![MYD 2018 Retreat Reflection – Jeffrey Lee Kai Bo]()
by admin | Jul 1, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation hosted the annual Retreat at EPIC Collective over the weekend of the 28th and 29th April 2018. New members were asked to reflect the activities they took part in, what they learned along the way, and what they took away from the experience. Here’s what our new members had to say:
Jeffrey Lee Kai Bo
The Important Relationship of NGOs and the Private Sector to the Climate Change Movement
By: Jeffrey Lee Kai Bo
Throughout the two-day retreat, I had the opportunity to meet new people and learned many new things about MYD and the work they do. I thoroughly enjoyed all the activities, talks and oversaturation of the word “sexy” for the duration of the retreat. However, in writing this reflection, I have decided to focus on one aspect of the entire experience that I found particularly interesting.
On the first day of the retreat, we had a session by Lavanya from WWF Malaysia and Shakila from Cenergi (who represented the private sector). I found the inclusion of a speaker from both an NGO and the private sector to be a remarkable combination in presenting the ideas of climate change. It was interesting for me to see how two people from different backgrounds have rather different methodologies of pursuing the same goal, i.e. one through political activism and the other through corporate incentives. Lavanya’s talk largely focused on the moral responsibilities of recognizing the destruction of climate change on the world. Her points gave me an insight into the inner workings of a more well-established NGO that had more lobbying power. Although in my opinion, the talk by Shakila felt more impactful to me. While her speech did not explicitly state that companies impose environmental-friendly policies for corporate gains, I believe that it is a large factor in why companies do it, and it’s not a bad thing.
From my personal experiences participating in exhibitions both locally and abroad, I have made a conclusion that most private sectors have a strong eye for environmental-friendly products. It is always a running joke within my friend group, that to win an invention competition, one is to just slap a solar panel onto an existing product and call it “innovation”. Theoretically, it shouldn’t work, but yet, it does. Through the conversations I’ve had with the judges from the private sector, there is a corporate incentive for companies to look for new innovations targeting the eco-friendly market. It is a largely new industry that is very promising to potential investors. We have already seen Tesla being the pioneer of this new field. Subsequent commercial success of both the fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus 350WXB are both perfect examples of how new companies adapt to favor new and efficient technology.
Although the incentive for the adoption of green innovation has always been present, there has always been a force holding back these innovations from taking off. That is, for a greener and eco-friendlier product to take off, it would have to take an old product off the market. This, therefore, poses a problem for more traditional industries that now face the threat of irrelevance. Often times, such companies would lobby the government to impose restrictions on the adoption of these new technologies and spread misinformation about their instability, inefficiency or sometimes danger. This is where the importance of the works of Lavanya and the Malaysian Youth Delegation come into play. NGOs such as the Malaysian Youth Delegation remind the government that it does not serve corporations, rather it serves the very people who gave the government its power. We want the government to stand on our side to force traditional industries to either change their direction or face being replaced.
The role of both NGOs and the private sector should not be overlooked. Together they form the basis of a new and green industrial revolution to take place. Therefore, it is important for co-operation to exist between these two entities. However much they may seem to differ on the surface, they work together to build a better future for the economy and the environment.
Together, NGOs and the private sector form a new and green industrial revolution
![MYD 2018 Retreat Reflection – Liyana binti Yamin]()
by admin | Jul 1, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation hosted the annual Retreat at EPIC Collective over the weekend of the 28th and 29th April 2018. New members were asked to reflect the activities they took part in, what they learned along the way, and what they took away from the experience. Here’s what our new members had to say:
Liyana binti Yamin
By Liyana binti Yamin
The moment I saw the advert “Be part of Climate Change and UNFCCC COP24 policy Negotiation” at #PowerShiftMsia website, I told myself – I need to apply this! I’ve been listening to the climate change mantra ever since I was in high school and to be part of the process and negotiation? People with an interest in climate change would never miss this opportunity. Being selected to join MYD, I was more than eager and excited to join the retreat. I got lost on my first day to the retreat despite having Waze, but that did not stop my enthusiasm to be there. I literally was on every street in the area before I finally reached the destination. At the venue, I was welcomed with smiles and laughter of like-minded people. We chatted and I was overwhelmed with the passion expressed by everyone. The first day of the retreat was ignited with an interesting ice-breaking session. It continued with an introduction to UNFCCC, the youth’s role in UNFCCC, and how developed and developing nations struggle in climate negotiations.
