New campaign launched today (November 19) provides students a platform to collaborate on their vision for a Copenhagen agreement.

 

The UK Government and the National Union of Students have joined forces with MixedInk – an online tool that will be used by UK students to produce their own Copenhagen Manifesto.

 

MixedInk is a collaborative writing tool that allows users to contribute their ideas, mix and match their copy with that of others, and vote on entries, to arrive at their final, democratically-produced text of a shared vision for a deal at Copenhagen.

 

Mixed Ink was previously used by Slate Magazine to invite US citizens to write what they think President Obama's Inaugural Speech should be, and subsequently by the White House to invite citizens to provide collective recommendations for President Obama’s Open Government Directive.

 

Ed Miliband said: 'Young people and the generations that follow will be most affected if we don't avert the most dangerous impacts of climate change, and they will be instrumental in re-shaping the way we all live in the future.'

 

'There are only two and a half weeks to go before I join my counterparts from around the world in Copenhagen. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for students to contribute their shared vision for their shared future.'

 

A student manifesto for Copenhagen

 

The student 'Vision' will comprise of seven topic areas relating to climate change and a fair deal at Copenhagen – a General Statement of Intent, along with Mitigation, Adaptation, Forestry, Technology, Finance, and Governance.  

 

In building the document, students have the opportunity to provide their own ideas, and also to pick and chose preferred text from other organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Save the Children and even DECC.

 

The democratically produced final Vision will be published on 5 December as part of the Stop Climate Chaos march, and presented to Ed Miliband ahead of his departure for the Copenhagen negotiations.

 

Related links

MixedInk

Is Decc's collaborative manifesto for Copenhagen web democracy in action?, Guardian 19 November 2009