Welcome to the United Nations
16th Session, 5-16 May 2008 - New York
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Article by the CSD16 youth delegates >>
BELGIUM:
Lisa Develtere: (21) Currently I am a masters student at the Catholic University of Leuven and I am the Flemish Youth Representative for Sustainable Development of the Flemish Youth Council. One of my main tasks as a Youth Representative is that I am the Flemish Youth Delegate within the Belgian delegation for the UN CSD-16. I hope that, together with the two other Youth Delegates from Belgium, I will be able to add a youthfull spark to the CSD process.
Anne Bocquet: (25) I’m one of the 3 youth representatives within the Belgian delegation and I’ve been sent by the French speaking Youth Council of Belgium. Last June, I graduated from ISTI (Brussels) in conference interpreting. While studying interpreting, I was exposed to a broad range of topics as we are expected to be familiar with current affairs. Therefore, I grew familiar with sustainable development and its pillars. My exposure to international environmental issues led me to the conference of the parties of the UNFCC December in Bali. There was so much energy over there among the Youth Climate Movement that I applied to attend the CSD-16 in order to live another tremendous experience and take part in the effort to foster youth involvement in such critical topics topics.
Daniel Niessen: (23) is a representative of the German speaking Belgian youth council. He is responsible for sustainable development within that body and takes part in the CSD 16 in order to represent the smallest cultural minority of his country. Such as the other two youth delegates, he is part of the official Belgian delegation as well as of the Youth Caucus. Daniel made his first outer-European experience during a one-year Rotary students exchange in Mexico, in 2002-2003. Later, he studied applied translation in Brussels (Masters) and is currently doing a Masters in comparative and international politics in Leuven (Flanders). His interest in environmental themes, among others, comes from his long experience with the Boy Scout Movement. He considers the participation at the CSD a unique chance to know the UN-process and the possibilities for young people to change something at this level. For more information about the mission of the Belgian youth delegates at the CSD, see www.csd-blog.be.
CANADA:
Joanna Dafoe: (21) is finishing up her third year at the University of Toronto where she takes Peace and Conflict Studies and Environmental Policy. Joanna is very grateful for the opportunity to serve as the youth representative on the Canadian Government Delegation. After taking part in several UN conferences on the environment, Joanna is energized and hopeful by the emerging network of young people that are rising to the environmental challenges of our century. At the CSD, Joanna is representing the Sierra Youth Coalition (www.syc-cjs.org) and she is active in other organizations such as the Climate Project Canada and the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition.
GERMANY:
Marlon Hassel: (20) participates at CSD 16/17 within the Official German Delegation. He worked on a voluntary basis for ten years with the German Youth Association for nature protection in educating and sensitizing children to environmental challenges. He also works on political topics like the climate change, biodiversity and renewable energies. Currently, in Karlsruhe, Germany, he is studying business and engineering with the aim to work later on in the sector of the renewable energies. Along with with Katja Walter, the other German youth delegate, he wrote a diary about CSD-16 on their internet blog: www.jugenddelegierte.dbjr.de.
Katja Walter: (25) I am studying environmental engineering in Berlin. Last year, I attended CSD15, which was a hectic start into the CSD process, since the topics energy and climate change were quite controversial. Back home, I also work for a more sustainable energy consumption and production. As a part of the youth alliance for future energy, I promote renewable energies especially for youth. The topics of CSD16 fit perfectly to the topics of KLJB, the German part of MIJARC (the International Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth Movement), which I´ve been working with for many years. For me, it´s really exiting to talk about challenges of young people coming from rural areas at CSD as an international commission.
NETHERLANDS:
Maayke Aimée Damen: (21) She is the Official Dutch Youth Delegate to the UN CSD from 2007 to 2009. Currently she is studying Cultural Anthropology / Developmental Studies and a minor Political Science at Leiden University. She will receive her Bachelor’s degree after finalising her thesis on the UN CSD. Maayke is active in a broad range of youth issues; she is actively involved in different youth organizations like the Dutch National Youth Council, she is an elect for a political party, involved in Cool Climate. She also works for Maurits Groen Environment & Communication, a Dutch consultancy firm.
Don Gerritsen is the official Dutch youth delegate to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in 2008 and 2009. He is 24 years old and holds a Master’s degree in Social and Political Sciences of the Environment, for which he has carried out research on Bio energy for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. Don currently studies International Relations at the International School in Amsterdam, where he lives. He is particularly interested in climate change and bio energy issues. For more information please check www.DonGerritsen.com.
SWEDEN:
Jakop Dalunde. No further information.
