Speakers
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Elena CedilloLutheran World Federation, Program Executive for Climate JusticeElena Cedillo, currently LWF Program Executive for Climate Justice. She works on the promotion and implementation of innovative climate change projects such as adaptation-based mitigation, climate risk transfer options to address climate-related loss and damage, and the concept of non-economic loss and damage, and promotes advocacy on climate justice in various UN bodies. She is organizing and leading the LWF delegation to COP28. She has published research on adaptation practices and non-economic loss and damage; environmental perspectives and climate justice in Central America; analysis of climate action to respond to 1.5°C global warming with a focus on NDCs in Central America.
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Julia RensbergWorld Council of Churches,
Julia Rensberg is an Indigenous young person from Sweden fighting for climate justice and indigenous rights. Until recently, she was a board member of Sáminuorra, the Sámi national youth organisation. Today, she is the indigenous representative on the central committee of the World Council of Churches.
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Sandra OmbeseLutheran World Federation, LWF Youth representative
Sandra Kwamboka Ombese, Communication Guru, Youth leader, Youth mobilizer, Climate activist. I am the founder of Plant Trees, Save Earth project. This project is about tree planting in order to save our environment, helps improve air circulation, prevent global warming, reduces soil erosion and boost fertility. It also acts as significant water catchment area since they hold more moisture, thus attracting rainfall. This project I hope to plant as many trees as possible, and empower many young Africans to create impacts in their local communities, in order to achieve the target of thousands and millions. Together we can.
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Shantanu MandalBrahma Kumaris, Youth Rep of the BK to UNEP
Shantanu is a radio presenter in Radio Madhuban with one of the prime time shows Yashasvi Bharat where he interviews Dignitaries who are Civilian award winners of Bharat (India). He is involved in developing environmental programs in the Radio. Shantanu has practiced Raja Yoga for over 20 years. He has a background in fashion design and holds a second bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. In 2019, Shantanu was one of seven youths to be funded by the UNFCCC to attend COP 25 in Madrid. Since then he has been representing the Brahma Kumaris Youth at a number of high profile environmental conferences. A UNFSS+2 Youth task force member, Shantanu lives a vegan lifestyle and believes that “Simplicity is Kindness.
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Tinashe GumboAll Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Programme Executive for Economic and Ecological Justice.
Dr Tinashe Gumbo is the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Programme Executive for Economic and Ecological Justice. He coordinates the work of the AACC’s Africa Faith Actors Network for Climate Justice (AFAN-CJ) and the churches in Africa’s work on public debt and corruption. He has worked in the ecumenical movement and civil society for nearly two decades with a particular focus on public debt, climate change, elections, national dialogue, the extractive sector, and program management in general. Dr Gumbo has researched and reviewed academic work on elections, politics, community-based activism, corruption, and human rights.
Contribution of Faith-Based Organizations to Building Climate Resilience and Adaptation (Youth-Led Climate Action) – The Lutheran World Federation
The session will highlight the value of faith-based organizations’ practices, contributions, and groundwork in implementing climate adaptation and resilience measures. Through case study reviews, the panelists will relate their on-the-ground experiences and accompaniments of the most vulnerable to show the benefits of climate change resilience and adaptation. The discussion will connect the challenges and learnings into opportunities for creating new ways of tackling the impacts of climate to promote sustainable societies.