THE CONFINT HAS ENDED TO BE BORN AGAIN

by Lucía Mariana Alvites and Ricardo Jiménez
http://confintchile.blogspot.com/

From June 5 to 10, 2010, Luziania, Brasilia, was the epicenter of a meeting of diverse voices, colors, energy, and a lot of joy. Nearly 53 countries from the 5 continents participated in the Children and Youth International Conference “Let’s Take Care of the Planet,” final destination of a process that involved millions of people around the world, in which our boys and girls, with their ideas, proposals and dreams, were the main protagonists.

During those five days of intense activities, about 400 girls and boys were able to share the experiences they had brought with them from their countries to rescue the planet from the abuse and negligence of the previous generations. In their sincere and simple words, they spoke about the projects implemented in each of their schools, and the responsibilities that in most cases, they had already assumed individually to take care of this great house that is our planet. They also participated in workshops on climate change, care for water and energy, the life cycle of objects and the need for recycling, among so many other themes.

With the help of more than 80 young facilitators from each of the participating countries, and on the basis of the principles “young person chooses young person,” “the young educate the young,” and “one generation learns from the other,” the girls and boys who were delegated to the Confint drafted a Charter with nine responsibilities and their corresponding actions. A Charter that transcends cultures, languages, a past made of conflicts and ressentiment among nations; a call for ethics and to think about humankind so that once and for all, we understand that we are part of Earth and its nature, that this is our only home, and that we have to love it and take care of it. About 80 accompanying adults who had been involved in the national processes and specialists in environmental themes also had their days of sharing, debates and thinking.

The Charter of Responsibilities of the Girls and Boys of the World “Let’s Take Care of the Planet” was also expressed in the universal language of music, through the Musical Charter of Responsibilities that was composed by a group comprising a delegate from each of the participating countries, who gave life to the magic of strings, percussions, brass, and a huge and tender choir that sang a song of hope and future.

The Confint was more, however, than just a formal discussion in workshops and places set out for conversation. It was also nights of cultural festivities where the world expressed itself in all its colors and textures; it was girls and boys dancing in enormous circles with facilitators and accompanying adults, to the beat of Mother Earth; it was the challenge of the coexistence of cultures and futures.

The Confint was the end of the national processes paving the way to a process that was diverse and international, but with common responsibilities; and now, reading the Charter of Responsibilities born out of this great process, we understand that there is no end, and to paraphrase a Peruvian thinker, we are sure that the Confint has ended to be born again.

It will be born again, especially through the Virtual Community set up and coordinated by boys and girls all over the world, and through the commitment of each of the delegates to take back to their countries the responsibilities and actions that were assumed, particularly that of getting the local, regional, and national authorities to undersign this Charter.