Youth Day 2022
Youth Day 2022 Theme: Promoting sustainable livelihoods and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow.
The call to action will be for youth to forge resilience and pursue opportunities for a sustainable livelihood, today and in the future (South African Government).
Rudzani Silima, a South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) graduate, is one of the founding members of the Antarctic Youth Coalition. She is a custodian for South Africa’s gateway city to Antarctica (Cape Town) and “advocating for Antarctica’s future, by promoting sustainable communities and connected urban identities” (AYC).
The five gateway cities to Antarctica:
- Cape Town (South Africa)
- Hobart (Australia)
- Christchurch (New Zealand)
- Punta Arenas (Chile)
- Ushuaia (Argentina)
Who is the Antarctic Youth Coalition?
How did Rudzani become one of the founding members?
Want to know more about Rudzi? Click here!The Antarctic Youth Coalition is an initiative of the Project: Antarctic cities and the global commons: Rethinking the Gateways.
Read more about the Antarctic Cities Project
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 16 June 2022.
Antarctic cities and the global commons: Rethinking the Gateways – project by Institute for Culture and Society. How we care for Antarctica is key to the planet’s future. As pressures on the continent increase, five gateway cities will become critical to its future.
These five cities; Cape Town, Christchurch, Hobart, Punta Arenas, and Ushuaia have complex histories of engagement with the Antarctic. Located in zones with intense interconnectivity to the Antarctic, they are formally recognised international gateways through which most travel to the region flows. All significant engagement with the Southern Polar Region is coordinated through them, but the ensuing competition for economic advantage that this traffic offers is not always constructive.
SANAP has been involved through the 
This project is the first substantial comparative program to investigate how gateway cities might both re-imagine and intensify their relations to Antarctica and each other. In doing so, constituents across the Antarctic gateway cities will be drawn into an ongoing partnership to research the significance of their Antarctic connection. The aims of this project are to demonstrate how ecological stewardship, political cooperation, cultural vibrancy, and economic prosperity can be mutually reinforcing, and determine how these cities see themselves into the future in relation to Antarctica and to each other. It intends to revitalise these relations through assessment and research processes that include supporting citizens to frame future forms of engagement. The project includes working with youth across the five cities to instigate the engagement of young people in debating the future of these cities and the futures of Antarctica. This evolved into the 
(Above l-r: % champions with Juan Salazar and Elizabeth Leane, 5 Champions and see Rudzi with South African Flag beanie) 5 Champions were chosen from the 5 Gateway Cities to represent their countries. A lot of effort, passion and work have been put in by these young champions. “During the ACYE to King George/25 de Mayo Island, Antarctic Peninsula, in February 2020, 5 young leaders representing the 5 Gateway cities developed a new AYC. AYC will focus on devising youth engagement networks in the five gateway cities to create new connections among these cities and develop a sense of Antarctic custodianship unique to all the gateways.” During the AYCE Rudzi visit the stations of Chile and Uruguay and took a gift from South Africa to every station, a table runner with Proteas the beautiful flower from the Western Cape as well as publications.
Rudzi(left) on 
(Images from ACYE expedition and text from ACYE pamphlet)
Rudzani Silima (Rudzi) have from a young age, always known that she would pursue a career in environmental conservation and science. “I grew up in the very small town of 
(l-r: Rudzi and Nompumelelo(DEFF),weighing my luggage, Ria Olivier(ALSA) sent me on my trip, during transit I said goodbye to my family) To date I have attained a collection of prizes from my university and conferences, further validating my determination to advocate for the oceans and our planet. As the best 
The 
There are many controversies related to climate change today, however, in Antarctica there is physical evidence that climate change is happening right now and not in some distant future. Therefore, the formation of the Antarctic Youth Coalition couldn’t be more perfectly timed. The AYC, hence from now on aims to make accessible the very important science done in the Southern Ocean to everyday citizens in the five gateway cities but also all around the world. 
“Therefore, all of us, common or otherwise, share the responsibility for a healthy, thriving Antarctica and our whole planet! My parting word, specifically to us young people is to never give up on yourself and never give up on your dreams. All of us have the potential to change the world in our own very unique and exciting ways”
