board helped partners to see the biggerpicture and how their individual effortscontribute to the programme's overall success.opportunity for partners to share their knowledge and experience with the VCA programme.Partners also discussed how to operate knowledge brokering within impacted communities with the groundknowledge. After exchanging thoughts and discussion, partners collaborated in creating a mood board to conveythe ideas discussed during the workshop. The mood board visually represented the ideas and allowed partners tosee how their thoughts and opinions were interconnected.
country updatezambiaParliamentarians play a keyrole in policy making andpolicy implementationthrough its legislative andoversight mandates. However, law-making onclimate change is a complextask, but one thatparliamentarians need to carryout with increasing frequency ZAMBIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS CO-CREATE WORKPLAN ONJUST CLIMATE ACTION WITH VCA ZAMBIA ALLIANCEIt is for this reason that the VCA Zambia Alliance team (WWFZambia, Hivos Regional Office Southern Africa, Slum DwellersInternational - SDI, Akina Mama wa Afrika and#SouthSouthNorth have continuously engaged the ParliamentaryCaucus on Climate Change and Environment to harmoniseClimate and Environmental Actions to help co-create solutions tothe effects of climate change and environmental degradationwithin their respective constituencies. A work plan has been co-created with the Parliamentariansspearheading its implementation with support from VCA inZambia.and fortitude to help reduce rural communities’ vulnerability toclimate change.VCA PARTNER – CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE ALLIANCEZAMBIA (CSAAZ) SUPPORT COMMUNITY WITH TOOLS TOSUSTAINABLY USE NATURAL WATER SOURCE NEAR FIGTREE.In the Chinyunyu area, rural communities have co-created an improvisedstructure from a naturalspring on which theydemonstrated how to harvestwater sustainably. The structure has helpedtheir livelihoods ofconservation farming & fishfarming.VCA ZAMBIA ALLIANCE CO-CREATESOLUTIONS TO TACKLEINADEQUATE ACCESS TO WATERWITHIN CHIRUNDU DISTRICTDiscussions of the water crisis withinthe district were brought to the VCAalliance’s attention when ruralcommunities of Musaya ward met withthe Voices for Just Climate Actionalliance team during a learning andsharing visit. The people of Musaya wardhave been engaged through VCA's localpartner Center for Environment Justice,in ensuring communities can demandtheir right to access safe and adequatewater as a basic need and necessity.The lack to access to appropriate, low-cost and locally produced technologyfor water, sanitation and hygiene needshas also been a challenge to theresidents of Musaya ward.Through the Voices for Just ClimateAction approach model, ruralcommunity participation indevelopment must be amplified andenhanced to tackle the inequalitiesbred from the climate crisis, which islinked to the inadequacy of waterquantities for communities.Following the high-level meeting heldin 2022 to co-create solutions to theproblem, WWF has engaged keystakeholders such as the EuropeanUnion within Zambia and many othersto come on board in finding lastingsolutions to the climate-water crisis inthe district.2023 Mid-Year Edition
zambiaVCA beneficiary Mr ArthurMuleya is now practisingintegrated farming andcurrently waiting to stockfingerings in hisconstructed fish pond of11m by 20m dimension. Inaddition, Mr Muleya hasmanaged to grow andcultivate sweet potatoes.Rural community member Mrs Tezelele - also a beneficiary of theVCA programme - showcased how she practices integratedfarming as a means of sustainable livelihood. She currently ownsthree (3) fish ponds, an orchard and a vegetable garden.VCA Zambia Alliance supported theengagement and onboarding ofTraditional Leaders and ChiefRepresentatives as climate justiceambassadors. During the engagementmeeting, Traditional Leaders pointedout to the Ministry of Green Economyand Environment how TraditionalLeaders have a strong economic &cultural relation to land, water &natural resources within theirchiefdoms. The leaders, therefore, requested andagreed with the Ministry of GreenEconomy & Environment that climatedevelopment decisions and actionsshould be mindful & respectful of therights, needs & demands of TraditionalLeaders and their people.VCA ZAMBIA ENGAGE ANDONBOARD TRADITIONAL LEADERSAS CLIMATE JUSTICEAMBASSADORSIn an effort to fight the poverty and inequality levels caused bythe effects of climate change, the VCA team has so far aimed toenhance rights holders' and duty bearer’s engagements to movefrom rural communities from small-scale to large-scalesustainable livelihoods to fight poverty amidst climate change.VCA PARTNER ZAMBIA GOVERNANCE FOUNDATION (ZGF)– EMBRACE EDUTAINMENT FOR JUST CLIMATE ACTIONAs the VCA programmeaims to amplify ruralcommunity voices to jointhe debate and co-creationof climate solutions, VCApartners operating inLuangwa district in Zambiahave adopted the use ofedutainment as anadvocacy tool