It amazes me that the more I learn, the more I actually do not know. From the history of UNFCCC, what global south and global north countries are, to Malaysia’s position in negotiating on climate change policy, it helped us understand the world climate agreement at the United Nations platform. It shocked me that prior to the 24th Conference of Parties (COP24), there is so much we need to equip ourselves with. Sufficient knowledge is a must and we need to be exposed with a series of policy reading and understanding sessions that will be carried out for 6 months so we know the real issues we will be exposed to at COP. Different countries have different missions at COP. This is why we must not take things lightly and commit in taking up the responsibility to represent our country’s mission.
The two team building missions where we are supposed to make a sturdy house that is climate change resistant and discuss the toilet agreement definitely brought everyone’s creativity on the table. Forming two different groups showed that wherever you place like-minded people, we can positively make a great group. For the first mission, it was interesting how everyone managed to make a sturdy house and overcome the resistant made by Azam. Then, during the toilet agreement, I started to know a part of myself. Being surrounded by people who can actually talk and raise the issue, I became a listener instead and supported my group. Knowing that there are times that we should also listen and be actively supporting what is right, the toilet agreement enhanced my knowledge on how the negotiations normally happens. It certainly scared the crap out of me thinking if I am able to face if it is the real situation. It was a great exposure to me personally.
Not to forget, watching “Before the flood” for the second time makes me feel remorseful reflecting on how much damage human beings have done. I even started thinking if becoming vegan could be part of the change I want to see to combat climate change. The overall retreat was able to transform my personal thinking and I believe each one of us could stop climate change provided we are motivated to take on bold decisions. Be inspired with MYD pasts achievements and let us all board the ship together to make a change. We can!
![MYD 2018 Retreat Reflection – Abirami Baskaran]()
by admin | Jul 1, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation hosted the annual Retreat at EPIC Collective over the weekend of the 28th and 29th April 2018. New members were asked to reflect the activities they took part in, what they learned along the way, and what they took away from the experience. Here’s what our new members had to say:
Abirami Baskaran
A weekend of knowledge, personal growth and the unexpected appreciation of Leonardo di Caprio
By Abirami Baskaran
I honestly did not know what to expect, attending the MYD retreat. Were they going to quiz us on the climate agreements? Who said what at Bonn? What if I was asked to explain my application answers? I didn’t remember what I wrote! Thankfully my overactive imagination proved false, as it quite often does. Over the span of two days, I was exposed to an avalanche of new terms, names, key dates, policy agreements, documentaries, and the works. Admittedly it was quite a lot to absorb and process, and by Sunday afternoon I was overwhelmed with information, but in the best way possible.
The retreat on Day 1 began with an ice breaking session (of course) and while I was a tad nervous to be away from my classmates, I always love meeting new people. The story game was fun, but horror of horrors I had to speak! In front of people! With a microphone! To be fair the Abi a year ago would probably have frozen on the spot, and would’ve tried to get out of speaking by any means possible (which is surpassed only by the Abi five years ago, who would have cried and or puked). But 2018 Abi has almost gotten over her stage fright. And while my heart was pounding while I rattled off my part of the story, my voice was steady (I think) and my mind was mostly void from the usual “omg what if I mess up” anxiety. So on a personal achievement scale, the first part of the retreat: Success!
