Ninth Climate Change Academy for Young Leaders kicks off in Panama

Youth play an active role both locally and regionally, and it is imperative that their proposals and initiatives are carried out not only with passion, but also with solid knowledge. In this sense, the ninth Academy on Climate Change for Young Leaders was launched through a virtual activity, a space that is positioned as a fundamental vehicle to enhance the capacities of Panamanian youth in the field of this global phenomenon.

The Climate Change Academy for Young Leaders has proven to be an effective driver in strengthening the capacities of young people to understand, analyse and address climate change in all its dimensions to enable participants to establish community projects or ventures that foster climate action from a solid foundation of knowledge and practical skills that enable them to effectively face climate challenges.

The welcoming remarks were given by María Miquilena, Country Office Executive of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), who stressed that this is a crucial moment for the planet and it is very important for them, as a bank, to support this initiative in which young people are willing to increase their strength, capabilities and knowledge on climate change.

“This program not only seeks to increase opportunities and broaden your horizons to acquire new skills, but also to become agents of change in different sectors. Together we can play a fundamental role in building a more sustainable and resilient future for Panama and the region,” he said.

For her part, Jessica Young, Country Manager for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Panama for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlighted that more and more efforts are required from young people to change the future and they are precisely the ones who, at the Panama, regional and global level, are demanding and requiring in a much stronger way that their government takes climate measures and actions.

“Young people are fully prepared to implement public policies to reduce emissions, conserve forests and land, change or transitions in the energy matrix and changes in the way we use land to produce food,” he added.

Ligia Castro, national director of Climate Change at MiAMBIENTE, said that they have increased the number of participants. In the previous academies they had 30 participants, this time they have raised it to 40 and the management has made sure to have quality in the curriculum.

“The idea is that you can understand that this opportunity will also transform your lives, that this transformation of your lives is what will allow you to contribute to the transformation of the country, your communities, through your own ventures that you can do or lead,” he added.

Paola Fong, a native of the province of Veraguas and a new academy scholarship recipient, said that what motivated her to become interested in this project was her deep concern for the environment and the ravages that have arisen as a result of climate change. She emphasizes that she has experienced first-hand the effects of extreme events such as floods, among others.

Meanwhile, Diego Villarreal, a resident of the province of Los Santos, said he wants to strengthen his capacity as a professional in the environment. “I have had field experience, field work, and it has led me to seek more knowledge to improve what I can contribute to the country and in my mission, to contribute to the fight against climate change,” he said.

Laura Canevari, CEO of ITACA SOLUTIONS, argued that this academy, beyond being a space for the transmission of knowledge, is really an epicenter for cultivating attitudes and values, and precisely these that promote the construction of a resilient future in Panama in the face of climate change.

“We are really proud and excited to be able to support the Academy on Climate Change for Young Leaders, because we see in this initiative the real commitment that Panama has made towards innovation and climate action,” he concluded.

Catalina Valenzuela, CEO of Innovus Consulting, also indicated that “climate action requires that we are all capable of innovating and involving each and every person; this is where the gender perspective is critical to achieving tangible results in climate action. The effect of climate change has a female face; some organizations have estimated that climate change will displace more than 100 million people in the next decade,” she pointed out.

The main purpose of this Academy is to encourage greater participation of young people at a national level, highlighting them as key players in the search for and development of solutions to address climate change in a sustainable and resilient manner.