to engage The community have created drama groups, traditional songsand sketches to share their stories of organic agricultureduty bearers and the wider ruralTHE WOMEN OF TUNDUSHA VILLAGE IN ZAMBIA THROUGH THE VCA SHOWCASE THEIR LOCALLY-LEDINNOVATION OF THE TRADITIONAL CLAY STOVEChamulimba, Kanakantapa & Chalimbana wards in Rufunsa and Chongwe Districts, where VCA local partnerKeepers Zambia Foundation (KZF), (Civil Society for Poverty Reduction) CSPR and Kasisi Agriculture TrainingCenter (KATC) are operating have supported women, youth and rural farmers through their community-led#climateaction groups amplify local solutions. community on just climate action.practices and rural community-led forest nurseries, they have been able to engage with duty bearersthroughout the VCA project in Chief Mburuma’s Chiefdom.2023 Mid-Year Edition
zambiaThe women of Tundusha Village, through the VCA, showcased theirlocally-led innovation of the traditional clay stove made using organicmaterials such as clay and cow dung, which is helping householdsdepend less on firewood and charcoal for cooking each month. A word from Chieftainess Muwezwa2023 Mid-Year Edition
KenyaLocal partner round upbrazilThe Megaphone Activism Coalition gathers Pimp My Carroça, Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), Greenpeace Brazil,and Engajamundo. The Coalition organises the annual Megafone Activism Award, the first activism award inBrazil. They also conduct workshops on Climate Emergency, Project Development, Engagement and Mobilization, andArtivism. Additionally, they have a mini-grant programme to support activist actions throughout Brazil. Megaphone ActivismThe Indigenous Peoples Advocacy for Climate Justice Coalition is led by theCoordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab). Itcomprises nine other indigenous organisations and the Institute of AmazonicResearch (IPAM).The Coalition’s goal within VCA is to amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples, bothwithin and outside of Brazil, to advocate for protecting Indigenous territories andachieving an ecologically balanced environment for all globally.They aim to ensure access to the historical and cultural benefits provided by theenvironmental protection of Indigenous Peoples and their participation in carbonmarket support systems due to their contribution to greenhouse gas reduction.Elizabeth Wanja, works at the Kenya ClimateChange Working Group, a nationalmembership network of societalIndigenous Peoples Advocacy for Climate JusticeElizabeth Wanja - Kenya ClimateChange Working Grouporganisations that unite and take action on climate change, aiming to create synergies to address theunderlying issues. Kenya Climate Change Working Group is one of the eight VCA partners in Kenya, sub-granted by WWF-Kenya.Bob Aston - Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), KenyaBob Aston is a project officer at the Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), in Kenya. ALINis a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that supports communities to achieve foodsecurity by providing practical and usable information on environmental agricultureusing Information Communications Technology (ICT). ALIN is one of the eight VCA partners in Kenya, sub-granted by WWF-Kenya.2023 Mid-Year Edition
El Otro País is a digital entrepreneurial journalistic media, that tellsstories in a solution journalism way, with narrative language and journalistic research techniques. In its team, there are journalists, analysts, designers, programmers, and socialand cultural entrepreneurs, which seek to support a renewed way of communicating, as a contribution totransform reality towards a better society.Within VCA, El Otro País will continue to tell the stories of people, communities and organisations responding toclimate change's challenges.Get in touch with via email. Visit their website and Instagram account.El Otro país2023 Mid-Year Editiontunisiacollectif créatifThe Collectif Créatif was formed around an initial communitywhose paths crossed on a number of occasions and in differentplaces and spaces in the Tunis Medina: Dar Ben Gacem, Dar BachAgainst a backdrop of social and cultural effervescence in post-revolutionary Tunisia, the Medina represented afertile ground for such encounters, with its capacity to foster the development of alternative cultures and bringtogether existing initiatives.Driven by the need to formalise and structure these dynamics, while allowing for freedom of action andparticipatory, horizontal operation, this community came together around an association, legally registered in2016, to collaborate.Through the practice of its various initiatives and individual expertise, the Collectif Créatif enables the pooling ofresources, know-how and knowledge that contribute to the existence of an organic space of permanentexperimentation that today extends beyond the gates of the Medina.Read their latest article.Follow them on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram Lasram, Nokta, Doolesha and theEl Amba café. Hamba, DarparaguayLocal partner round up