The subsequent knowledge sessions was truly an eye opener. Whatever I knew about climate change policies and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was incredibly on the surface. Being exposed to it and educated on it by the MYD facilitators, who’ve had first-hand experience was a great session, albeit it made me feel very unknowledgeable. I was incredibly attentive due to the captivating nature of the knowledge sessions, and that’s saying something because I have the attention span of a toddler, especially in a sit-down-and-listen type situation. I could really feel the passion and excitement radiating from the seniors (and Adrian) when speaking to us about UNFCCC. Being in the presence of these remarkable individuals was truly inspiring to me, because it made me feel like I too, could make a difference and could contribute to MYD in the future (cue overactive imagination of me sans stage fright taking part/speaking at conferences and at next year’s MYD retreat). The night screening of Before the Flood was captivating, due in part to Leo di Caprio’s charming voice, which I’ve never noticed before by the way, so that was an interesting discovery. Not to mention the content of the documentary itself, which was eye-opening.
Day 2 of the MYD retreat yielded more feelings of “omg I do not know so many things”, but this time I was not as anxious about it. I really enjoyed the talk on the Role of Youth in UNFCCC. It made me feel like although as young members on the climate change policy scene, all our voices would still matter, would be heard, and would be considered; and that to me is a pretty powerful feeling.
Following the youth talk was the team bonding session: Toilet agreement, which was a very creative component in teaching us about how UNFCCC negotiates agreements and proposes policies. It was not easy. It was difficult to come to an agreement, and incredibly challenging to deal with characters of different personalities. It really does make you ponder on how large scale consensus are achieved. Finally we came to an agreement, more out of the time limit than anything else I imagine, and presented it in the front. Another success on a personal scale: I spoke in front of everyone without dying! Sure the eye contact was minimum, and when I wasn’t speaking I hid behind everyone else. But the main take-away would be: Abi is making progress.
I really enjoyed listening to the ensuing MYD Buddies sharing sessions along with watching the videos and photographs. The seniors made us feel very inclusive, despite having just met us, and I appreciated that. I was not at Bonn’s COP23, but I sure felt like I was (overactive imagination, back again), due to the vivid storytelling by Jasmin, Azam and Mike, and the add-ons by the other MYD seniors.
After the knowledge sessions were over I remember feeling a rush of emotions all at once. Intimidation – “man I barely know anything what if this is all too much”; Anxiety – “what am I even doing here I feel so dumb!” Excitement – “This is all so cool I’m learning so many new things!” Eagerness – “I honestly cannot wait to continue in MYD”.
During the reflection towards the end, I had plenty to say, but nervousness on having to stand up and speak with everyone watching took over. Instead, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible, I raised my hand, mumbled out a generic positive statement and let out a sigh of relief. But really though, the retreat was organized well, and I enjoyed every aspect of it. I was happy to be surrounded by like-minded people, and am looking forward to bonding more with everyone.
Last year, I was going to apply for COP23, but the application questions intimidated the heck out of me. Being somewhat unconfident in my knowledge, and having little experience, I passed on it, and told myself that I would apply the following year, and I’m so glad I did. The retreat taught me a myriad of things in just two days, and I eagerly anticipate gaining more knowledge on this MYD journey with my classmates and new friends, in hopes of contributing to a more sustainable future.
![Climate Change, Communication and Comprehension]()
by admin | Jun 25, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation’s fourth Training Series was about climate change communication and we, as its members, looked forward to an informational session on how to better convey climate information using various media. The workshop did deliver that motivational boost but resulted with much more than a refreshed perspective on delivering out spiels on climate change.
Ms. Tina Carmillia, an award-winning environmental journalist and a BFM producer, hosted the workshop on the 9th of June at Sunway University, themed “how to communicate climate change effectively and persuasively.” The session started with Ms. Tina introducing the different stages of developing an effective message. While going through examples of climate change storytelling, she emphasized that climate change, as a subject, never stands alone. The phenomenon is intrinsic to our everyday life, having impacts on the activities and lives of people around the world. As an experienced journalist, she explained that we need to find the angle of story so that it is consumable. The core of our storytelling lies in how one explores the relationship between climate change and life, such as climate change and migration or climate change and gender.
