As many of you may have heard we launched our "Keep the Pacific on the Map" project today with an event involving people from the Pacific - (Kiribati and the Torres Strait mainly).

We have organised the event today so we could show publicly our support for the Pacific Islander people. This week we were moved as we heard the plea of the Pacific Islanders here at the UN conference in Bali - even more so outside the official negotiation process. As a result we felt compelled to start or further engage the youth of Australia with climate justice and issues surrounding the human impact that climate change is already having.

Too many people are complacent on the issue of climate change due to the belief that it will only have implications in years to come - Climate change is real and it is devastating communities now.

This initial project kicked off in Bali was designed to be a show of solidarity and support for the people in the Pacific Islands who are often confronted with the worst impacts yet get the least recognition and support.

Messages of support have been collected over the past 3 days from youth around Australia - we hope that this project has not only begun to raised awareness amongst youth but more importantly shown that the youth of Australia will do all they can to keep the Pacific Islands on the map. The Australian Youth Climate Coalition has firmly set in our minds a desire to support and create partnerships with people in the Pacific Islands so that we can actually provide meaningful help to the people of the Pacific.

We're calling for the political leaders at this conference to take the strong actions required to keep the Pacific Islands on the map - and that means setting a strong global target for reducing greenhouse gases to be included in the Bali Mandate - 25-40% for developed countries. Adequate adaptation funding is also a crucial part of any global climate agreement.

Climate change has already gone too far for the people of the pacific. We need our leaders to take strong action now, and we call upon Kevin Rudd to throw his support behind the 25-40% range for emissions cuts in developed countries. To use some popular yet in this setting quite true and fitting - the Pacific Islands needs a fair go. It would not only be unjust but immoral for Australia not to do everything in its power to provide this fair go. The pacific needs Australia's support.

The event involved traditional dancers from the Pacific Islanders as well as personal reflections on the impacts that climate change is already having on their communities. Videos and Photos will be up on this site shortly!

To expand a little further - one of the Pacific Islander speakers, Jennifer, talked about how within 10 or 20 years her children and grandchildren will literally have to go out in a boat to mark where their family is buried and where their sacred sites lay.

To end on a positive note - we last night chatted to Kevin Rudd about the AYCC and the Pacific Islands and hopefully opened some doors - and even more - at 9am tomorrow we are meeting the Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong and Environment - Peter Garrett.

It's crunch time for the negotiations that are drawing a map for our future - I hope they have their glasses on!