Tunza 2008: Another Step Forward in Youth Participation

The 2008 edition of the Tunza international children's conference on the environment turned out to be a success. From the 16th to the 21st of June, over 700 children and 300 supervisors from 105 different countries met in Stavanger, Norway, in order to honour environmental issues and initiatives. "Think globally, act locally" as defended by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Young Agenda 21, the two initiators of this conference.

For this occasion, the International Polar Foundation offered a workshop to the attending supervisors entitled " Get involved ". The IPF presented its educational tools such as CD-Roms on Biodiversity and on Polar Regions, giant 3-D polar puzzles and its various internet resources which are downloadable for free on the EducaPoles website.

In representing their respective countries, the children took part in the various activities which were offered (plenary sessions, workshops, educational and cultural tours...) by the various schools, institutions and organisations. They also presented their projects and expressed their ideas regarding environmental participation, with the objective of building an international network for environmental involvement and civil responsibility. This mobilisation should allow future generations to look forward to a greener prospect and more responsible consumption patterns.