Some valuable insight into her toolkit
Following the introduction, Ms. Tina highlighted that we need to think about the audience from an angle, profiling them as being cautious, disengaged or doubtful of climate change. She noted that the rise of the smartphones and improvements in information technology have led to the over-consumption of data and information, causing people to experience empathy-fatigue and apathy towards information. By identifying our audience, we can decide on the level of engagement and the subsequent methods of information delivery for impactful storytelling. Ms. Tina further explained that texts work best for persuasive communication, whereas multimedia is suitable for data-heavy delivery to a demanding audience. Most importantly, she reminded us not to over-simplify our delivery just because we assume that the audience is unfamiliar with jargons. “If you continuously use the jargon, people will be familiarised and they will be able to use it and build their vocabulary that will help them form an idea or an opinion about it (climate change)”, said Ms. Tina. All these go into framing and contextualising the fact, fun and fear of climate change for a particular audience.
Furthermore, Ms Tina mentioned that a fully-developed story should be accompanied with solutions. Otherwise, the information and knowledge imparted will be futile, especially since climate change is a complex topic. In the area of climate change where human actions directly impact the environment, we need to be clear about the possible actionables so as to inspire our audience to respond to the issue. Where there are responses, there is momentum and direction to further engage with the believers or the non-believers of climate change.
The audience were thoroughly engaged in discussion
When we moved on to exploring the different tools and platforms for delivering our message, Ms. Tina affirmed that we already have the key reporting device – our cellphones. She stated that mobile journalism is no longer a thing, because nowadays, it is simply known as journalism. In her years of reporting, journalists have moved away from high-scale production to mobile phones, which is fitting because we consume most content through these devices. Ms. Tina proceeded to give us a demonstration of her toolkit, which included a mini projector, 360 camera, microphones, lighting and much more in the inventory. She explained that the live-broadcasting workstation has evolved into something that could be assembled as quickly as 3 minutes and hooked onto many-cams (switch-board style) in a snap. As for composition pieces, we could employ a few of the many free tools and platform available online, including storytelling web hosts, Google tools, and data animation. Ms. Tina continued to brief us about the production workflow, which consisted of planning, newsgathering, producing, and publishing. Apparently, the workflow cycle could be accomplished in the span of a weekend!
The school students were at Sunway for a different reason but also ended up in our activity.
In confirming her point, she gave us 30 minutes to put what we learned into action. We split up into small groups and went around the Sunway University campus to produce a 60 second video on a climate-related issue. After 30 minutes, we regrouped and shared our results and findings. Ms. Tina provided timely feedback and suggestions on our process and videos. In fact, she was impressed and remarked that with a bit more of editing, these videos could be published for the general public as the message of the videos were clear. Before concluding our session, Ms. Tina reminded us that in order to report climate change, we have to explore and utilise different outlets to communicate our message effectively to a specific audience. As long as we learn how to use our voices and differentiate them from the rest, we will succeed in communicating climate change and inciting actions that matter.
The audience were enthralled with the session and the location ?
Written by Eira and Cai May
Photos by Liyana
Edited by Varun
by admin | Jun 17, 2018 | #CeritaHijau, #MYD, MYD2018
5th June:
The Roundtable Discussion on the Reform Agenda & Role of Civil Society: Rebuilding on the Foundations of Human Rights and Sustainable Development was organised by the Centre for Public Policy Studies.
It was refreshing to attend this event to witness the spiritedness and energy of the CSOs present. The speakers were very vocal in their criticisms and fair in their judgements. The audience were equally frank in their questions and comments, and with the excitement of having a new government, the potential for reform was in the air. The aim of the event was to discuss some of the institutional reform proposals that were being submitted to the government and to get input on them from members of the audience who were mostly from other CSOs. The SDGs: Policy Coherence & Malaysian Society document was also launched at the event by Mr Stefan Priesner, the Resident Coordinator for the United Nations in Malaysia. It is a document published by the CSO-SDG Alliance and ASLI.
The panel featured eminent speakers from SUHAKAM – Tan Sri Razali Ismail, WWF – Ms Lavanya Rama Iyer, G25 Malaysia – Dato Noor Farida Ariffin, Malaysian Economic Association – Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Kassim, Pakatan Harapan – YB Dato Saifuddin Abdullah and the Malaysian Bar – Mr George Varughese. It was chaired by Dr Denison Jayasooria.
