''“Dialogue without learning is not dialogue, it is merely discussion.” -- European Youth Forum''

Dialogue is more than a conversation or a discussion, it is a powerful and interdisciplinary element with the ability to open minds and promote tolerance through many media. 2008 has been, and continues to be, an active year for those interested in the promotion of intercultural dialogue and, generally speaking, of languages. Through a series of successful campaigns such as the “All different-All equal’ and “For Diversity- Against Discrimination’, the European Union has done much to promote cross-cultural understanding in its European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

At TakingITGlobal, we believe that celebrating cultural diversity through intercultural dialogue fosters a greater understanding of other lifestyles, thoughts, traditions, behaviours, and personal beliefs in a way that challenges our received opinions and prejudices toward other, ‘different’ peoples. With dialogue we are constantly reminded that through understanding we can achieve cooperation and open-mindedness, which in turn lead to greater harmony and peace. This year, youth have been actively involved in many intercultural initiatives: by engaging in inspiring educational sessions, by traveling abroad on exchange programs, and by discussing how intercultural dialogue intersects with migration issues, different religions and even our everyday lives.

Europe is a culturally rich and diverse community, and it is important to have young people involved in its cultural processes. The Web is definitely a great ally in the spread of youth-led initiatives aimed at promoting cross-cultural awareness and personal exchanges. To read more about Intercultural Dialogue, check out the European Culture Portal, the Euromed Café’s portal, the European Association for Education of Adults, or download UNESCO’s International Year of Languages Tool Kit.

You can also use TakingITGlobal to communicate with the world in over 12 languages, and can use our Country Pages to explore the world and make connections with youth from around the world who are involved in making a difference.

Art is power. That has been true for millennia. Now, with the support of the networks that the internet provides art can travel farther, be appreciated by more people and increase its impact – its power. Online Communities have popped up for socializing with friends (My Space, Facebook, etc.), others are for bloggers (Live Journal, Blogger, Wordpress, etc.), and the same is happening for artists – whether they are photographers, graphic designers, painters, etc. Online portfolios, created within these communities, allow artists to expose their work on a global level – and art is one of those unique mediums that can cross the many boundaries that separate all of us. They can discuss their inspirations, sell their art, or just allow their work to do what all art is meant to – communicate something. TakingITGlobal's Global Gallery is communicating the youth perspective on two controversial topics through the 3rd edition of the TIG Magazine – one is Climate Change, not just the topic of the hour but of the future, and Cultural Conflict, which, judging from the conflicts ranging from Darfur to Tibet, is also the topic of the hour, the past and the future. These are two issues that youth are particularly well-placed to respond to, Climate Change is the environmental legacy that generations of youth stand to inherit and which youth are responding to more than any other affected group. As a generation brought up with internet and mass media communication, youth are more aware of the rest of the world, of other cultures, identities, trends, and this also makes youth the natural leaders in resolving cultural conflict where and when it flares up.

The 3rd TIG Magazine 'Culture, Identity and Climate Change' is the product of young artists from all over the world coming together to express themselves on these two issues. The people are different, the art is different, but the message they create together is an example of exactly what the internet has brought to youth – power. To say something and be heard – together.

The CIVICUS Youth Assembly took place in Glasgow, Scotland from June 16-18th, 2008. Hundreds of young people were there to learn more about "People, Power and Participation" and these are some of their thoughts on the experience.

Lukyana, Russia What did you learn from CIVICUS? I learned that issues like poverty, health and equality are bigger than I thought: they have very serious consequences that affect a lot of other areas of our lives. I realized that when it comes to these issues, we are all involved- everyone is responsible and should take action, not just the single countries that are affected.

Do you think this experience will be useful for your work in Russia? I can’t wait to share what I have learned here at CIVICUS with my organization, the Russian Federation of Youth. I also learned that networking is a very powerful tool for youth and youth organizations- this is how resources are shared and partnerships created!

What are some of the needs of the young people living in your country? We are in a strange situation- we are both in Europe and in Asia. This is why I think youth should have a stronger presence at the UN, and in other types of political institutions.

Nargis, Afghanistan

What did you learn from this experience? I enjoyed the role-playing and improvisation tools, they made me realize that it is important to step outside of one’s reality and try to empathize with what other people are feeling.

What will you take home from this experience? The message that peace and social justice are possible to achieve.

What are some of the needs of the young people living in your country? Peace would be high on the list, but also access to education. But for that you need peace first.

Lemon, Thailand

What did you learn from this event? That networks are needed to strengthen the action of youth worldwide, they are very important in creating links between youth and make our voice heard.

Did it inspire you to take action? Absolutely! This event has inspired me to go home and begin a new project to promote the respect of Human Rights in my country. In particular, I will start a project to help the indigenous populations in South East Asia.

What are some of the needs of the young people living in your country? Thailand has a lot of tourists that come to our beaches every year. Often, though, they leave without learning about our culture, our environment, and our problems. I think there is a need to give more visibility to both our culture and our youth globally. We have a lot to offer!

To read our previous post on the CIVICUS Youth Assembly, click here. If you want to become a youth delegate or find out more about similar events, check out TakingITGlobal's Browse Resource section to find out about opportunities near you!

