imcsap.org – IMCS Asia Pacific conducted a workshop for young people in Asia pacific in April 14, 15, 21, 22. This was in collaboration with the International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) for Asia, the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI)-Rights of Nature (RoN) PH and the Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP). The workshop content was To investigate the issue of climate change through discussion, experimentation and observation to further youths’ understanding of the topic and the impact their activities have on their surroundings, as well as encourage youths to take action to prevent further climate change.

As a student-based organization in the Asia Pacific, IMCS was grateful that the workshop was conducted successfully and the participants were able to share and discuss their thoughts and ideas about ecology/climate justice and learn the rights of nature, rights of youth to be advocates for climate justice and to participate and engage in the climate justice campaign.  During the first and second sessions, the facilitators from the Philippines Misereor Partnershop Inc (PMPI)-Rights of Nature (RoN) shared about climate change and nature’s rights during the climate crisis. They shared that the Rights of Nature are a paradigm shift. 

The Rights of Nature (RoN) Campaign is a growing global movement to protect the environment by recognizing nature, like humans, has intrinsic rights. It’s a campaign to recover our connectedness and original appreciation and reverence of Mother Nature. It is to address our dysfunctional economic system and the legal, social, political, and modern cultural frameworks destroying people and the planet. 

The participants became more encouraged and inspired to know the explanation and inputs from facilitators about the rights of youth as main characters in the climate crisis and the right of nature. The workshop trained 60 students from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor Leste, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, and Burundi. They represented different organizations, movements, and institutes. The workshop sessions were organized through various methodologies like discussion, inputs, group and personal sharing. Many participants were able to know and connect with others during the sessions. *