The #Resilient40 (#R40) is an African youth climate network made up of over 70 young leaders from 29 African countries.
They are a unique diverse cross-sectoral group of passionate individuals committed to working with communities on climate, and making their voices heard across Africa and globally. This next generation of leaders have created a platform to build momentum to face the threat of climate change and to improve climate resilience across Africa.
Hear what two of their members are doing to raise awareness about climate change in Africa.
Watch Resilient40 member, Yandeh Sallah-Muhammed, inspiring young people in Africa to combat #climateviolence.
‘We are the changemakers’ – the Resilient40
The #R40 met for the first time at a Wilton Park event held in South Africa in March 2019, in collaboration with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – FCDO). The group then gathered for the second time in Ethiopia in January 2020.
21 January – Resilient 40: Reconnecting post COP26, and building momentum to COP27
Two years on since the Resilient40 last met in person in Addis Ababa the group will reconvene, virtually to build on their successes as a network. It will be an opportunity to discuss the outcome of COP26, and take the next steps to build the network and its activities in the run up to COP27 in Egypt.
16-23 September 2020 – Resilient40 virtual summit: Tunakutana for climate resilience
Talking about food: security, solutions and systems (22 September 2020)
The Resilient40 are pleased to host their second virtual summit: Tunakutana for Climate Resilience, 16-23 September 2020. Climate changemakers hosted public virtual discussions focusing on an array of topics, from climate finance and just recovery, to building resilience to disasters and climate change. For more information, visit the Resilient40 website.
Wilton Park are delighted to be supporting the R40 summit, along with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
May 2020 – Climate change in Africa: opportunities & challenges
The first R40 virtual summit was delivered by them, with support from Wilton Park, and hosted a variety of expert speakers, focusing on just transition & energy, disaster risks management (COVID19) and climate change governance.
Resilient 40 article on Covid19, Climate Change and Africa’s Multifaceted Vulnerability
January 2020 – Climate change in Africa: opportunities & challenges
The second time the Resilient40 met was in January 2020, at the beautiful Kuriftu Resort in Bishoftu, Ethiopia 62 participants representing 29 African countries plus individuals from UK met to identify practical ways they can build climate resilience across Africa.
This meeting was intended to strengthen and nourish the network established in March 2019. Collaboration with the British Embassy in Addis Ababa resulted in the group creating crucial links with the African Union and the African Union Youth Envoy.
Wilton Park worked with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DFID). With the UK hosting COP26, FCO and DFID stay dedicated to lifting #R40 voices on the international stage and we hope to continue supporting the group on their journey.
March 2019 – The Alternative Africa Climate Week: 40 under 40 to build resilience
The group met for the first time in March 2019 in South Africa. Convened by Wilton Park, The Alternative Africa Climate Week: 40 under 40 to build resilience brought together young leaders from 11 African countries to discuss how to build greater resilience in Africa to cope with climate change.
The aim of this first dialogue was to provide a platform for the emerging generation of leaders to discuss how individuals, societies, and governments can become more resilient in their responses to climate change.
The group were joined by some British experts to build connections between the UK and Africa on climate and help strengthen the case for collaborative international action. Sharing expertise and setting out their agenda for resilience the group of changemakers named themselves Resilient40. Wilton Park convened this group in partnership with the Africa Climate Reality Project and the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Blog – What is Britain’s place in the world? Climate resilience and soft power – by participant Dustin Benton was featured in the Green Alliance’s ‘Inside Track’.