In July 2010 Vienna will host the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC 2008), bringing the largest professional conference addressing the HIV and AIDS epidemic into the heart of Europe. Before they descend on the wide boulevards and majestic plazas of Vienna the many activists, researchers, politicians, health practitioners, people living with HIV, and others who make up the worldwide response to HIV and AIDS are busy readying themselves for the 2008 conference, which is getting underway in Mexico City at the beginning of August. Included amongst those people are perhaps the most important demographic in the response to HIV and AIDS – youth. Why are youth so important? Let's sum it up in three sentences: Half of new HIV infections are amongst those between 15 and 24 years of age. According to UNAIDS there were approximately 2.5 million new infections in 2007. This means that over a million youth were newly infected with HIV last year.

Grim statistics like these mean that the role of youth in the fight against HIV and AIDS is crucial. Youth are living with HIV and AIDS and more youth are being infected every day, but they are not only sufferers – they are leaders in this fight and hundreds of them will be assuming this role in Mexico City in only a few weeks time. The Mexico City YouthForce is a coalition of organizations dedicated to increasing and supporting youth participation at the International AIDS Conference, which has been present at each IAC since its creation in 2000 at the conference in Durban, South Africa. The YouthForce will be preparing youth delegates to IAC 2008 to be effective advocates for youth issues, providing a youth-friendly space for them at the conference, and helping them to make connections with other youth as well as the many professionals attending. The cost of attending IAC 2008 means that not all youth who are affected by or working in the fight against HIV and AIDS will get to be there in person, but thanks to technology this is no longer the barrier it once was.

A team of Youth Journalists will be amongst the hundreds of youth delegates at IAC 2008 whose task will be to cover the people/issues/events/developments relevant to youth and report on them from a youth perspective. Their coverage will allow youth all over the world to tune in to the conference online and stay updated on the progress/achievements/experiences of the youth delegates as they bring a strong voice for young people affected by HIV and AIDS worldwide to IAC 2008. In order to do this the Youth Journalists will be armed with Nokia's N95 phone, generously donated by Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia. With this 'smartphone' Youth Journalists will be capturing the conference through video, photography and podcasting, and posting it directly to the web. Tools like these are allowing more and more youth to feel involved in international conferences like IAC 2008, they provide eyes and ears to youth who might normally never have the means to participate in person.

We're really excited about the Youth Journalist team that has been put together this year – it includes youth from Norway, Austria, USA, Bangladesh, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, UK, and Haiti, who will be blogging, podcasting, photographing and videotaping their way through IAC 2008. Look out for their coverage on the official YouthForce website – www.youthaids2008.com!

The CIVICUS Youth Assembly took place in Glasgow, Scotland from June 16-18th, 2008. TakingITGlobal's Multilingual Programs Manager Chiara was there to take part in the three-day event on People, Power and Participation. Here are her thoughts on the experience:

The value of civil society in the quest for social justice cannot be overestimated. CIVICUS is an international alliance established in 1993 in order to nurture the growth and protection of global citizen action, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. Every year, the Youth Assembly brings together hundreds of delegates from around the world to examine the many issues that affect the role and participation of young people in decision-making processes.

This year there was a strong (Eastern) European, Latin American and African presence. The delegates met in Glasgow to explore the theme of “People, Participation and Power” in a space where they could develop and commit to action internationally. During the course of the event, the delegates and I had a chance to learn about some of the most pressing social justice issues around the world . We then focused on skill-building activities to turn our visions for positive change into action.

The Youth Assembly started with an introduction to the program as well as a speech by the former First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell, who talked about why it is important to play a role in making change for the better. He was also joined by Kumi Naidoo and Ingrid Srinath, who are the outgoing and incoming Secretaries General of CIVICUS, respectively. After their introduction, we were divided into groups and we moved to the various participation sessions scheduled for us.

There were a total of 4 participation sessions, and we each got a chance to experience various “tools” to explore the four main themes of the conference: health, equalities, climate change and poverty. The aim of these sessions was to explore the importance of participation within the themes of the events, but also to get an idea of how power structures can play a role in influencing the outcomes of our involvement.

The tools we used were: Open Space Technology, Power Analysis, Role Playing/ Improvisation and the Margolis Wheel (also known as “speed dating”.) The next day, we focused on how to best respond to the issues being explored during the Assembly in our respective commissions. In particular, we explored avenues where young people can take action, keeping in mind the points raised during the previous day. There were also invited guests who presented on the topic at hand, so after a Q&A period with them, we were encouraged to come up with a series of commitments to present at the CIVICUS World Assembly.

The BBC was there to run a live radio session of its World Have Your Say program. The delegates got a chance to decide the topic for the debate- there was a lot of choice, and we ultimately decided to go with the “are we over-educated?” topic. Others responded immediately by making an incredibly inspiring video on the First Steps that lead us into action (you can check it out here.) Throughout the event there was an incredible energy and being there was very inspiring and motivating. The delegates were a determined and optimistic group, and went home with an even stronger motivation to bring positive change in their community. Learning and communicating with these inspiring youth was a unique opportunity for me, and one that will stay with me for a long time.