Ms. Lavanya Rama Iyer brought up the issue of the environment amidst all these reforms. She importantly categorised these natural resources such as clean air, water and other aspects of the environment as natural capital.
“Our development has exceeded the environment’s regenerative capacity. We need to be more considerate of our natural capital.” she said decisively. She called for the environment to be more directly integrated into all other aspects of the reforms, to stop relying on the culture of extracting resources, creating externalities and to manage the resources better. She added that this would avoid the culture of dependency and rather be enabling.
She called specifically for a focused environmental ministry and the creation of an overarching committee that would look into all aspects of governance in a sustainable development lens.
The other panelists were very frank and detailed with their recommendations for reform. Tan Sri Mohd Kassim outlined the economic situation that Malaysia was in. Tan Sri Razali Ismail was emphatic in his call for CSOs to be more independent. Dato Noor Farida Ariffin was on fire as she detailed a long list of reforms for the judiciary, the police, the MACC, JAKIM and the AG just to name a few.
The audience brought up some challenging and controversial points as well regarding Malaysia’s governance structure. There were calls for children, indigenous people and refugees’ rights – a couple of them in attendance who questioned JAKOA’s relevance.
However, there was a distinct lack of reference made to the SDGs, climate change or the environmental pillars of sustainability in most of the recommendations put forth with the exception of Ms Iyer. This was somewhat disappointing as most of the speakers focused on the economic and social pillars. However they had incorporated various aspects of the SDGs in their recommendations, most of them being indirectly.
From Ms Iyer’s speech, it was evident that we need a fundamental restructuring to the way we do business, run our economy and carry out our day to day activities if we are to slow down and turn back the degradation of our environment and to remain within the regenerative capacity of the planet. Hopefully more CSOs can include such environmental aspects into all their forthcoming policy recommendations and actions.
“What is the use of a house, if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Henry David Thoreau in Familiar Letters.
Written by Lhavanya
Edited by Varun
![New Government, New Rules, and a Youth Climate Change NGO]()
by admin | Jun 9, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018
What does Pakatan Harapan and Dua Lipa have in common?
They’ve got new rules, they count ‘em.
(pls laugh)
Post #GE14 has been nothing but a whirlwind of constant social media and news update every 30 seconds, keeping us always glued to the screen, racing to get first hand updates and spread it to our WhatsApp group chats, Facebook and Twitter. Millennials made up the majority of registered voters, with Malaysians aged 21-39 years old making up 41% of the registered voters in #GE14. The shocking election win of Pakatan Harapan, after 60 years of ruling under Barisan Nasional, left its mark on history – evidently proving that those of you with a purple inked finger on the 9th of May did make a difference.
The formation of the new government signifies hope in our country, and a breath of fresh air. The Malaysian Youth Delegation rejoiced the win of the newly elected government, but at the same time, stayed firm and rooted on the cause of environment and climate change. To acknowledge the historic win, MYD released a media statement, calling on Pakatan Harapan Government to Strengthen Climate Action in Malaysia. The statement took basis of the Buku Harapan, as MYD reminds the government that they are being held accountable to not only just MYD, but also the rakyat.
Not long after MYD published the media statement, another writing opportunity arose. Karee Chan (MYD18), a Masters student at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, alerted the MYD group on the call for submission to the Committee for Institutional Reforms, Council of Eminent Persons. The written representation was called upon for individuals and groups who wish to address structural defects or failure of institutions to function according to the law or ineffective decision making process or inadequate redressal mechanism.
MYD decided to hop on board the opportunity and put together a letter to address the structural defects that stunt the decision-making process to address climate change, and suggest mechanisms for good climate governance in a Letter to Committee for Institutional Reforms. Putting together this intricate piece on such an important topic was not a bucketful of rainbows and was not accomplished without its challenges.
