// DEMENA Climate Ambassadors Course 2012//

The 26th of March the Egyptian, Jordanian and Danish participants met up at Krogerup Højskole to take part in the DEMENA course. Outside the winter was starting to fade, the southern wind was bringing some warmth to the cold North and with it came a lot of expectations and hopes for the coming days.

The idea for the course was to support a constructive dialogue between the youth of Denmark and the MENA-region on the basis of our common challenge of climate change, building on last year’s similar course, in which young people were educated to become international climate ambassadors from the three countries.

In the beginning the participants were granted a solid knowledge on the problems concerning a sustainable development through lectures and debates.

The participants were enthusiastic and presented their biggest challenges in their respective countries. Throughout the course they evolved new, concrete and innovative ideas and projects of how to face these issues through active citizenship, network building and cooperation across borders. For example ideas were evolved on making a business of recycling and waste management in Cairo, or how to promote biking in Cairo and even starting educational programs on sustainable development in Amman.

In the end they were as international climate ambassadors equipped with campaign skills, innovating knowledge and a great youth online network on facebook and their own blogging webside: www.climateambassadors.net. This should enable them to initiate their ideas and projects in their home countries.

The 5th of April the participants left Krogerup Højskole with new friends, knowledge about the youth and cultures from these regions, international connections and enthusiasm to engage in their own ideas of actions. At the same time the trees had started to carry small green buds, signalling that the spring was soon on it’s way.

// Experiencing the sustainable Denmark//

After weeks of preparation, the Global Studies programme at Krogerup Højskole set off for this semester’s study tour on April 9^th: a 12-day journey around Denmark. With the goal of learning more about sustainable initiatives and NGO work in Denmark, the 20 students together with teacher Garba had their first stop at the island of Ærø, south of Funen.

Here, activities included meeting with an organic farmer and visiting the world’s second largest solar panel plant (and for the braver – or crazier – of the students, a daily bath in the rather cold April sea water).

The trip continued to H.C. Andersen’s town Odense before going to Århus and finally ending the study tour on the «energy island» of Samsø. The programme included both lectures and more hands-on experiences with nature preservation and sustainability.

The 20 students from the Global Studies-programme connected to Crossing Borders come from 16 different countries and represent a broad spectrum of cultures, religions and backgrounds. They all share a wish to get to know other people and at the same time learn more about the world we are living in.

The Denmark tour gives the students the opportunity to see how some Danish people deal with the challenges of climate change and the possibilities of renewable energy – and take this knowledge with them when they leave Krogerup.

// Politikens Hus - Public Debate//

The house was packed at ‘Politikens Hus’ for the public debate: Young Voices of the Arab Spring.

The scene was set and the panel had taken place: two Danish ministers: Martin Liedegaard Minister for Climate, Energy and Building and Christian Friis Bach, Minister for Development Cooperation; 3 young climate ambassadors had come to tell their story from the Arab Spring: Tayseer Khairy Ahmed, Rana Elmeligy from Egypt and Hashim Taani from Jordan, and the moderator Garba Diallo, director of Crossing Borders.

Martin Liedegaard took the first stand. He applauded the young activists who went to the streets and demanded their rights be hear under the revolution. He identified civil society to be the strongest tool of changing the current conditions. The keywords are according to Liedegaard: Creativity and Commitment.

Next minister Christian Friss expressed how young people play a key role in society today. There is an urge to engage and make changes in our society, but these changes and engagement has to come from the bottom up – from the people themselves!

Following, the three young climate ambassadors spoke about each others’  experiences, and told their individual story from the Arab Spring, both the struggles and fights they had endured and the coming challenges for the future of their country.

Also a young Bahraini man wanted to create awareness of “the forgotten revolution in Bahrain”. He voiced the frustration and fights his people are experiencing in the struggle to raise democracy in Bahrain, and plead to the people of Denmark and the global media to take action and not forget Bahrain.

The event ended with questions from the audience and later a small reception.

// Project visit to Ghana 22-28 November 2011//

CB Director Garba and CB project Coordinator Camilla paid a partnership visit to Yes-Ghana. The visit aimed at meeting and sharing experience on the joint project Youth for Good Oil Governance between YES-Ghana and Crossing Borders.

In this connection Garba and Camilla attended a youth conference on Youth for Good Oil Governance in Ghana. The conference was attended by some 200 youth advocates of the project, the regional head of the Youth Council Authority, regional paramount Chief, representatives of NGO Coalition and other dignitaries.

Garba and Camilla also met representatives of the Ghana Community Radio, NGO representatives and discussed the project experience with the YES-Ghana leadership. Garba took the chance to vist the Cape Cost, Elmina and other formal Slave Horror Concentration camps along the Ghanaian cost where millions of Africans were shipped across the Atlantic between 15 and 19 century.

// Another term ends at CB Global Studies//

Our Autumn term at Global Studies has ended successfully. With 17 students from some 15 countries from all the continents, this term was characterized by positive and enriching diversity both horizontally and vertically in terms if age, cultural background and academic level. This unique diversity provided a platform for mutual knowledge and learning to appreciate and respect that the needs for cultural diversity is as acute as the needs to protect the biodiversity of the earth.

During their stay at CB Global Studies in the previous 4 months, the students got the space and necessary support to gain knowledge, understanding and action tools and skills to build the world they want to live in. They completed institutional, climate, conflict, media and active citizenship dimensions of globalization. In this connection, the students attended lectures, worked in groups, visited and ran workshops at about 10 high schools across Denmark, they travel across the country living and volunteering at eco-villages and energy centers while they met and got positive exposure to the culture and working methods of Danish civil society organizations.

Finally, the students had the chance to visit and experience key cultural sites of Denmark such as the H.C. Anders Museum in Odense, The Aros museum and Old City in Aarhus as well as Christiania in Copenhagen. As an outcome the students produced videos, workshop concepts and articles. Hence, when the students said good bye on 17 December 2011, their bags were filled with positive and life improving and life-long experiences.