Josée Madéia

On #COP15, Copenhagen, and the climate movement: Where I'm at on the eve of my return home

Josee Madeia — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:05:40 +0000

i'm sitting in our (moldy, filthy) hostel, my last night before heading back to canada and i thought it'd be nice to let you know where i'm at.

as i'm sure you've heard, no legally binding treaty came out of this conference. nor did anything all that fair and certainly not ambitious, either. it was terribly deflating and heart breaking to be in the NGO convergence space last night (where civil society folk have been working out of since we were kicked out of the bella centre) and to hear obama's speech.

Busking for climate adaptation financing in Copenhagen

Josee Madeia — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:58:55 +0000

Since we got kicked out of the Bella Centre and our government still isn't doing anything about climate adaptation financing, we thought we'd do a bit of busking today. Armed with a guitar, a recorder, some homemade maracas, and some spoons, and holding up signs that read "Got any spare change for adaptation finance?," "additional funds only, please" and "your contribution would be greater than Canada's," we sang outside of the Bella Centre, at metro and train stations, as well as at Klimaforum, the alternative climate summit.

Youth sit-in at the Bella Centre happening now: For a fair, ambitious and binding climate treaty

Josee Madeia — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:05:19 +0000

The CYD and international youth are holding a sit-in in the Bella Centre right now, the last night before non-governmental observers are kicked out of the centre. Please show your support, call your MP, call Jim Prentice, the environment minister, call the PMO. For live blog coverage, click here.

press release :

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadians and International Youth Sit-In at Bella Centre in Copenhagen to Raise Expectations for Outcome

December 16, 2009

On reclaiming power: December 16th actions at COP15

Josee Madeia — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:53:56 +0000

We set off before sunrise this morning, all bundled and buddied up, to get to Tarnby station where activists participating in Reclaim Power's blue block and yellow block (yellow being the colour of the accreditation badges for non-governmental delegates) were meeting before marching to the Bella Centre. Waiting at the station, we wrote the legal aid number on our arms and tried to keep warm.

COP15 : Reclaim Power

Josee Madeia — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:11:30 +0000

Today's a big day in Copenhagen. It's the last day NGO and civil society has access to the Bella Centre. A big action, Reclaim Power, is planned for people inside and outside the centre. A people's assembly is going to take place.

Climate justice activists aren't sure what to expect what with the mass arrests that have been taking place in the city this past week.

"Le parlement // parle et ment "

Josee Madeia — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:21:34 +0000

La fuite d'information par CBC tard hier soir mine nos espoirs que le gouvernement canadien sera un leader en matière de changements climatiques lors de la deuxième semaine des négociations à Copenhague.

Manif du 12 décembre au coeur de Copenhague

Josee Madeia — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:47:10 +0000

Ce samedi à Copenhague, la plus grande manifestation internationale du mouvement pour le climat a eu lieu.

Canada : Lead, follow or GO HOME

Josee Madeia — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:30:01 +0000

Hand in hand, twenty-five youth delegates walked through the Bella Centre, quiet as mice in the hustle and bustle. With our CYD logo on the front of our shirts, and "Canada : Lead, Follow or GO HOME" stickers on the back, we made our way to the main plenary hall and just stood, in a line, front to back to front, until security forced us to disperse.

COP15 : A quick update before week 2 kicks off

Josee Madeia — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:54:28 +0000

Week two of COP15 starts tomorrow. The UNFCCC has accredited tens of thousands more people than can legally be in the Bella Centre, given fire codes, so tomorrow, Monday, is the last day that all NGO observers can be in the Centre together; the last day that all international youth can organize and get media within the centre, together, as an international youth climate movement.

We're unclear as to who, and how many of us, will be able to enter the Centre come Tuesday, but we do know that, come Thursday, none of us are getting in.

Early Canadian Delegation meeting tomorrow morning.

More on the happenings at Bella tomorrow.

(COP15 day 5) On focus and conviction : our meetings with Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Naomi Klein

Josee Madeia — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:09:57 +0000

What should a group of canadian youth do when the first week of a COP is coming to a close and they're wishing with all of their beings that they could be more effective, that their government would listen, and that a paradigm shift would occur within the UNFCCC negotiating world?

They should talk to Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Naomi Klein, that's what.

Day 4 at COP15 : Youth and Future Generations Day

Josee Madeia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:31:48 +0000

Walking into the Bella Centre this morning, Dean, a fellow Canadian Youth Delegate, and I were greeted by a sea of orange. Of orange shirts to be more precise. Today is Youth and Future Generations Day here at COP15 and we're wearing our best and our brightest to show other delegates just how many youth came here to speak for future generations (some 1500 youth, is the most recent estimate).

Suspended negotiations give delegates time to blog

Josee Madeia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:08:51 +0000

Time sure flies when you're at a COP.

I've just found the lounging area behind the Tycho Brahe plenary and despite the many delegation meetings going on, this is the place to be if you need a break from the hustle and bustle. Proof : many delegates seem to come here for quick cat naps.

Reflections on COY with seven hours until the start of COP15

Josee Madeia — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:32:26 +0000

Today was the second and last day of COY-5, the 5th Conference of Youth, where a reported 500+ youth got together to share, learn, organize and engage. Youth from both the South and the North organized workshops about the UNFCCC process, about what to expect from a COP, climate justice, specific policy topics (REDD, AWG-LCA, etc.), as well as attended "open spaces" with discussions about using our experiences, our successes and failures effectively, about regional issues, and about the role of youth within UNFCCC institutions and processes, to name but a few.

La fin des préparatifs

Josee Madeia — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:52:15 +0000

Première pleine journée à Copenhague.

Je me suis réveillée avec une pleine maisonnée de jeunes, notre première journée ici en quasi-famille. Ce fut une intense journée de courses : se rendre au Bella Centre à pied (avec d'intéressants détours qui nous ont permit de découvrir poulaillers, car parks, et multiples sentiers), obtenir nos passes de la CCNUCC (Convention cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques), et louvoyer dans la ville et le métro pour tenter, sans grand succès, de trouver des bicyclettes usagées pour la durée de la conférence.

Getting to København

Josee Madeia — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:58:53 +0000

Arrived in Copenhagen today after a few long sleepless flights spent catching up on climate policy reports, Canadian Youth Delegation (CYD) documents, UNFCCC guidelines and news articles.

Sitting in the communal space of the now CYD hostel, surrounded by about a dozen others, organizing, writing, typing, scheduling, talking to media back home, calling John Baird's office in support of the sit-in happening there now. A flurry of jet lagged activity.

Updates with actual content will be forthcoming once I've gotten some sleep.

Tomorrow will be about a mad dash to the Bella Centre to get our badges before the rush, try to rent a bicycle, action training and prep work for COY -- the Conference of Youth, which kicks off on saturday.