COP18 (05/12/2012) – Marco Cadena, Co-ordinator for Push Europe, describes it as an umbrella campaign by a number of youth groups in Europe aimed at connecting people across Europe. He says they run capacity building training throughout the year and organise co-ordinated action days across Europe.

At COP18, he has been working with YOUNGO to express the voices of as many young peope as possible. Push Europe is also linking up with 100 young people who have gathered in Brussels this week to follow the negotiations and take action on European topics.

He says it is important to distinguish between youth campaigners’ visual actions and lobbying activities at the negotiations. He says most of the lobbying work is through alliances with major civil society groups like Friends of the Earth and global south NGOs who work closely to support their national delegations.

He calls for more pressure back home, and for young people to show national and regional governments their unity in not accepting a deal that will condemn their future. He says it is important to mobilise from a community level upwards to amplify youth anger and show solidarity with developing countries for young people’s future and the future of the planet.