#PRECOP28 - UNIMA hosts culminating national climate justice festivals
University of Malawi hosted multiple Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) engaging in knowledge-sharing, alongside students from various primary and secondary schools in readiness of COP 28.
ZOMBA, Malawi (Planet Defence) - The National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), a youth advocacy and lobbying organization, has successfully concluded a series of Pre-COP 28 climate justice youth festivals. These culminated in final consultations held at two prominent tertiary institutions: Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the University of Malawi.
Since 2022, NYNCC has partnered with the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), Jesuit Centre for Ecology and Development (JCED), and other collaborators to lead the Malawi Youth Climate Action Campaign (My Climate My Action Campaign).
Professor Samson Sajidu, Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi (UNIMA), expressed gratitude to the organizing team for choosing UNIMA to host the Southern Region Pre-COP 28 Joint Children, Youth, and CSOs Stimulation Summit. He emphasized the profound impact of climate change in the country and urged students across various programs to enhance their competencies in addressing climate change issues effectively.
Highlighting the summit’s significance, Dominic Nyasulu, the Youth Coordinator from NYNCC, emphasized their commitment to amplifying the voices of youths and children on climate change issues. He further explained that these summits aim to gather diverse perspectives for presentation at COP 28.
Geoffrey Pascal, a fourth-year Law student and President of the Environmental Justice and Sustainability Clinic, expressed gratitude to the CSOs for the opportunity to contribute to COP 28 discussions.
He noted the event's success in fostering collaborative efforts towards achieving environmental justice values. Pascal encouraged students from diverse programs to engage in the clinic, emphasizing that the battle against climate change involves everyone, regardless of their disciplines.
Julius Ngoma, National Coordinator at the think-tank CISONECC, stressed the necessity for a collective voice at COP28 to address critical issues such as loss and damage, adaptation, financing, agriculture, and the global stocktake.
The event included engaging activities. Students marched from the main library car park through Sangala hostel roundabout to Chikowi Lecture Theatres while singing various songs promoting environmental awareness.