UU student Joris aims to defend nature as a UN Youth Representative

Joris loves being in nature. Although he was already aware of the importance of nature and biodiversity to life on Earth, his understanding deepened after he started studying Biology. Then, a difficult personal experience made him realise that nature was also important for his well-being.

A year and a half ago, his father passed away, just as he was starting a Master’s degree in Marine Sciences. “When things got tough, I would go out into nature and discover that there is something inexplicable, magical and powerful about it. Nature offers comfort and support, and I’m not the only one who feels that way. I spoke to other young people at the Utrecht-based grieving network for young people, Rouwnetwerk Jong, and many of them could relate to the sense of calm that nature provided me. That’s what motivated me to apply to become a UN Youth Representative for Biodiversity & Food."

According to Joris, nature policy is about much more than food security and water quality. He emphasises the importance of biodiversity for young people's healthy development, mental health and well-being. If he becomes a youth representative, he would like to raise awareness of this. “I have come to appreciate nature more and more because of the peace and quiet it offers me when I’m feeling down. I want to share that with other young people.”

You can turn the tide
As a UN Youth Representative for the National Youth Council (NJR), Joris would be able to do just that. UN Youth Representatives spend 2 years raising awareness of important issues among young people aged 12 to 29. They give guest lectures, are active on social media, speak at conferences organised by the European Union or the United Nations, and, above all, talk to other young people. NJR states on its website that UN Youth Representatives build a bridge between Dutch young people and international politics.

NJR has youth representatives for four themes: Human Rights & Security, European Affairs, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity & Food. Over the next two years, the elected youth representative for Biodiversity & Food will focus on promoting the protein transition, tackling fossil fuel subsidies, and proposing ideas to address the nitrogen crisis. The approach and course of action will be determined based on discussions with young people.

With his background in ocean legislation and policy, Joris hopes to collaborate with other stakeholders. Among other things, he would like to organise events that policymakers would not be able to ignore without explaining why they are deviating from green agreements. His slogan for his election campaign is You turn the tide.

Sustainable behaviour
Personally, Joris also strives to preserve nature and biodiversity by eating and travelling sustainably. “I'm vegan. To me, that's a way to live as consciously and sustainably as I can. I believe that factory farming and the way we treat animals are very harmful. I understand that it’s hard to break away from the norms you grew up with, so I don’t force anyone around me to adopt a vegan lifestyle.”

He prefers to travel by train, but might still have to board a plane if elected. “But I would never do that if I could attend my work commitments by other means. In my view, representing young people at sustainability conferences is, by its very nature, worth the flight in terms of net climate impact. However, I will always try to minimise my own contribution to climate change.”

Bridge
As a youth representative, Joris hopes to act as a bridge between academia and society. As a bachelor's student, he spent a year and a half serving as the editor-in-chief and graphic designer for the monthly magazine Bioscope, published by the Biology department. “I think it’s important to bring academia closer to society, and science communication is a vital part of that.”

The same reasoning oriented his choice of Master’s programme. “I really struggled to choose which direction to take: policy, activism, NGOs or academia. In the end, I chose Marine Sciences because I want to turn research into action.”

Campaign 
Two candidates are in the running to become the Youth Representative for Biology & Food. Joris is up against Floris van Geest, a student at Leiden University. The two finalists kicked off their campaign on 9 April, trying to secure as many votes as possible. Joris plans to increase his visibility to achieve his goal. “You might spot my campaign flyers at your favourite cafés or simply on the street. I also plan to visit other cities where many young people are engaged with nature, such as Wageningen, which is home to numerous nature-oriented study programmes.”

Update:
Tijdens het evenement Jong in de Wereldpolitiek van de Nationale Jeugd Raad zijn de vier nieuwe jongerenvertegenwoordigers voor de komende 2 jaar bekendgemaakt. UU-student Joris Kouwenberg (24) is een van hen. Hij gaat zich inzetten op het thema Biodiversiteit en Voedsel. De andere winnaars zijn Merita Pergega (22) op het thema Mensenrechten en Veiligheid. HU-student Nathan Dada heeft het helaas niet gehaald. Op het thema Europese zaken is Bob van der Plas (22) de winnaar en Thomas Karmarker (21) gaat de boer op met het thema Duurzame Ontwikkeling.

Want to vote for Joris? Here's how to do it:
There are two finalists for each theme, all of whom are students at a research university or a university of applied sciences. Nathan Dada, from the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, is one of the two finalists for Human Rights & Security. You can vote for your favourite candidates here. The winners will be announced on 15 April at the Young in World Politics event.