The “Youth Forums for the Columbia River” will organize synchronized, regionally-representative, youth-led forums to convene, collate, and elevate youth voices for a better water future in the Columbia River Basin in the context of the current renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty and the UN 2030 Water Action Agenda. The Youth Forum will be a hybrid event involving local in-person Columbia River Basin hubs along with a synchronous virtual group. On Saturday, 11 February 2023, we will gather for networking, plenaries, and working breakout groups to learn and provide insight into youth goals for the future of the Columbia River Basin. The current renegotiation period for the Columbia River Treaty between the USA and Canada is a (closing) window of opportunity for youth to raise their voices and advocate for their future in the basin to decision-makers and negotiators. NAYPW has several opportunities for youth and young professionals with a stake in the Columbia River Basin through this project.
We are seeking volunteers for the roles of:
1. participants
2. community mobilizers – these volunteer leaderships will work with NAYPW leadership support to engage more members of their community in the project
3. communicators – for volunteer leaders who are interested and particularly passionate about this effort, we have limited availability to invite participants to be part of our Youth Vision report development and communication of results to Columbia River Treaty negotiators, regional and national communicators, and the UN 2023 Water Conference in NYC in March 2023.
These forums will provide the opportunity for youth and young/early-career professionals who have a stake in the future of the Columbia River Basin. The forums will collect, organize, and empower youth and young professionals as water stakeholders during the current renegotiation period of the Columbia River Treaty. NAYPW will publicize the results of the forums as a report describing youths’ and young/early-career professionals’ concerns, visions, and action commitments for the basin. These outcomes will be directly related and added to the Global Youth Movement for Water Action Agenda and the UN 2030 Water Action Agenda registry for progress on SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
The format of the forums will be either hybrid (virtual and in-person) or virtual-only, depending on the communities’ and participants’ needs. The Youth Forums will be spaces to connect people who are approximately 16-35 years old as youth or young/early-career professionals, and who are physically located in or passionate about the Columbia River Basin’s future. Participants outside of this age range are welcome to join as well – however, please know that this space is meant to amplify the voices of the next generation in the basin.
You do not need to live in the basin to participate in the Forums. If you have a stake in the basin through work, school, research, family history or ties, or other activities, we want to hear from you at the Forums!