The Open Knowledge Brazil (OKBR) has released an e-book titled "A Data Ecosystem in the Amazon: PreliminaryInvestigations," which can be accessed for free here. The e-book aims to initiate a debate on data production,use, and ownership, which are crucial for climate action and rights defence.The book is part of a series of actions within the "Voices for Just Climate Action" (VAC) programme, supported bythe Hivos Institute. The coalition includes Open Knowledge Brazil, Casa Preta Afro Involvement Association,Association of Friends of Digital Inclusion in the Amazon (INDIA / Puraqué Collective), InfoAmazonia Association,PyData Manaus, and PyLadies Manaus.A Data Ecosystem in the Amazon: Preliminary InvestigationsThe VCA advocates that change and climate action should be ledfrom the bottom up, with strong local organisations representingtheir constituents' experiences, voices and needs. Strong localleadership and ownership are key for effective and inclusive climateaction. Core to the VCA is the 180+ local community-based andnon-governmental civil society coalitions and organisations sub-granted through the programme.To create a marketplace of ideas that can foster cross-pollination oflearning and collaboration, a collection of project profiles have beendeveloped to provide a snapshot of the work implemented underthe VCA Alliance at the country level through local partners.PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCESVCA partner profilesThe project profiles - packaged as a booklet- are a collection of information on the projects onboarded in 2022.Some of the projects may have changed or been extended, but the current version of the profiles provides abasis for the work being done and details on the local partners working in the VCA. Further versions will becreated with updated information, profiles and languages.2023 Mid-Year EditionThis book is the foundational document for the work in Phase II of the youth and civil society campaign. TheHandbook consists of three documents a) a Policymakers Summary, b) the Legal Memorandum and c) a StatusReport on the Principles of International and Human Rights Law Relevant to Climate Change. These documentsare available on pisfcc.org/handbook. Youth Climate Justice Handbook by the Pacific Islands Students FightingClimate ChangeVoices magazineWelcome to VOZES, the magazine that echoes the struggle for climate justice!In this first edition, the magazine brings 21 materials organised into 5 sections:Networked Actions, Opinion, Voices for the World, Climate of Art, and ClimateXibé. The material is produced collaboratively by a network of organisationsand movements that are part of the Voices for Just Climate Action Programme(VAC).
events and opportunitiesFrom February 9th to 11th, community organisations andcollectives from Belém, the capital of Pará State and the largestcity in the Amazon, built a pilot event for a climate conference thatallows for greater participation from society, especially from theoutskirts. The 1st COP das Baixadas (Outskirts COP) is an initiativethat aims to present the type of conference that voices from urbanperipheries in the Amazon desire.The main intention is to bring the discussions, debates, andthemes related to the global climate crisis closer to people's dailylives, particularly within the peripheries, which historically are themost affected by the repercussions of the crisis in their dailyroutines.past eventsOutskirts COP (COP das Baixadas)The programme also sought to encourage youth leadership in climate activism, and draw public authorities'attention to the need to discuss the issue with the affected communities.In this first edition, the discussions revolved around three main axes: Right to the City - Mobility, adaptation, andpublic policies; Communication - Artivism and artistic intervention as awareness-raising in the peripheries; andClimate and Society - impacts on the peripheries, food sovereignty, floods, landslides, and migration. The topicswere addressed through artistic attractions, debates, and a creative fair.To learn more, follow @copdasbaixadasYouth camp on environmental education andclimate changeOn April 13 and 14, the Youth Camp “Leaving Traces”, wasorganised in collaboration with VCA local partners, in theMbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve, one of the last most importantremnants of the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay.brazilparaguay2023 Mid-Year Editionwatch the video summarySixty students from fouragricultural schools in thebuffer zone of the MbaracayúForest Nature Reserveparticipated in the two-daycamp, where they participatedin training, games andexchanges of experiences withtheir peers, as well as being incontact with nature. Expert facilitators, who are VAC partners, participated in the camp and addressed topics on biodiversity,communication and advocacy, youth action for conservation, climate change, climate justice, and astronomy.
