Kelokelo attending forum

Youth & Careers

SEPTEMBER Kelokelo from Normanby Island, Milne Bay, will be representing Papua New Guinea in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York.
Kelokelo, 23, graduated with a diploma in electronics technology from the Don Bosco Technological Institute, Boroko, Port Moresby.
She is the only youth representing the country.
She was selected by the Catholic Bishops Conference Youth Board of PNG and Solomon Island as the most suitable candidate to attend the forum amongst 20 participants who participated in the Youth Aspirations and Climate Urgency in Port Moresby recently, a side event leading to the UN forum.
The UN forum that Kelokelo will attend is a platform for youngsters to discuss and explore how they are responding physically, emotionally and economically in a world that is facing temperature rise that will lead to extreme weather events with the potential to cause disaster on their future.
Kelokelo said the current changes in weather patterns, which are causing unexpected environmental effects that especially threaten small islands has driven her to get actively involved in environmental issues.
She said PNG is one of the island nations in the Pacific that is in the early stages of experiencing climatic changes however due to lack of awareness on climate change many people do not know.
“We regard ourselves as a generation of consumers of the natural environment, not caretakers to our common home, we complain about everything, but do not realise that perhaps it is our actions that contribute to climate change.”
“The government has policies, but these have yet to come down to the community,” September said.
She will be attending the UN Forum with youths from other countries starting from July 8-18.
Kelokelo left on Sunday for New York.