The quarterly report of Mediterranean Youth Task Force activities
09/05/2023
The Mediterranean Youth Task Force (MYTF) of the Silva Mediterranea secretariat has executed key activities following its 2023 strategy under the leadership of the Direction Board and its committees.
The MYTF is a regional network of engaged young people up to 35 years old who are either from or living in the Mediterranean region. It is the youth branch of the Silva Mediterranea Secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is supported by the Mediterranean Facility of the European Forest Institute (EFIMED). Participants are students, researchers, young professionals or those with active roles in the forest sector of the Mediterranean region.
Its overall goal is to facilitate youth engagement in Mediterranean forestry issues. More precisely, it aims at participating in and organizing knowledge-sharing and capacity-building activities, promoting spaces for exchange and dialogue, and promoting youth action in the forest sector of the region.
Under this goal and its specific objectives, the 2023 Direction Board defined the strategies of each committee. Acting on such, the MYTF has moved forward by launching initiatives as well as hosting and participating in key events.
The communications committee launched the visual identity of the taskforce through an internal event to celebrate Earth Day on 22 April 2023. A newly designed logo, along with social media channels (LinkedIn page, Twitter and Instagram), are key for the taskforce’s outreach activities and connection with new members and partners. Similarly, the scientific committee has defined its strategy, which will guide and advise the upcoming activities entailed by the network.
New key partnerships have been established, which has led to upcoming collaborations with partners such as International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA). Other partners include the Forest Communicators Network for the Mediterranean and Near East (FCNMedNE), BluoVerda and the Youth Task Force of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), among others.
Throughout these partnerships, the MYTF has also participated in and led events that focus on different aspects of the forest sector of the region.
The MYTF partook in the Mediterranean Network Forum organized by EFIMED in November 2022. Read more details here.
In collaboration with the FCNMedNE, a series of knowledge-sharing sessions was launched to ensure more effective communication about forests. Through these discussions, participants can join youth as they share knowledge from their research, work and studies. The first discussion focused on Nature-Based Solutions and took place on 24 November 2022 with Sanjay Mishr – a techno-commercial young forestry professional with a 6-year work experience in the forestry sector, and now elected as the Deputy coordinator of the MYTF.
The taskforce hosted a masterclass on 23 March 2023 to celebrate the International Day of Forests’ theme (Healthy forests for healthy people) in partnership with the World Food Forum. Titled “From Trees to Wellness”, the session began with a presentation on forests and health by the keynote speaker, Professor Laura Secco, and was followed by the presentation of two young researchers, Dr Aynur Mammadova, a post-doctoral researcher, and Aisling Sealy Phelan, a doctorate student from the University of Padova.
Furthermore, members of the taskforce are contributing to an article on youth in the forest sector of the Mediterranean region for the upcoming 2024 edition of the journal Unasylva. The article is expected to highlight the state of young generations as well as their priorities and initiatives. This section of the journal focuses on young people and will be written by the youth themselves. The co-authors are young professionals as well as master or doctorate students.
Internally, the MYTF invites longstanding and new members to join its virtual Social Coffee Gatherings. As a network composed by youth scattered all over the Mediterranean, these online and informal gatherings allow members to meet and bond to ensure a stronger network and work better together in the many upcoming activities.
Lucía Rivera Lima (FAO)