events and opportunities"I learned about climate change, what generates climate change, and how it affects society. I also learnedabout the endangered jaguar..." Paola Villalba, student of the Mbaracayú Educational Center. This was the first edition of the camp. The second one is planned for June, where sixty students from thesurrounding areas of the Mbaracayú Forest Reserve will also participate. upcoming eventsJune 6 to 8: the #JourneyOfWater Campaign in Nanyuki and Isiolo. Venue: Ewaso Nyiro Basin.June 9 and 10: First talk on Just energy transition in Tataouine. Hivos, in collaboration with the Working forEnergy Democracy and the New Generation for Development and Environment, with host the first talk withlocal communities in Chenini and Douiret in the south of Tunisia on Just Energy transition. A field visit will beorganised to visualise where international private companies plan to invest. Second week of June: Dialogue spaces for the construction of life plans: resilience to environmental impactswith indigenous communities of Roboré, the Central Indígena Chiquitana Amanecer Roboré (CICHAR) andthe Organización de Mujeres Indígenas Chiquitanas de Roboré (OMCICHIR).June 25 to 28: National meeting of indigenous women to work on the women's agenda for the Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA).July 6 to 8 in Cerrito, Paraguay: Trinational Meeting of the Gran Chaco Women's Collective (El Colectivo deMujeres). The Women's Collective is a movement of indigenous, rural, small-scale producers, artisans,peasants, and migrant women. This year's motto is “Our territory is our home. Towards just climate action inthe South American Gran Chaco”. Over 150 women from the Chaco territory shared by Argentina, Bolivia andParaguay will participate in this activity. Further details about the agenda to follow in the coming weeks!OpportunitiesThe Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and CDKN call for community-driven and Locally Led Adaptation(LLA) stories. These stories will be collaboratively developed and featured in a publication to be launched atCOP28. The deadline for submission of story ideas: 12 June 2023. Read more.Call for Proposals – VCA programme, Kenya. Hivos is looking to partner with Kenyan civil society organisationsthat will contribute to the programme's goals in different ways. Application deadline: June 30th, 2023. Readmore.2023 Mid-Year EditiontunisiaInternational environment day protest rallyOn June 05, Stop Pollution and VCA Tunisia organised a protestrally in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Energy andMines, where participants expressed their dissatisfaction with theperformance of the authorities with regard to the environmentalissue in Tunisia, notably chanting slogans calling for thedismantling of industrial units in Gabès.Various civil society activists were present on the scene to expresstheir support for this cause and their support for all the demandsraised by the “Stop Pollution” campaign and the variousenvironmental groups.
VCA is set to effect the amplification of locally-shaped climate action and play a pivotal role in the global climatedebate. For more information about the programme, our agenda, and how to collaborate with us or if you haveinspiration or tips, please contact us at info@voicesforclimateaction.org or visit our website -www.voicesforjustclimateaction.org.To present a complaint related to the VCA programme you can write to grievance@voicesforclimateaction.orgor use the grievance mechanisms of the individual Alliance partners. Please indicate the reasons for yourgrievance, date of occurrence, proposed solution and contact to follow up.#JustClimateAction. Together. Share this newsletter to inspire your networkSubscribe to get regular updates on how we work.Follow us on Twitter , Linkedin and youtube@WeAreVCA www.voicesforjustclimateaction.org2023 Mid-Year EditionWant to contribute to the newsletter? We are always on the lookout for new engaging content. If you havesomething to share, whether it is a story, a piece of research, an opinion piece or a great photo, reach out to Karen Morris at karen@southsouthnorth.org.