Talking Across Generations (TAGᵉ) — Pointers of Action

Contextual Background —

Talking Across Generations (TAGᵉ) — Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning. The Report prepared by the TAGᵉ Youth (Youth.Climate.Emotions) participants — connects the dots between youth climate anxiety and solutions through education and global dialogue.

UNESCO MGIEP’s ‘Talking Across Generations (TAGᵉ) — ‘Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning’ Report provides an overview of the TAGᵉ topic of “Climate Change Anxiety Among Youth and How it Can Be Tackled through SEL”, synthesize the TAGᵉ discussions and findings from the social media engagement and live event by linking them to the available literature, case studies and concrete examples and, finally, provide actionable key recommendations to decision-makers, to their respective communities and to the entire world.

Visual/Image Description [Alt Text]: Poster with the heading “|| Pointers of Action || ‘Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning’”. Below is the cover (abstract art depicting nature and report title) and acknowledgement page (abstract art depicting nature, humans and mental well-being) of the UNESCO MGIEP’s Report on the “Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning”. The acknowledgement page includes the following textual content — “The production of this Pointers of Action was only possible thanks to the work accomplished by the young people who participated in the TAGe event Abhishek Kumar (India), Ana Moreno (Spain), Christy Zakarias (Indonesia), Juan Francisco Petrillo (Argentina), Paleni Iyer(South Africa), Ana Opre (Romania).” Additionally, there are logos of The Sangyan and the ‘Build Forward Better’ Campaign and the following Hashtags (#BuildForwardBetter, #TalkingAcrossGenerations, and #WeAllBelong).

About the ‘Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning’ Report —

The Report covers the Introduction (Setting the Contextual Background), Process (The nature of climate change anxiety among the youth, The extent of climate change anxiety among youth, The urgency of climate change anxiety among youth, and Social and emotional learning (SEL)), Recommendation (Cultivate mindfulness and hone youths’ ability to manage emotions, Engage in peer support networks, Integrate SEL into climate education in schools and colleges, Fund and support youth-led climate action, Demonstrate awareness and empathy for climate anxiety, and Facilitate cross-cutting open discussions and initiatives), Conclusion, Acknowledgements, and References.

Author’s Contributions —

I’m grateful for participating in the G20 Brasil’s Youth Pre-Summit and TAGᵉ: Youth.Climate.Emotions. — Talking Across Generations on Education’s Panel Dialogue on “Climate Change Anxiety Among Youth and How it Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning (SEL)” as a Youth Panellist representing India.

Building on that, I worked together with the UNESCO MGIEP’s team and the TAGᵉ Youths (Ana Moreno from Spain, Ana Opre from Romania, Christy Zakarias from Indonesia, Juan Francisco Petrillo from Argentina, and Paleni Iyer from South Africa) in ideating, researching and drafting the UNESCO MGIEP’s Report on the “Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning”.

Therein, I had the opportunity to work specifically on the introductory part, setting up the contextual background and framework for the report concerning the common concerns of humankind, climate change as a ‘threat multiplier’, convergence of inclusion and sustainability, disproportionate and multi-order impacts on vulnerable communities (intersectional vulnerabilities), the interplay of accessibility and climate anxiety, and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), among other interconnected and related perspectives. I also provided and shared suggestions and recommendations on other chapters of the report.

It was wonderful to witness the final report incorporating the Acharya Chanakya’s (Kauṭilya or Viṣṇugupta) Niti of “कालाती क्ररमात काल एव फलम् पिबती” (‘When the right thing is not done at the right time, then the time itself destroys the essence.’) as cornerstone principle highlighting the urgent need for tackling multi-order impacts of climate change and its induced climate anxiety (the same also serves as the motto of ‘The Sangyan’).

Additionally, my research article on ‘Accessibility Anxiety and Eco/Climate Anxiety’ (https://sangyan.medium.com/accessibility-anxiety-and-eco-climate-anxiety-930896b033e6), co-authored with Ar. Kavya Poornima Balajepalli (Founder of Poornamidam and IIH Warriors India), among other research works, has also been duly acknowledged and referenced in the report.

I’m optimistic that this report shall help in nudging, triggering, and catalyzing laws, policies, strategies, plans, and approaches to pave the way for Inclusive Climate Action, Intergenerational Equity, and Climate Justice.

About the Author —

Adv. Abhishek Kumar, Founder and Curator — The Sangyan and Project Drishtant [Prakalp Drishtant]

Social Media Posts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook |

References —

1. At the COP29 in Baku (Azerbaijan), UNESCO MGIEP’s team and TAGᵉ Youth dissected the Report at a session on “Climate Anxiety to Action: Youth Response to Climate Misinformation.” [https://www.youtube.com/live/odRD5EfejNs?si=a1pPsE9qsZi9Xgmw]
2. UNESCO MGIEP’s Report on the “Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning” at: mgiep.unesco.org/all-publications
3. Complete UNESCO MGIEP’s Report on the “Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning”: https://d1c337161ud3pr.cloudfront.net/files%2F45b6154f-f566-4b74-89bc-0daabf3f200c_Pointers%20of%20Action%20Y20.pdf
4. TAGᵉ — Talking Across Generations on Education (In partnership with the Y20 Secretariat of Brazil) — https://mgiep.unesco.org/tage-climate-emotions-youth

Visual/Image Description [Alt Text] —

Poster with the heading “|| Pointers of Action || ‘Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning’”. Below is the cover (abstract art depicting nature and report title) and acknowledgement page (abstract art depicting nature, humans and mental well-being) of the UNESCO MGIEP’s Report on the “Pointers of Action: Climate Change Anxiety Among the Youth and How It Can Be Tackled through Social Emotional Learning”. The acknowledgement page includes the following textual content — “The production of this Pointers of Action was only possible thanks to the work accomplished by the young people who participated in the TAGe event Abhishek Kumar (India), Ana Moreno (Spain), Christy Zakarias (Indonesia), Juan Francisco Petrillo (Argentina), Paleni Iyer(South Africa), Ana Opre (Romania).” Additionally, there are logos of The Sangyan and the ‘Build Forward Better’ Campaign and the following Hashtags (#BuildForwardBetter, #TalkingAcrossGenerations, and #WeAllBelong).

Hashtags —

#PointersOfAction #SocialEmotionalLearning #TalkingAcrossGenerations #SEL #UDL #EducationForClimate #ClimateEducation #ClimateChange #ClimateAnxiety #ClimateChangeAnxiety #YouthWithDisabilities #AccessibilityAnxiety #MentalHealth #UniversalDesignForLearning #BuildForwardBetter #WeAllBelong #PrakritiRakshatiRakshitah #UnitedInAction #LeaveNoOneBehind #NothingWithoutUs #CharterOfDemands #CallToAction #InkForInclusion #Accessibility #UniversalAccessibility #UniversalDesign #FourOrderImpacts #ThreatMultiplier #EraOfConsequences #ClimateFinance #CommonConcernsOfHumankind #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #DALYs #MultiOrderImpacts #DisabilityAdjustedLifeYears