TUNZA magazine, UNEP’s magazine for youth, is looking for contributions from young people.
THEME:
TUNZA World Environment Day 2009 issue: Your planet needs you – UNite to combat climate change
World Environment Day 2009 ‘s theme is “Your planet needs you! UNite to Combat Climate Change!” This call is made with a sense of urgency on the state of the planet with climate change as a looming threat to our basic existence as we know it today. It emphasizes that everyone can make a difference. The 2009 WED conference will take place in Mexico.
We will consider any ideas for articles on the topic, but here are some definite opportunities to contribute (word counts are approximate):
FEATURES
1. “The road to Copenhagen” – UNite to Combat Climate Change!
What: First-person pieces by young people planning to attend COP-15.
What we’re looking for: In the run-up to this crucial world climate conference, what are young people planning? What activities are happening in preparation? What are you planning for your region? What do you hope to accomplish? Why is this important to you? What lessons have you and/or your peers learned from attending previous UNFCCC conferences that will inform your actions at COP-15?
Length: 200 – 400 words
2. “Making a difference”
What: First-person pieces about how your project or activities have reduced pressure on the planet.
What we’re looking for: Tell us how you’ve made a difference. The sky’s the limit, but here are some examples: Are you organizing rubbish and recycling programmes in your community? Have you invented a useful gadget that saves energy or uses renewable energy? Have you been involved in lobbying local or national government to improve the environment? Are you finding ways to recycle rubbish into useful items such as building materials or alternative fuels, etc.? Good ideas are welcome, but ideas that have been implemented are even better.
Length: 150-250 words
3. “Waste not, want not”
What: Instructions for how to transform waste into something cool and useful.
What we’re looking for: Do you have a tried-and-tested idea for how to make something useful out of material that would otherwise be thrown into landfill – jewelry, furniture, clothing, art, solar cooker, etc.? Please send your step-by-step instructions and, if possible, photos of how it’s done.
Length: No more than 100 words; the feature will be illustration-heavy and instructions should be concise as possible.
4. “Simple skills”
What: Only two generations ago, our grandparents were taught skills that were compatible with a low-consumption, less wasteful way of life.
What we’re looking for: Interview your parents and grandparents about some of these skills and describe them. Some examples include foraging for wild food, animal husbandry (raising chickens or rabbits for meat), carpentry, sewing, knitting, pickling and preserving foods, cooking, and so on. If you happen to be well versed in one of these skills, please tell us about it.
Length: 200 words
REGULARS
1. Q&A – topic World Environment Day – Your planet needs you!
Every issue, we send a handful of questions on the topic to the experts at UNEP. The idea is to have sort of a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ to reflect what young people might be wondering about, and we ask UNEP to provide enlightening and informative answers. So please send us your questions about the global climate crisis, environmental governance, COP-15, and so on, and we’ll see if we can get them answered.
2. COOL/COOLER
This is a regular feature that showcases innovations that help the environment. It’s sort of a catch-all for interesting stuff that we’re not able to fit into the magazine elsewhere, as well as a chance to offer ideas for ecological living. It’s also a good place to showcase time-sensitive items, like book releases, films or events. They don’t have to be on theme. Please see recent issues of the magazine for examples. You don’t necessarily have to construct a cool/cooler itself. Just send items with details of what makes them interesting or relevant.
3. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We haven’t actually implemented a letters to the editor page yet, but if we get enough letters from you, we just might. Either way, we’d love to hear from you.
DEADLINE, etc.
Please send your queries and ideas to me at karen@zukazuka.com as soon as possible so we know you’re interested; deadline for final copy is 1 March 2009. Please note that the sooner we get your commitment and contribution, the more likely it is to be included in the magazine.
Please include your full name, age, street address and country of origin with all queries and submissions. If we print your item, you’ll get a byline and a copy of the magazine.
About TUNZA:
TUNZA is the United Nations Environment Programme’s magazine for
youth. Our mission is to educate and impassion the world’s young people about the environment and sustainable development. It is translated into several languages – including French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Japanese – and distributed for free, with a paper and Web readership of about 600,000 per issue and a yearly readership of about 2.5 million young people.
Please be sure to read TUNZA before sending a query, to get an idea of what we’re looking for. You can find the issues in French, Spanish and English at http://www.unep.org/Publications/Tunza.asp.
