International Youth Environment Camp Zambia (IYECZ) – Dec, 2009

With sufficient capacity building, the youth become ambassadors and leaders for environmental policies by among others; developing skills, networking and facilitating their active participation in effective decision making. It is in light of this that the International Youth Environment Camp Zambia (IYECZ) was initiated. The IYECZ is being organized by Youth Environment Network (YEN-Zambia) and Green Warriors Movement (GWM-Kenya) for the young people all over the world, and local communities as a non-profit making venture. YEN-Zambia is a non-profit; youth based organization which was formed on 23rd September 2007 with the purpose of educating, engaging and empowering youths, women and children in activities that will improve their living standards and the natural environment as a whole. The IYECZ is open to all those who are serious about making a positive contribution towards environmental problems and coming up with sound solutions based on long term objectives. The Programme aspires to provide participants with the opportunity to gain skills, knowledge, have interactive learning sessions and discuss on the best strategies in conserving our environment.

The International Youth Environment Camp Zambia is designed with the purpose of exposing and equipping young people to voluntary and development work. They also learn skills on leadership, decision making and effective advocacy to global contemporary issues. What makes IYECZ unique and relevant is the skillful facilitation and personal interaction between the youth, with resource persons and local communities. The facilitators are not only experts in the environmental fields, but are also equipped with skills to deal with the young people. The camp will focus on various social, economic, cultural, and environmental and development issues such as health and HIV/AIDS, sustainable development, natural resource management, governance and democracy, peace and war, alcohol and drug abuse and environmental education. The camp will employ various techniques such as talks and presentations, team building and group dynamic tasks/sports, game drives and community outreach among others.

The environmental camp set to take place on Dec 2009, will enable the youth to acquire vital knowledge on current social, environmental and culture issues; empower the youth to be ambassadors in the conservation area, create a forum for exchange of ideas and experience and trap the energies, skills and knowledge of the youth to be used not only in conservation and protection of the environment but also on other development areas. Besides this; the camp purposes to engage the youth and community members in planting 5,000 trees. This is geared to assist in Carbon Sequestration thus increase the Forest cover as in line with goal number 7 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) and the Billion Tree Campaign ; Plant for the Planet .

Participation

The International Youth Environment Camp Zambia (IYECZ) is a YEN-Zambia initiative designed to bring together young people from different parts of the world, local communities and environmental based organizations to share ideas, acquire knowledge, learn knew skills, gain confidence and ultimately have an active participation in issues that pertain to the Conservation and management of our Bio-Diversity. The IYECZ will bring together over 80 people from different parts of the World, Local Communities, and organizations committed in taking good care of our precious Flora and Fauna. The International Environment Camp will be held during the second week of December; 14th Dec to 20th Dec, 2009. The Environment Camp is targeting youth and community members from all parts of the World of Ages between 18 and 35 Years.

Participants will gain vital knowledge in contemporary issues, specifically efficient Conservation and Management Techniques. The participants will be empowered to be Campaigners and Ambassadors in the Conservation of our precious Flora and Fauna. Ultimately, the youth will be able to influence decision making positively in all issues.

With the youth from all over the World coming together, a Network will be forged that will enable handling of cross cutting environmental and developmental issues. The youth will benefit from the “hands on experience” through working with the local communities. The youth will be instilled with a sense of ownership on environmental matters and develop utmost never ending conservation synergies amongst them. In addition to this; the participants will visit the World Renowned Victoria falls. The Scenic Falls are 1.7KM wide with a volume of 90 Million Litres per second tearing down at a vertical drop. It is commonly referred as “The Smoke that Thunders”. Dr. Livingstone on his first visit wrote: “Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by Angels in their flight”. We will also visit the Maramba Cultural Village and Kafue National Park.

For more information or registration, please contact:

intcampzed@yahoo.com

intcampzed@gmail.com

+260 977 607960

+254 721 955202

We duly welcome you to Zambia the “Real Africa”.


Yours sincerely,

Cyrus Gachangja
Programmes Coordinator
GWM - Kenya

Billy M. Lombe
Founder and Executive Director
YEN - Zambia