Speaking Youth to Power

"Youth movements have long influenced policy responses to social, political, and environmental change. Mark Terry provides a framework for understanding today’s crusades, especially their use of new media. Equally important, he offers an important practical guide for enlisting the perspective and energy of youth to address critical issues, notably the climate crisis. In a world facing momentous challenges, Speaking Youth to Power could not be more timely, valuable, or necessary." —David J. Bodenhamer, Professor of History and Informatics, Indiana University, Indianapolis.

This book examines the methods and approaches currently being taken by the global community of youth in influencing environmental policymakers of the United Nations. It is divided into two sections: The Groundswell Approach, exploring the use of social media and mass gatherings aimed at raising public awareness of the issue of climate change; and The Direct Approach, aparticipatory methodology that encourages collaboration directly with the policymaker and youth in the discussions and creation of progressive climate policy for the world. The book also delivers a detailed analysis of the United Nations’ only database of youth-produced documentary films related to climate change research, impacts, and proposed solutions: the Youth Climate Report, arguing that film is a powerful and effective communications tool for the policymaker. The book proposes two frameworks and explores their in-field applications for successful youth climate activism. 
Mark Terry is a scholar, explorer, and filmmaker. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and The Explorers Club. He teaches at the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, and the Faculty of Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada.