THE British Council, in collaboration with Panos Caribbean, has launched its Climate Generation programme in the Caribbean.

It is a global programme aimed at recruiting and engaging climate champions in the region, as elsewhere in the world. The programme will see young leaders, aged 16 to 35 years, from around the world, who share an interest in finding sustainable solutions to tackle climate change and seek understanding in their communities and support from decision-makers at the national and international level.

“A total of 100 Latin American and Caribbean climate champions will be selected in 2010,” said a joint release from the British Council and Panos Caribbean. “Ten of these persons will come from the Caribbean.”

“With our Climate Generation programme, we seek to contribute to raising awareness about climate change, limiting its impact and modifying the behaviour of future generations through education,” Pauline Samuels, director of British Council, Jamaica, noted in the release.

Climate champions will have access to training and information to begin the debate in their communities and develop projects that help people adapt to and mitigate climate change. Through the global network of young enthusiasts, knowledge, contacts and resources will be exchanged on how to act on climate change impacts and contribute positively to the lives of people. Climate champions may also seek financial support for their projects and exposure to national and international events, among them the United Nations COP16 meeting in Mexico.

The project Climate Generation is conducted in 60 countries worldwide. It forms a growing global network of more than 3,000 people. These people come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including civil society, the education sector, government, the business sector, the media and non-governmental organisations. Today the network includes, for instance, an independent filmmaker from Finland, a musician from Nepal, and a civil engineering student from Bangladesh.

To participate, applicants must be actively working on a project to combat climate change. Also, they should upload a video to YouTube, fill out an application and attach two letters of reference as proof of their commitment and enthusiasm in the fight against climate change. The deadline to apply is July 8. Applications are open to candidates regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation and disabilities. For more information, visit: www.britishcouncil.org/jamaica-climate-generation.htm.