SustainUS's Agents of Change program brings delegations of U.S.-based youth to conferences and summits related to international policy, primarily at the United Nations. Our delegates work with government delegates, fellow civil society members, and other youth to promote youth-friendly and future-focused policies related to sustainable development. This May, SustainUS will be sending approximately 21 young people from across the United States to the 18th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD),  May 3-14, 2010 at the UN headquarters in New York City. This CSD Review Session will focus on the following thematic issues: Transport, Chemicals, Waste Management (Hazardous & Solid Waste), Mining, and the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption & Production Patterns . Delegates will provide on-the-ground reports to the Agents of Change Blog at www.sustainus.org/blog and on twitter @SustainUSAgents. Meet the delegates by clicking 'Read More' at the end of this post.

Imran Battla recently served as the Georgia and South Carolina Coordinator for the Southern Energy Network. He supported southeastern campus sustainability projects. He coordinated the PowerVote and PowerShift campaigns in order to support students and youth to engage on and off campus while enhancing the voice, power, and message of the youth climate movement. As a former coordinator for the Student Action Collective at SUNY-Binghamton, he dedicated his time in promoting a free flow of ideas to cultivate direct action and greater student solidarity. He has been involved in a number of peace and social justice issues including anti-war demonstrations, Katrina relief, Afghanistan aid, violence against women of color, and activism against the prison industrial complex. Imran recently attained a B.S. in Human Development from the State University of New York at Binghamton and is so excited to be part of the CSD delegation that brings commitment and leadership to a sustainable and just future for all.

Lisa Bjerke is currently a freshman at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. She grew up in Sweden and is now pursuing her undergraduate degree in Human Ecology. Lisa has done hands on work regarding waste management and sustainability. She is currently in charge of her college composting system and has been involved with local SustainUS work for awareness of COP15 in the fall of 2009. Lisa attended the conference in Copenhagen as a member of College of the Atlantic's delegation. Lisa is a United World College graduate from Red Cross Nordic in Norway.

Rachel Briggs is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. As a first year student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, she is studying Human Ecology (often described as the relationship between humans and our environment). In her studies she is focusing on environmental policy, and learning to look at issues of sustainability in an interdisciplinary and multidimensional way. In high school, Rachel ran her school’s environmental club, and in an independent project she researched, proposed and implemented a number of environmental initiatives at her school (including creating a compost system and xeriscape). She also volunteered on the Mayor’s Environmental Task Force and at the Hawaii Nature Center. She looks forward to continuing her activism and education at CSD 18.

Oliver Bruce

Michael Davidson recently returned from a Fulbright Fellowship to China where he devoted his time to researching alternative energy policy in Beijing and understanding rural development in the countryside. A born and raised Oregonian whose passion for the environment began with his hippie parents and has blossomed into a scientific, social, and political inquiry, Michael is driven by the need to counter global climate change and create a development model that is both equitable and sustainable. Last year he helped organize the International Youth Summit on Energy and Climate Change held in Beijing. There, he met leaders of the Chinese youth climate movement and was inspired. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University with degrees in Physics and Japanese Studies, he has conducted research into fuel cells and advanced photovoltaic materials as well as Northeast Asian relations. He is currently at Asia Policy Point, a non-profit research center studying the US policy relationship with Japan and Asia based in Washington, DC. When he is not examining Japanese political cartoons, he is an avid linguist, proficient in four languages and looking for the fifth.

Kunal Doshi is an undergraduate student at McIntire School of Commerce at the University Of Virginia. He developed an interest with world issues and sustainability after an incident when his car broke down near a slum in Mumbai. The living conditions were appalling; no clean water, oil-lit lamps, lack of power and unhygienic surroundings. This made him develop an interest in small scale development or rather the bottom-up technique. Kunal enjoys working with issues of rural development and studies cross-culture which are key factors in integrating sustainability across the globe. He recently worked with Akanksha which deals with the education of disadvantaged children in India. He plans to major in Finance and International Business and is a Drama minor. He is a project leader at SEED (Social Entrepreneurship for Economic Development) and believes that his knowledge from studying finance and business can be used in a socially responsible and influential way. Kunal is glad he can be a representative for youth at the Commission of Sustainable Development. His chief interest are Travelling, People, Traditions, A Smile, A conversation with his Grandfather, Horse riding, Yoga, Reading , Listening, To live, To love, To Teach, Languages, Cultures, Music, Acting, Laughter, To help ,To learn, To dream, To Inspire.