During the next couple of days, we will be posting a series of short interviews with some of the delegates, so stay tuned for more updates!

'TakingITGlobal’s Climate Change Program Manager PJ was recently in Bonn, Germany to follow the UNFCCC Climate Change Negotiations. In the next couple of days we will be posting some excerpts from his blog to bring you closer to the negotiation tables.

The chart on the left represents the basic elements involved in this round of negotiations: a) the Convention (yellow area) and b) the Kyoto Protocol (pink area). Each area (Convention and Protocol) has its own 'track' for discussing the next step after phase 1 of Kyoto ends in 2012. All parties are discussing co-operation in the Convention's AWG-LCA (Ad-Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Co-operative Action), building on the four pillars of Adaptation, Mitigation, Technology Transfer and Finance. Parties that have adopted the Kyoto Protocol are discussing the post-2012 targets of industrialised Kyoto parties (Annex I) in the AWG-KP.

After some initial hesitation and uncertainty from parties many found their footing and presented some interesting proposals, particularly relating to finance. It's been great to see countries like Mexico and others in the G77 come forward with concrete ideas on these issues that really grasp the scale of resources that need to be mobilised to advance global mitigation, adaptation and technology transfer. It's also a bit embarrassing that certain other countries are all talk and still have nothing useful to contribute.

Issues broke out into their own forums. These forums, known as "contact groups" have in turn broken down into "informals," where the chairs discussed particular text or conclusions with parties in small meetings or bilateral consultations. At the end, all of the issues and conclusions will be forwarded to the next large meeting. This is the two AWGs, who will be negotiating in Accra, Ghana in August. Then it's Poznan, Poland in December, the 'half-way point' to Copenhagen, the next big meeting.

On the last day of the negotiations, Bill Hare of Greenpeace International spoke about the big picture – what do the events of the last two weeks mean for the next stages of the Kyoto protocol and what needs to happen for the process to be a success. He warned that unless the pace increases and political roadblocks are removed quickly, there is a major risk of failure. Overall, he believes the parties have failed to make any progress on nearly all the agenda items – steps which are vital for the negotiations in Copenhagen in 2009 to be a success.

At every stage there have been low points, but in his fifteen years of experience the agenda has never been bigger while the progress has never been slower at these kind of negotiations in terms of substance. This delay, he stated, is due to a pattern of unconstructive tactics, the “usual suspects,” Canada, Australia, the US and Japan, are objecting to straight-forward proposals, nitpicking, and generally attempting to slow negotiation and prevent real progress. Li Yan of Greenpeace China spoke about the productive proposals that developing nations have made over the last two weeks. These creative and constructive ideas on how to meet urgent need for mechanisms for tech transfer and investment are examples of the initiative that developed countries need to take. She highlighted Mexico’s ideas regarding a world climate change fund and Brazil’s ideas for tech transfer.

Catherine Gutman of WWF International closed the round of statements with a call for more leadership and political attention. She warned that it can’t be left to bureaucrats to work through these difficult decisions. In particular, the European Union’s participation was insufficient. The EU has an opportunity to build a positive dynamic with developing countries and send a strong political signal.

For all its flaws, though, the UNFCCC process gets the major emitters and the “victim states” at the table together. Without the constant reminder that failure to take action on climate change will result in the loss of some countries and devastating impacts for others, targets for major emitters would likely be less ambitious and therefore less effective. Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying that “… democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried”. As with democracy, this may be a flawed process, but the best we’ve got. Equally, it is also up to participating countries and their citizens (that’s you), to guide the process to a positive outcome.

Stay tuned for part two of PJ's report from Bonn. Find out who was voted Fossil of the Day and check out PJ's interview with Stephen Guilbeault from equiterre.org

In Europe 2008 is the year of Intercultural Dialogue, but it is also the year that much of the world is finally taking serious notice of climate change, and right now, in Bonn, Germany, the UN Climate Change Negotiations are taking place. This year European youth everywhere will be talking about these issues, as will TakingITGlobal. The 2008 theme of Intercultural Dialogue is not limited to Europe itself, but also to the many regions that Europe maintains close relations with, and TakingITGlobal is playing host to part of one such initiative. 1001 Actions is an initiative of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation - dedicated to mutual knowledge and respect in the Euro-Mediterranean region. We are collecting 'Images for Dialogue' from youth in this region, which stretches from Portugal to Turkey, from Sweden to Algeria. The pieces in this collection will reflect the common heritage, mutual respect and images of peace and hope from youth throughout this vast region. They will act as a bridge between youth living in different cultural settings and coming from different backgrounds, but sharing the sense of community throughout the Euro-Med region.

Meanwhile, in Bonn, PJ - Manager of TakingITGlobal's Climate Change Project - is right in the thick of the UN negotiations and is providing regular blog updates http://www.tigblog.org/group/cydbon.... He recently sat down with Bard Lahn, an Advisor on International Climate Policy from Norges Naturvernforbund OR Friends of the Earth Norway, to discuss Norway's connection to Alberta's oil fields, listen in!

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*Photo Peace by Inon Gershovitz