KUMASI

CONSENSUS

WEST AFRICAN YOUTH POSITION PAPER FOR RIO +20 GREEN ECONOMY NOW

A CAMPAIGN TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO THE GREEN ECONOMY IN WEST AFRICA

Agreed by representatives of the undersigned organizations at the West African Youth for Sustainable Development Meeting Kwame Nkrumah University for Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana August 10-15, 2011

KUMASI

CONSENSUS

There is convincing evidence that a swift transition to a Green Economy can bring about lasting solutions to current problems and mitigate the effects of climate change. As a consequence of the learning and sharing at the gathering of 47 young people from five nations of West Africa meeting, representing 16

community/environment NGOs and businesses in Kumasi, Ghana, August 10th to 15th 2011, the Kumasi Consensus has agreed the following resolution. We, the youth of West Africa, resolve to: 1. Assist the acceleration of forward momentum towards a green economy by campaigning towards energy innovations for a low carbon future that will help to eradicate poverty, create green jobs and build a sustainable future. 2. Campaign towards an institutional framework for Sustainability. 3. Re-double our efforts towards the achievement of MDGs by 2015 4. Powerfully engage with the UNFPA Campaign to put Youth at the heart of Development in the Post-2015 International Development Agenda;
5.

Break the chain of corruption by increased accountability, transparency and responsiveness at a local and district level and a federal/national system of youth-led community governance by 2015

6. Commit our efforts to a regional campaign for national governments to mainstream peace and Green Economy education for sustainability in the curricula at all academic levels in order to achieve a culture of peace and harmony with nature and each other.
7.

Create a borderless West Africa without national, ethnic, religious or other artificial divisions, delivering a peaceful, nuanced milieu that will encourage the collaborative building of a sustainable green economy by 2015

8. Individually and collaboratively to take action to progress this agreement by starting green businesses and social enterprises in our communities and regions, planting trees, cleaning up litter and maintaining uncontaminated water courses. And we further commit to raising awareness, educating and advocating for a green economy in our families, schools, colleges, faith and community groups, our elected officials, and private sector companies.
9.

Using green technology, drive a united, resurgent West Africa to a position where, by 2015, its countries sit in the top half of the UN Human Development Index and ensure well-being for all of its peoples;

Signed: - representatives of the following organizations commit to this consensus document:

1. PEACE CHILD INTERNATIONAL 2. GREENER IMPACT INTERNATIONAL 3. COMMUNITY AND FAMILY AID FOUNDATION

4. HUMAN CARE AND MAINTENANCE FOUNDATION 5. DREAM ENVIRONMENT 6. JUSTICE, DEVELOPMENT, & PEACE COMMISSION 7. THE YOUTHS FUTURE SAVERS INITIATIVE 8. CERLE DES VOLONTAIRES POUR LE DEVELOPPMENT TOGO 9. SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FUNDAMENTALS 10.GLOBAL RACE AGAINST POVERTY/HIV/AIDS (GRAPH) 11.YMCA LIBERIA 12.LIFE LINK FRIENDSHIP SCHOOLS 13.ISLAMIC CENRE FOR PEACE, DEMOCRACY, & HUMAN RIGHTS 14.GLOBAL RACE AGAINST POVERTY/HIV/AIDS (GRAPH) 15.TREASURELAND HEALTH BUILDERS 16.LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING ACADEMY 17.IDUKA GHANA CHAPTER 18.TAKING IT GLOBAL GHANA NETWORK 19.LIGHTWORLD NETWORK 20.NIGERIA NETWORK OF NGOS 21.ICT AFRICA; AFRICA RISE INTERNATIONAL 22.YOUNG PEOPLE WE CARE 23.UNITED FORCE FOR DEVELOPEMNT(UFFD) 24.YOUTH VOLUNTEERS FOR ENVIRONMENT (YVE INTERNATIONAL) 25.WORK AND HAPPINESS (VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION) 26.INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PEACE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (IYPTDI) 27.YONSO PROJECT.(BAMBOO BYSICLE) 28.G-LISH FOUNDATION 29.EVERGREEN CLUB OF GHANA

