Abel Foundation

Youth Summit '08


The Youth Summit for “Climate Change and Future Sustainability” was a conglomeration of youth coming from different parts of world of different age groups, from different genre for a cause they all believe in and wish to work together.

Many times, we, come across many unpleasant and unjust things which get us thinking wish we could do something about it. Some just crib about the fact that a person cannot change the whole world, while a few actually dare to differ and think about initiating processes that can actually make a difference… even an iota of it.

The Youth Summit'08 was driven by such motivated youngsters who believed that when the Youth unites even mountains can be moved.The students from Finland, Netherlands and India came together; it was a co-existence beyond cultural and religious differences....

"Youth Summit" is a meeting of the youth; it is where youngsters get together and discuss issues that concern us all. In this case, the focus was on Climate Change and Future Sustainability. – aptly described by one of the participant.

They gave a united consensus on issue of Climate Change.Well there are critics who says : Climate change is hogwash, what can a man do about it? He is just an ant in the world population. Besides, climate change is a natural process.
It is something that has to happen so let it be.

We beg to differ…

At the Youth Summit we tried to inculcate the students to form their own opinions about Climate Change by providing them with a platform to explore a series of topics like: Water utilization and conservationWaste Management,Awareness about Climate Change (Health and Education),Impact of human activities on Environment.Alternate sources of Energy.

These group projects that involved students to seek out answers to climate change related questions for themselves. Along with this we planned on nature trails, farming, interviewing villagers, presentations etc which gave participants practical and hands on experience.

The schedule made sure that a stretch of one week, fully utilized their energy and minds in learning things which are not taught in confined spaces.
We believed in initiating the process….

There are many people in the world who are not exactly aware about the change going on, on the mother earth. Yes, we do believe in global warming but even apart from global warming there are many other changes that are gradually being noticed in the environment.

Climate Change is the term being used for the unnatural changes that are gradually being noticed in the environment.In that sense, then one can relate everything in the environment to climate change. Isn't it?

Cause every negative anthropogenic activity indirectly or directly affects the climate.Aiming to completely wipe out every negative anthropogenic activity is far-fetched and unpractical.Instead we aim to create awareness to modify lifestyles voluntarily thereby aiming at reduction of carbon footprint to some extent and awaken humans to live eco-friendly lives.

One of the drawback of Environment Education today is that you can never know how much deeper the message has been imbibed in the students unless you have been manually keeping track of them on a friendly basis. But, then that should not be a deterrent factor.
Someone has to do it and so why not us.

Youth Summit’08 was our second initiative and an opportunity to reach the masses in terms of delivering something which forms the basis of this organization. The youth of today can either choose to forget or instead choose to move on and continue to bring a change….

We at ABEL wish continue to bring a change…. to create and implement programs of various magnitude and genre…through which we hope to create gradual impact in people and that too voluntarily.

We wish to "Be the change to See the change."