About WWF’s Voyage for the Future

In June 2008, 18 students from nine countries around the world embarked on a ‘Voyage for the Future’, a 10-day boat trip in the Arctic launching from Svalbard, Norway.

During this trip we became Ambassadors of Change, building the skills and knowledge to become effective advocates for action on Climate Change.

While in the Arctic, we learnt about global climate change from top scientists, viewing on-shore research activities, and receiving communications and media training.

Through a number of activities, we left the program with a wealth of new knowledge of climate change, its effects and potential solutions, including:

• the science of climate change
• the effects of global warming on and in the Arctic, Arctic feedback mechanisms, tipping points and reciprocal effects to the rest of the world and what this could mean for their home countries
• standpoints and solutions that WWF has on climate change at both the local and international levels
• the growing interests in the Arctic of governments and businesses (oil and gas extraction, fishery, shipping routes) and the inherit risks that come with these new interests
• the effects on and roles of this on Arctic indigenous people
• how politicians and business leaders take decisions and what determines the reasons for these decisions
• what happens at the G8 Summits, COP (Conference of Parties) meetings, and what the Kyoto Protocol is
• how to effectively communicate with target audiences (peers, media, politicians and business leaders) in an inspiring yet authentic manner and how to use the internet in gaining support with peers

Since being back at home, we are working with WWF to reach out to the the public, media and local and national policymakers to deliver the message for urgent action on this issue.

More information is at the WWF Arctic website, the Voyage for the Future website and the UK Voyage for the Future website.

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