Climate change and poverty exist in a vicious cycle, especially for the most vulnerable people. The effects of climate change lead to food and water scarcity, lost livelihoods, increases in gender-based violence, and lower education levels. This last part is especially worrisome, as education is one of the greatest tools people have to escape the cycle of poverty. UNICEF reported that half of the world’s 2.2 billion children are at “extremely high risk” for climate change, including its impact on education. Here’s why.
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19 June 2024, Johannesburg – SECTION27 released a new report titled, “Climate Change as a Human Rights Risk: A Resource for Health and Education Rights Activists in South Africa.” The report focuses on the impact of climate change on children’s access to healthcare and basic education.It explores the current state of children’s rights in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts and examines policies aimed at protecting children’s rights in a changing climate.
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Então, como podemos trazer a agência estudantil para a sala de aula?
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Alors, comment pouvons-nous amener les étudiants à agir en classe ?
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Chewe Shonga with one of his bracelets
Chewe Shonga (22) has grappled with cerebral palsy for most of his life, yet he refuses to let his condition define him. As a learner at the Kabulonga Boys Secondary School in Lusaka, Zambia, he came into contact with FutureLife-Now!, which has allowed him to showcase his extraordinary talents in arts and crafts, particularly in bracelet-making. His journey epitomizes resilience and determination, fuelled by the empowering support he receives from the programme.
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FutureLife-Now! Country manager, Moses Machipisa, making a presentation at the Peer Education training
The use of “peer educators” to implement FutureLife-Now! is an important feature of the programme in Zimbabwe, Phase 2 of which is now full steam ahead. To ensure that they are fully equipped to maximize programme impact, in May this year the country team organized two dynamic training sessions for nearly 100 educators from 37 schools— the first at the Nashville High School in the Southern Region, and the second at the Ambassador Hotel in the Northern Region.
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Participants engaging in group work
HIV&AIDS—together with issues such as poverty, early and unintended pregnancies and even natural disasters— continues to be a serious threat to young people (especially girls and young women) attaining their full potential, and negatively impacts their mental health and wellbeing. Closely interconnected challenges such as these are exacerbated by the scourge of genderbased violence (GBV), and even more so when it is perpetrated in schools, which are supposed to be places where children’s fundamental rights, including the right to education and safety, are protected. School-related GBV comes in different forms—physical, sexual and psychological—and is rooted in harmful gender norms and stereotypes that are present, to some extent, in all societies around the world.
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The winners—Likuni Girls Secondary students with their trophy
FutureLife-Now! contributes to the development of healthy and empowered young people who can lead responses to 21st century challenges, including those related to health and education. The programme achieves this through innovative—and sometimes fun—activities, such as competitions and quizzes.
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Delegates pictured at the sharing meeting
Sharing knowledge enriches the receiver but costs the provider nothing.
FutureLife-Now! is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) initiative currently being implemented in six Member States. Now in Phase 2, its overall goal is to promote the development of empowered young people to lead responses to pressing 21st century development challenges, in particular those related to sexual reproductive health and rights, gender and climate change. One of the key strategies it adopts is “knowledge development”, whereby all Member States can share and exchange best practices and lessons learnt, thereby strengthening regional cooperation and coordination.
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So, how can we bring student agency into the classroom?
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