Young people are coming together for local clean air policies
Gostivar is one of the five pilot cities together with Veles, Kumanovo, Kavadarci, and Skopje, where young people are coming together in a series of workshops and forums as part of the Youth Activism for Clean Air initiative.
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It’s a sunny morning in Gostivar where Nazif (22) and Dardan (22), two activists and members of the Local Youth Council, warmly greet a group of young people arriving at the vibrant youth center. They are excited, and somewhat relieved, that many of their peers showed up to take part in the workshop on air quality to learn more about this issue and develop local initiatives and solutions on how to address it.
‘We need to work on raising awareness. People need to understand that nature is a finite resource. The damage is not immediate, but gradual. And in 10 years you wake up and see that it is no longer healthy to live in this environment.’- Dardan, 22.
Gostivar is one of the five pilot cities together with Veles, Kumanovo, Kavadarci, and Skopje, where young people are coming together in a series of workshops and forums as part of the Youth Activism for Clean Air initiative. The initiative seeks to amplify the voices of young people, empower them to advocate for clean air, and speak up about the harmful effects of air pollution on human health and the environment. At the same time, the initiative will provide a platform for youth to engage with local decision-makers, bring forward the specific needs of youth and children, and propose initiatives that would help address the problem with air quality in their communities.
Since the beginning of the initiative, 164 young people have participated in 5 workshops and 5 Speak-Up forums organized in the pilot municipalities. The workshops are focused on empowering youth through an exchange of knowledge on air quality, the sources and consequences of air pollution, environmental democracy, and the legal framework for citizen participation in decision-making processes. While the forums are a chance for young people to develop local initiatives, gain skills on how to mobilize support in their communities, and propose measures that will contribute towards improving air quality, as well as a platform for meetings with local decision-makers.
Air pollution levels in North Macedonia represent the single greatest environmental threat to human health, particularly in the larger cities where the concentration of pollutants is up to five times higher than levels specified in national, European, and WHO Air Quality Guidance standards.
‘As a medical student, I understand how damaging the PM particles are. But I have also been personally affected. My grandfather who I was very close to, passed away from lung cancer. My friend has asthma and is not able to leave her home when it is very polluted during the winter. I joined this initiative because I think we need to spread knowledge among the citizens about the effects of air pollution and how to take better care of their health,’ says Dajana (17).
‘As a medical student, I understand how damaging the PM particles are. I joined this initiative because I think we need to spread knowledge among the citizens about the effects of air pollution and how to take better care of their health,’ Dajana, 17.
North Macedonia has made a lot of progress in harmonizing laws and regulations with the EU standards on air quality. Under the Law on Ambient Air Quality, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MOEPP) is responsible for carrying out most of the activities related to improving air quality in the country. Local authorities also have legal obligations and responsibilities through the development and implementation of local air quality plans with relevant measures to address air pollution. However, implementation remains weak due to limited resources. In addition, the measures proposed and implemented locally are often not child and youth-sensitive and do not take into consideration their specific needs.
When given opportunities to voice their opinions and contribute to decision-making processes related to policies on issues that affect them – such as air pollution – children and young people have the potential to drive systematic change. Local Youth Councils have been established to give children and youth a chance to engage in local policy development. However, they need support to acquire relevant knowledge, to understand the legal framework to be able to advocate for clean air policies and to hold authorities accountable for the implementation of the local air quality plans. The workshops and forums are providing this support.
‘I live near a busy road where people drive very fast and there have been many accidents in the past years. Together with our neighbors, we sent a letter to the municipality a few years ago requesting a speed hump, but we never received a response. It’s a step forward knowing that we now have an active Local Youth Council that meets regularly with the municipality, that can raise these and other issues, particularly when it comes to air pollution and the environment,’ says Martina, (17).
It’s a step forward knowing that we now have an active Local Youth Council that meets regularly with the municipality, that can raise issues, particularly when it comes to air pollution and the environment,’ Martina, 17.
‘Through the Local Youth Council, we want to create a tradition, a sort of legacy for other young people to continue our vision of working together for a better community. We do have a lot of support from the municipality, and we meet regularly. But young people also need to be more active, more interested,’ says Nazif. ‘A lot of the changes start with us. My girlfriend once called me out for throwing garbage on the street - I haven’t even realized that I’m doing it! Since then, I always put it in my pocket until I find a bin. Once you become conscious, you can ask for more responsibility from your friends, and the change spreads so fast!’
The initiative Youth Activism for Clean Air is implemented by UNICEF with financial support from Sweden and in partnership with the Center for Climate Change to amplify the voices of young people, empower them to advocate for clean air and speak up about the harmful effects of air pollution on human health and the environment.