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Written by: ofurpaur

Category: Announcements

Published: 18 May 2021

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A pledge to encourage millions to create sustainable food systems

A shoutout from young leaders behind the Act4Food Act4Change campaign:

• Sophie Thow-Healy, Ireland: “We as young people have to act with urgency. We believe that the momentum before the Food Systems Summit should be used to ignite discussion and spark action globally. This is why the youth-led pledge exists, to create and support concrete global action.”
• Huiyu Ouyang, China: “Young leaders like me can champion my country’s economic success to growing a healthy society with healthy eating habits. We can enable, inspire and motivate more youth to act for positive changes across the country.”
• Dipty Chowdhury, Bangladesh: “I strongly believe that young people like me can be the drivers for change in the world. But for this to happen the world must hear from us, the young people. We need youth empowerment for better food systems. And the pledge is a platform for the youth to raise their voices together across the world. Coming from this part of the world, every day I realize the enormous importance of affordability and availability of nutritious food. I want to see nutritious food as a basic right and get rid of all the cheap junk food that is now readily available to us.”
• Mike Khunga, Malawi: “Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are stricken by climate change, droughts and food insecurity leading to hunger and often death. Young people like me can be agents for change building communities’ awareness on ways to make them become more resilient to shocks, stress and other vulnerabilities.”
• Lana Weidgenant, Brazil: “Unfortunately food apartheid exists and we have to address it head on. Racism is at the root of who is affected most from food insecurity, climate change, and the environmental effects of industrial food production. In Brazil, Indigenous peoples are impacted most by food production practices and the policies as well as international consumer demand fueling these methods. Social justice is an important part of our advocacy and we can achieve broad change as youth from around the world working together.”
• Janya Green, USA: “I’m highly interested in agriculture and I’m leading a 2-hectare Village Community Garden in my rural community in the southern region of the United States. As a garden manager, I try to provide the community with nutritious foods to combat the obesity epidemic and other nutrition-related diseases. The garden is also a platform to educate local farmers about new technologies like aeroponic towers. You too, you can do that!”
• Rayan Kassem, Lebanon: “I believe that advocating for healthier diets while protecting nature through youth engagement on a continuous basis is necessary amid the region’s instability and I am really eager to grow the linkages and potentials for food systems and nature protection in West Asia and Globally.”
• Lavetanalagi Seru, Fiji: “Transforming our food systems requires a whole of society approach and young leaders who in recognition of the interconnectedness of our struggles – from the climate crisis & biodiversity loss, food hunger & poverty, to water and health security, are boldly stepping forward and manifesting their demands through this pledge for a better and sustainable world.”

18 May 2021, Geneva/London - Today, a global youth-led food movement was launched, promising to ignite a campaign action to combat hunger, improve health and heal the planet. The #Act4Food and #Act4Change campaign takes the form of a simple pledge and list of actions. The pledge brings together young people from around the world to focus on personal action and advocacy as a contribution to systemic change.

The overarching vision behind this global youth movement is to achieve sustainable global food systems that provide all people with access to healthy and sustainable diets. The pledge urges governments, businesses, UN agencies and youth counterparts to act boldly and promptly. The list of actions are what young people want businesses and governments to do in order to fix our broken food system. We are asking young people to contribute to shaping the food system of the future by voting for their priority Actions 4 Change.

More than half of the world’s population is under the age of 30. As a collective force, young people have extraordinary potential to mobilize and influence global movements, which can be initiated in the form of a simple pledge. The actions for change will enable young people to engage with advocacy and campaigning in their own countries as well as creating a united voice across the globe in the lead up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit. TheUN Food Systems Summit was announced by the UN Secretary-General,  António Guterres on World Food Day October 2019 as a part of the Decade of Action for delivery on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The aim of the Summit is to deliver progress on all 17 of the SDGs through a food systems approach, leveraging the interconnectedness of food systems to global challenges such as hunger, climate change, poverty and inequality.

“Transforming food systems to deliver on the SDGs by 2030 will require action by everyone, everywhere – and youth will need to be at the center to ensure success,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit. “Indeed, young people are already bringing ideas, energy, awareness, and action to all parts of the UN Food Systems Summit process, at local, national, regional, and global levels. This pledge is a great example of a youth-led contribution to lead the way for inspiring actions and commitments needed to achieve a shared vision for people, planet, and prosperity.”

Anna Taylor OBE, Executive Director the Food Foundation said, “The time to act is now. Our food system and the planet are facing a crisis and we have a young generation who are incredibly engaged in wanting to drive change. The power of their united voices will send an important message to businesses and Governments around the world that they need to act urgently and boldly. The pledge will unite them, and the Actions 4 Change will enable them to campaign and act in their own countries and communities.”

2018 World Food Prize Laureate, Dr Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of GAIN, currently chairing Action Track 1 of the Summit, said, “Hunger and malnutrition continue to be major challenges faced by millions around the globe. The Act4Food Act4Change pledge campaign is an extraordinary initiative spearheaded by youth to act to solve global problems, including the issue of global hunger and malnutrition in all its forms. We believe that the collective voice of the younger generations holds great power, and will lead to impactful, overdue, and necessary change.”

The unprecedented challenges presented by the global health pandemic and the climate crisis, coupled with exponential population growth and unsustainable consumption, production and distribution patterns, all threaten the global population and the planet. We have less than ten years to follow through on the historic commitments made by world leaders in 2015. We believe young people need to be at the centre of efforts in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Speaking at the launch, Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Simon Coveney, said: “Ireland is delighted to be supporting the Act4Food Act4Change pledge campaign. It is a powerful example of youth voices from across the world coming together to achieve change in a critical year. The Pledge is simple yet highly effective, and gets to the heart of what food systems transformation is all about: ensuring that every person has access to safe, affordable and nutritious food that is produced sustainably.”

Wendy Morton MP, FCDO Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas, said, “Young people cannot live healthy and resilient lives and fulfill their potential if the food they eat isn’t nourishing or if it harms the planet. Yet, for many, such a life is currently out of reach. Act4Food Act4Change presents a unique opportunity for young people throughout the world to take action and to drive real change.”

About the #Act4Food #Act4Change campaign

The Act4Food Act4Change is a pledge campaign that galvanizes youth action to defeat hunger, improve health and heal the planet. The campaign brings together global youth input to focus on personal action and advocacy as a contribution to changing the food system and urges governments and businesses to act boldly and urgently. The Youth Act4Food Act4Change in Support of the Summit and GoodFood4All is facilitated by GAIN and the Food Foundation.

About the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition 
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people, especially the most vulnerable. www.gainhealth.org @GAINalliance

About Food Foundation

The Food Foundation is a UK charity working to influence food policy and business practice, shaping a sustainable food system which makes healthy diets affordable and accessible for all. We work in partnership with researchers, campaigners, community bodies, industry, investors, government and citizens to galvanize the UK’s diverse agents of change, using surprising and inventive ideas to drive fundamental shifts in our food system. These efforts are based on the continual re-evaluation of opportunities for action, building and synthesizing strong evidence, convening powerful coalitions, harnessing citizens’ voices and delivering impactful communications. www.foodfoundation.org @Food_Foundation

For more information or interview requests:

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Edwin Shankar, Media Relations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Food Foundation

Jo Ralling, Head of Communications and Youth, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Written by: ofurpaur

Category: Announcements

Published: 17 May 2021

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SEVENSEAS Media just released a newsletter for the month of May 2021

All the latest news from SEVENSEAS Media can be viewed on their website.

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Written by: ofurpaur

Category: Announcements

Published: 14 May 2021

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Blue-Action has just released a special newsletter that goes in detail over all upcoming events over the next couple of months.

Blue-Action Upcoming Events Special is available for online viewing.

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Written by: ofurpaur

Category: Announcements

Published: 14 May 2021

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The Festival "Save and Preserve" is a complex international project of a unique format. For several days Khanty-Mansiysk turns into the TV and ecological capital of Russia, where it is possible to see all the most topical foreign and domestic ecological film-documentaries.

The main aim of the festival is to attract wide public attention to the existing environmental problems, to promote international cooperation in solution of environmental problems by means of documentary films and television.

The XXV Festival "To Save and Preserve" includes:

• A competition programme of creative television works on environmental themes, including main and children's creative competitions;
• Public-educational programme: round tables on environmental themes, creative meetings with environmental scientists, social activists, travellers, etc., presentations of environmental projects and festivals;
• Educational programme: master classes from professionals of national and foreign television and cinema, creative laboratories, master classes for the children's competition participants;
• Cultural programme: screenings of the Festival's competitive works within the framework of the "Green Cinema" campaign, excursions to Ugra's places of interest, organisation of concert performances, flash mobs, intellectual games.

Over the years of its existence the festival has brought together 37 countries from near and far abroad: Great Britain, Germany, the USA, Italy, Spain, France, Iran, India, Moldova, Estonia, Lithuania etc. Russian journalists are given a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the films and programmes of their foreign colleagues.

In 2021, the main creative competition will take place in the following categories:

• TV project, journalistic programme. Selected episodes or series created for terrestrial television, devoted to current issues in the field of ecology.
• Documentary. TV story based on real events and people's lives.
• An informational story. Timing from 2 to 10 minutes;
• Mini TV feature, public service announcement, animation film, short video clip. Timing from 3 to 5 minutes;
• Ethnoecology: Nature and Indigenous Peoples. TV piece, film about the life and culture of indigenous people, who preserve their national identity.
• Camera work. All kinds of television works on a certain theme, demonstrating outstanding professionalism of cameramen, containing highly artistic shots, or shooting in unusual/extreme conditions will be nominated.
• Environmental Internet Project. In the nomination, video content produced for the Internet space - reels, video clips, short stories, flash mobs, posted on social networks, blogs and having a response in the Internet community. Timing to 5 minutes;
• Global Challenge. Television stories about local environmental problems leading to destructive and irreversible changes in natural ecosystems, the negative impact of such changes on society and the people who are fighting to save the planet.
• Creative ecology on TV. Authors' projects implemented on TV using creative formats, non-standard ways of involving the audience, using interactive formats to involve residents in solving environmental problems.

The number of creative works is increasing every year. In 2020, TV companies and independent authors submitted more than 380 works from 37 countries.

The programme is packed with business and cultural events. Numerous open screenings, master-classes, meetings with famous producers and much more were organised for participants and guests.

Website: http://ecofest-ugra.ru/