Draft Road Map: MILESTONES

1. Use Green Taxes and Laws to protect the Environment and make living Sustainably cheaper than living Unsustainably - Remove all perverse subsidies that support the Brown Economy - Subsidise and give tax breaks to Green Economy activities - Establish Fair Trade norms to give comparative advantage to all less-developed country producers - Cut one plant two establish laws to insist that any one who cuts down a tree must plant and nurture two new ones; - Polluter Pays! legislate to ensure that any individual or corporation that pollutes an eco-system or destroys bio-diversity pays the FULL cost of environmental restoration and the loss of earnings inflicted on those living off the fruits of that ecosystem; 2. Eradication of Poverty - Replace the MDG 1 goal of halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger with a goal to eliminate poverty completely by 2030 through a rapid transition to green growth and the green economy; - Establish a global welfare safety net for ALL: orphans, the elderly, disabled, the unemployed EVERYONE! Do it through cash transfers or personal carbon footprint trading; 3. Education: - All teaching must deliver a culture of Peace through teaching global history, comparative religion, international relations, geography, geo-politics etc. - Education on Green Economy must be a compulsory field of study at all academic levels from Primary through University Curricula - Eliminate bribery and corruption in schools: (In Nigeria, Education is industrially irrelevant: because students bribe their way through schools and college and the teaching does not prepare youth for the jobs that are available.) - Commit to review & update the curriculum every 5

DATE to be achieved 2015

2030

2014

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

years to keep pace with the socio-economic-scientific needs of the 21st Century; Health Issues - Guarantee health for all with healthcare free at the point of delivery - Eliminate Maternal Mortality by enabling every expectant mother to have the services of pre-natal care and mid-wives - Halt and reverse the spread of HIV-AIDS Private Sector: - Encourage the Private Sector to invest in the rapid transition to a Green Economy - Encourage the teaching of Green Economy Entrepreneurship in all business schools; - Give tax breaks and other incentives to Green Business Start-ups - Establish offices to promote Green Growth and Green Jobs; Transport: - Halve the Numbers of cars - Double the Number of bicycles - Have dedicated bus lanes and congestion charging in all major cities; - Remove all subsidies on fossil fuels; - Build hi-speed Rail-links from Dakar to Mombasa; and from Cairo to Capetown; Peace: - Achieve complete, universal Nuclear disarmament - Complete a global Small arms register - Halve military spending - double health and education spending; - Strengthen global and regional policing / defense facilities; - Education about the causes of conflict is key; and developing harmony and serenity as the ultimate value for all individuals through spiritual growth & unconditional love from an individual; Corruption, Gender Equity and unfairness: - let no public servant earn more than ten times the lowest paid government worker (- as per co-operative movement); and we must stem the tide of corruption and scams to achieve equity. We must follow the example set by Ghanas Single-Spine Salary Scheme in the public sector; - No more immunity from corruption prosecution for anyone!! Make the bodies that address corruption and organised crime more efficient and give them strong institutional teeth; - Let at least 33% of all Elected Officials be women! - Tax the Rich! And reduce the poverty level in

2025

2012

2020

2020

2015

2020

Nigeria, the poverty level has risen from 47% to 76% while the economy has grown; 9. Prepare Comprehensive National Green Economy Transition Plans: Because only National Governments levy taxes and offer subsidies, it is for National Governments to prepare National Green Economy Transition Plans. At the Rio 2012 Summit, they must commit to completing their plan by 2013; All countries must complete the transition by 2050 Create a Global Prize or series of prizes for the most rapid, most comprehensive, most innovative and most stress-free transition to the Green Economy Technology Transfer: make all Transition Plans open and available to all so that all countries may benefit from the ideas of others, and all students learn from the countries who are doing the transition best.

2013

2050

2013