Having produced two articles in the span of one month (a milestone for MYD!), there are key areas that I would like to write and reflect upon, as below:
- The future of politics is grassroots
Pakistan Harapan’s win in #GE14 marks a “Demokrasi Era Baru” as described by Astro Awani – which, when translated means the New Era of Democracy. With the formation of the Council of Eminent Persons to advise the government and oversee the progress of keeping the new government accountable in the first 100 days as promised, there is definitely a fresh approach as to how governance and democracy is portrayed in the country. The invitation for written representation proves that the ruling coalition encourages the public to partake in the democratic process, and stresses on inclusitivity as it takes into account the rakyat’s opinion.
- Youth participation in institutional reform
The opportunity for youth participation in politics is rather slim in this country. The existence of University and University Colleges Act (AUKU) 1971 and Private Higher Educational Institutional Act (Act 555) prevents the engagement of university students in university grounds or involvement in political rallies in the first place. Is it not the role of higher education institutions to spark critical thinking, and host intellectual debates to mould high calibre graduates capable of leading and designing the future of tomorrow? We must derive way from the education confined within the four brick walls of a classroom and truly dive in relevant, meaningful conversations and freedom of political expression.
As Pakatan Harapan takes over as the ruling coalition, it was as if the air was cleared of pollution. It was like turning over onto a new blank page of a notebook, waiting to be written on, and having new words encrypted. After a long time, the youth are no longer silent, and rediscovered their voices to speak out – and they are speaking out loud. Social media became a powerful tool for communications, building a bridge between the millennials and politicians. Active participation by youth organisations in addressing institutional defects via hosting forums and publishing statements prove that the youth is concerned and acting positively towards reform, enhancing participation in democratisation process and strengthening social cohesion in the governance system.
- Priority areas of climate change in Malaysia
MYD’s Letter to Committee for Institutional Reforms briefly yet comprehensively outlined the priority areas of climate change in Malaysia. First and foremost, the letter reiterated the Janji 39, made by the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto, which is the to establish the National Coordination Council for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation (Majlis Koordinasi Kebangsaan until Adaptasi dan Mitigasi Iklim). In order to achieve effectiveness of the said Council, a greater integration is needed within the Ministry and Agencies. Major GHG contributing sectors has to be closely monitored so that the goal of 40% carbon emissions reduction by 2020 can be achieved as stated in Janji 39.
In terms of climate change mitigation, areas of priority include access to affordable and sustainable energy, interagency practice of inclusive decision-making, proper GHG inventory and assessment, regulation of land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities and emission reduction from transportation sector and livestock production.
On climate change adaptation, emphasis was placed on the importance of National Adaptation Plan, more studies on coastal vulnerability, more stringent assessment of major developments in regards to climate change, food security and impact of climate change and biodiversity conservation.
Intergenerational equity plays a significant role in addressing climate change. It is imperative that the voices of youth are well-represented in the decision-making process.
Lastly, climate education is identified as key in providing a holistic understanding of climate-earth system and humanity. The Ministry of Education as well as Natural Resources and Environment must look into revamping climate education policies. Capacity building is pertinent in creating an environmentally conscious society.
The process of putting together a statement or co-writing a letter has always been an enriching learning journey, as I get to learn a lot from my teammates, who are knowledgeable in their own fields. Having teammates from diverse background added more value in the discussion as we perceive things from different perspectives. For example, Nacha, Kelvin and I had a last minute debate with Karee when she brought up the issue of climate change and livestock production, evidently backing up her opinions by citing scientific research. However though, the data cited was a global data, and lacked local findings. After the lengthy discussion we managed to compress the point under the larger umbrella of climate change mitigation, rather than a stand alone topic. Juggling tight deadlines, rapid decision making and the need for being inclusive of ideas contributed reminds me of my experience writing an intervention with YOUNGO – definitely a skill that is ultra useful gained by participating in COP.
Just like Dua Lipa, Pakatan Harapan DGAF –
Dares to
Govern
Advocacy
Forward
Salam Malaysia Baharu.
Written by Jasmin Irisha
