2009 UN Environmental Forum - Reflection

It was a timely conversation for the topics discussed, and a welcome one at that for the young people of Boston judging by the eagerness of the participants. The many complicated matters affecting the environments on earth aren't felt tangibly enough if we were to use the amount of action and the level of priority given to speedy and efficient advancement of green initiatives around the world.

On October 24, 2009, the Young Professionals for International Cooperation (YPIC), a volunteer arm of the United Nations Association of Greater Boston (UNAGB), held an event to raise the awareness within the community of environmental goals, and barriers to change around the world. The forum titled "Is Green a Mirage?, Growing Global Environmental Policy", brought together a classroom of young professionals and students from around the Boston area to discuss the varying perspectives of the many issues at play. The forum was paneled by a diverse pair of local experts Dr. Hitendra Patel, and Dr. Anamarija Frankic. Dr. Hitendra Patel is the Founder and Managing Director of the IXL Center, and a Professor of innovation and strategy at Hult International Business School, where the forum was hosted. Dr. Anamarija Frankic is a Professor of Environmental Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and a vibrant local voice for action.

The forum began by framing the history of global discussions, and environmental hot topics like climate change, clean water, and waste management. This YPIC event was scoped to begin at a high level in order to ensure that participants well versed, and those less familiar with the subject matter were brought to a level of understanding which would allow everyone to add a perspective. The real benefit of this event was derived from the diversity of perspectives which contributed to the discussion. From PhD students in the field of environmental science, to accountants, all perspectives contributed to the discussion. The forum went on to distill a listing of action items to be implemented by each of the participants in their local neighborhoods. The Boston YPIC team plans to track the progress of these action items over the next year.