i'm sitting in our (moldy, filthy) hostel, my last night before heading back to canada and i thought it'd be nice to let you know where i'm at.

as i'm sure you've heard, no legally binding treaty came out of this conference. nor did anything all that fair and certainly not ambitious, either. it was terribly deflating and heart breaking to be in the NGO convergence space last night (where civil society folk have been working out of since we were kicked out of the bella centre) and to hear obama's speech.

Since we got kicked out of the Bella Centre and our government still isn't doing anything about climate adaptation financing, we thought we'd do a bit of busking today. Armed with a guitar, a recorder, some homemade maracas, and some spoons, and holding up signs that read "Got any spare change for adaptation finance?," "additional funds only, please" and "your contribution would be greater than Canada's," we sang outside of the Bella Centre, at metro and train stations, as well as at Klimaforum, the alternative climate summit.

The CYD and international youth are holding a sit-in in the Bella Centre right now, the last night before non-governmental observers are kicked out of the centre. Please show your support, call your MP, call Jim Prentice, the environment minister, call the PMO. For live blog coverage, click here.

press release :

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadians and International Youth Sit-In at Bella Centre in Copenhagen to Raise Expectations for Outcome

December 16, 2009

We set off before sunrise this morning, all bundled and buddied up, to get to Tarnby station where activists participating in Reclaim Power's blue block and yellow block (yellow being the colour of the accreditation badges for non-governmental delegates) were meeting before marching to the Bella Centre. Waiting at the station, we wrote the legal aid number on our arms and tried to keep warm.

Today's a big day in Copenhagen. It's the last day NGO and civil society has access to the Bella Centre. A big action, Reclaim Power, is planned for people inside and outside the centre. A people's assembly is going to take place.

Climate justice activists aren't sure what to expect what with the mass arrests that have been taking place in the city this past week.

La fuite d'information par CBC tard hier soir mine nos espoirs que le gouvernement canadien sera un leader en matière de changements climatiques lors de la deuxième semaine des négociations à Copenhague.

Ce samedi à Copenhague, la plus grande manifestation internationale du mouvement pour le climat a eu lieu.

Hand in hand, twenty-five youth delegates walked through the Bella Centre, quiet as mice in the hustle and bustle. With our CYD logo on the front of our shirts, and "Canada : Lead, Follow or GO HOME" stickers on the back, we made our way to the main plenary hall and just stood, in a line, front to back to front, until security forced us to disperse. 

Week two of COP15 starts tomorrow. The UNFCCC has accredited tens of thousands more people than can legally be in the Bella Centre, given fire codes, so tomorrow, Monday, is the last day that all NGO observers can be in the Centre together; the last day that all international youth can organize and get media within the centre, together, as an international youth climate movement. 

We're unclear as to who, and how many of us, will be able to enter the Centre come Tuesday, but we do know that, come Thursday, none of us are getting in. 

Early Canadian Delegation meeting tomorrow morning. 

More on the happenings at Bella tomorrow.

What should a group of canadian youth do when the first week of a COP is coming to a close and they're wishing with all of their beings that they could be more effective, that their government would listen, and that a paradigm shift would occur within the UNFCCC negotiating world?

They should talk to Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Naomi Klein, that's what.