Reina's Road to Copenhagen

Before talking about the most memorable moment which happened later at the afternoon, I'll talk about the start of my day. I went to DR Byen, an area in Copenhagen, about to attend the BBC Biggest Youth Debate on Climate Change. Ambitious name, isn't it? but indeed, it was huge. So massive that Kevin Rudd attended it :)

I went early because I was going to be interviewed for TV. I talked about my hopes for the outcome of the debate and my opinion on children's role in the COP15 etc.

However, I had to leave early, because I was invited to lunch with MY PRESIDENT, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. So I went straight to the venue, excited and still couldn't believe it's happening. I had lunch there. However, the president was late, something about meeting with Thailand's Prime Minister so at the end of the day I was able to say, I met Thailand's Prime Minister and My President, as well as the Minister of Environment, Mr. Gusti Muhammad Hatta, Former Minister of Environment, Mr. Rachmat Witoelar, whom I've met before, so it was nice seeing a familiar face and Minister of Health.

When he came, I shook his hand and he congratulated me on my winning and asked me about my article so I explained it to him: "artikelnya tentang Perubahan Iklim dan impact-nya terhadap anak-anak di Indonesia dan apa yang akan terjadi 10-15 tahun nanti kalau tidak ada perbedaan di lifestyle orang sekarang." - I wasn't sure exactly what I said, it was pretty much that, but longer, I explained about the impacts, but I didn't want to take his time.

After that, I took a photograph with him and he said he was going to give me a book signed by him and written by him. Yay! :D

Such a remarkable day, at night, since of course, due to the limit of people allowed to enter Bella Center, we had nothing to plan for the next day so after we wrote our blog and articles, we had a free time. We h

ung out, got to know each other better and had a wonderful time together, just the young people, away from the hassle of negotiations, busy interviews and important people. We got to be ourselves that night and it felt great.

Disappointing day today because of the two headlines.

Connie Hedegaard, Danish Climate Minister quits as the President of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

and they were limiting number of participants in Bella Center because they just can't let 15,000 people in, especially with so many important people coming.

On Wednesday, only 7000 observers were allowed in the Bella Center, where the conference was held, but only 450 people will be allowed access to the plenary room and on Wednesday and Thursday, it will only be 300. Talk about disappointing people who want to save the planet. We're already disappointed to see how far Climate Change has gone, do they really have to disappoint us again by saying we can't enter the venue where changes are anticipated to happen?

We're children for goodness sake, we're the one who will feel the most impacts of climate change, and we might not be able to enter? I was appalled by this and we all felt let down by our leaders. Something must be done.

With all this horrible news on the 3rd last day, what else could go wrong?

Today is a huge day for me, I had to get to Bella Center early in the morning to a side event in which I am one of the speakers, representing the Children's voice, and alongside significant people,

The side event was about having Climate Change implied as school subjects: Geography, Math, Science and History.

Have you ever imagined grown ups, especially world leaders going back to school due to climate change? Indeed, anything can happen at this highly-anticipated 2 week conference and Climate Change is such a massive issue that it can make anything possible, it bring people all around the world and unites leaders of today and young leaders of tomorrow,

the children.

The "Child-centered climate change adaptation applying lessons learned" event is part of the Children in a Changing Climate, coalition of leading children's agnencies and research institutions including Plan International, Save the Children Foundation, Unicef, and the Institue of Development Studies.

Margareta Wahlstrom, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Disa

ster Risk Reduction, chaired the function, playing the role of the headmistress. Around her were three other panelists, acting as the teachers.

Among these panelists are Lydia Baker, of Save the Children Foundation insinuating the studies of Climate Change to regular Science subject at school. For the second lesson of Maths and Economics, Indonesian Delegation, coordinator for press, media and documentation for the National Council of Climate Change, Dr. Amanda Katili Niode was the key speaker and for History & Citizenship, Dr. Thomas Tanner, research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies.

The session were explanations of Climate Change, relating it to regular school subjects, with videos to elaborate it. As a speaker, along with a representative from Kenya and the UK, talked about the importance of having children at the conference, because after all, we are the most vulnerable when it comes to climate change, also about how some of the kids feel that our voices aren't regarded and I appealed to the governments to listen more to children and prioritizing their actions to reduce risk and provide funds to support these actions and suggested that Disaster Risk Reduction in Climate Change education should be included in the national curriculum so that it can reach millions of young minds.

I also got to interview the amazing adults along me in the panel.

and I, myself got interviewed by a TV in Munich and Peru.

Riau Post, Combine news

(Community Radio from Yogya) and Kompas.

After that side event was another one in the afternoon, where the leaders of today and young leaders of tomorrow are in a dialogue, discussing steps to world recovery. The high-level panelists in the afternoon were:

Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation in Denmark, Bekele Geleta, Secretary General of the International federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, John Holmes, United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jet Li, founder of the One Foundation and WHO Goodwill ambassador, Mary Robinson, President of Realizing Rights and former Irish president, and Josette Sheeran, Excecutive Director of World Food Program.

Before the dialogue, I had a chance to talk to and interview Jet Li whose interest in world issue and actions I absolutely admire. From being an international artist, he became an activist, founder of

a remarkable foundation, The One.

Monday, the start of the second week of negotiations. Thrilled to step foot on Bella Center, start interviewing and getting stories, we got up, got on the metro and around 5 stops later, we were on the Bella Center, the place where all the fuss is happening, the hassle of negotiations, few disappointments but many hopeful hearts. However, I was appalled by the extremely long queue to register. It was horrific. It was around 200 metres and full of grumbling, dismays, regrets and complained. and I felt that the government weren't adequately prepared when it comes to participants. They should have known that thousands of people will be attending this highly anticipated conference and expected to be able to go inside rather than stand outside in the freezing winter weather. Thankfully, I got registered on the day I arrived, and very thankful for that.

Even though, the morning didn't get a very good start, I had the opportunity to interview interesting people. I interview Dr. Ir. Fadel Muhammad, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries who held a Press Conference explaining the project, he is currently involved in, the Coral Triangle Intiative, which concern corat reefs, fisheries and food security in six countries: Malaysia, Phillipine, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island, Timor Leste and Indonesia.

I also found out that today is also called Oceans Day and the minister, himself also presented about the CTI with the minister from Solomon Island, Dr. Gordon Darcy Lilo. They gave an explanation of the initiative, so that the others can recognize and act upon the threats from Climate Change that the oceans are facing. Prince Albert II of Monaco also discussed the role of oceans in the Climate Change of Phenomena, its implications of climate change for the world oceans and coastal communities, as well as the next steps for that community.

So it is clear that Climate Change is not only about trees, greenhouse gases, disasters, negotiations, world leaders etc. We are forgetting that the oceans play a big role, in fact, it is threatened, even though it absorbs more than 30 Percent of the Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Hence, afterwards, the Indonesian minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said, "if we are talking about the environments, and our future, we need to include the ocean."

After his press conference, I had a chance to interview him, his right-hand man and Mrs. Erna Withoelar, United Nations Special Ambassador for the Millenium Development Goals in the Asia Pacific who answered my questions by explaining the 7th Goal, which is ensuring sustainability and how Indonesia, as a country have worked on regarding the eight targets below it. She mentioned how youth should be planting trees, because currently, the rate of the tree cutting is faster than the rate of tree growing, she also mentioned that by cutting the emission, you're helping the environment a great deal.

Sunday, 13th December of 2009

Bella Center, the venue of the conference isn't open today. Hence, it's a free day. The day was spent getting to know the rest of the team, which are the 10 other delegations from other countries: Kenya, UK, The Netherlands and Sweden. As young journalists, we also talked about our schedule, who we are anticipating to interview, and how we will try to achieve that. Once everything is settled and we all got to know each other, we met the Youth from Plan Denmark and that night they took us to Tivoli Park. A thrilling amusement park where we went wild and had one of the best nights of my life there. After twists and turns at a fast speed, we roamed the city of Copenhagen.

Thus, after a long night, we went back at the hotel, straight to the newsroom, where our articles are mostly written, our blogs updated and where we can get ideas and plan our strategy for the next day.

I've just arrive in Copenhagen

As I've mentioned in my previous post, there was a discussion question: "Do you think Obama Should go to Copenhagen?"

I'm fully aware that Barack Obama will attend the COP15 and that is terrific news. I've known for more than a week now, i guess.