John Doyle grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY and a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) where he is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Social Welfare.  His passion for the sustainability movement was sparked during a semester studying abroad in the Development Studies department of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa.  His incredible professors Patrick Bond, David Moore, and Harald Witte (highly recommend reading their work) introduced him to the intrinsic relationship between environmental justice and social justice and the simple but profound truth, that "alternatives are not inherently compromises".  Since then he has been working at the US Green Building Council as they develop their national Green Campus Campaign, and is excited to head to Tanzania in the spring for an internship with Lawyers' Environmental Action Team before he begins law school in the fall of 2009.  He has faith that our generation will find the answers to far more than global warming and hopes to be a part of the progress.

Erasmus zu Ermgassen is a veterinary medicine student at the University of Cambridge in the UK, Erasmus is currently studying sustainability through the lenses of business and political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His initial interest in conservation, which included work in conservation initiatives in Madagascar, Costa Rica and the UK, has extended into a broader concern for sustainability. At Selwyn College, Cambridge, Erasmus was environmental officer and worked alongside the bursar, domestic staff, and college council to oversee Selwyn College both achieve Fairtrade accreditation and also undergo a comprehensive energy audit, which sets a baseline for methodically reducing their environmental impacts and energy use.

James Liao is an undergraduate student at University of Virginia, where he studies Electrical Engineering and Economics. He was born in China and came to the States at age 13. As a student, he is concentrated on issues involved with sustainable development especially on education, rural development, and the environment. He believes education is the key to practically solving social challenges, especially the education of children. For the past three years, he has been working with an NGO, Dream Corps, to organize international volunteers' work on library projects in rural and urban China. The organization's mission is to promote education equity in underprivileged communities. James has also been involved with student activism in green campaigns such as Power Vote and is part of organizing large youth summits such as Power Shift 2009. Lastly, he is also a geek who loves tech gadgets and obsessed with websites and videos. He is hoping to use his passion for technology to support social development. Currently he is pursuing a career in consulting or full-time grassroots organizing. James is currently the webmaster for SustainUS.

Lauren Nutter is currently a student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine where she is working towards a degree in Human Ecology.  She is the Agents of Change Program Coordinator for an all-volunteer youth nonprofit, SustainUS. Through SustainUS, Lauren has volunteered to help organize and prepare youth delegations to the United Nations Climate Change Negotiations, Commission on Social Development and the Commission on Sustainable Development. Last December she traveled to Bali for the UNFCCC COP 13 negotiations. She is also an instructor for a non-profit, the Student Leadership Training Program. Through SLTP she has spent the past several summers teaching leadership skills to high school students throughout the New England area, and also tackling issues of bullying, abusive relationships, and issues of hate that students deal with every day. Recently Lauren worked with the Udall Foundation's Parks in Focus program and co-lead a trip in Maine.

Matthew Maiorana is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and is currently working towards a degree in Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. Following his passion for the environment, Matt has been deeply involved with the youth climate movement at the local, regional, national, and international levels. In his role as the SustainUS Policy Co-Coordinator, Matt attended the 2007 UN Climate Negotiations in Bali, Indonesia and the 2008 Commission for Social Development in New York. Molding his studies around his interests, he has become increasingly involved with international negotiations, developing an independent study this past spring which brought him to the Biosafety Protocol negotiations at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Germany. When not running from meeting to meeting, Matt enjoys backpacking and other activities that get him closer to trees.

Brandon Mikael is a student at the University of Oklahoma and an avid runner and baseball fan. He was born in Oklahoma and raised in Texas. After growing up in the heart of the nation's energy industry, he's interested in creating a sustainable, clean energy economy that provides for lasting growth for all generations. At OU he's pursuing a business degree in Entrepreneurship with a minor in Finance, focusing on cleantech, renewable energy, and sustainable business, as well as a BA in Economics with minors in Spanish, Political Science, and Environmental Studies. As the first-ever Coordinator of the Office of Green Initiatives, he's focusing on student-led initiatives to ensure OU meets its commitments under the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment as well as decrease the footprint of the university's student organizations. He also serve as the National Teach-In Chair for OUr Earth, the student environmental organization. His research interests include clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and global systems.

Lauren Riga is a graduate student at Valparaiso University and Indiana University Northwest, working towards her MS/MPA in International Policy, Economics and Environmental Affairs. Lauren has been working in government and environmental affairs since 2004 while pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications at Rollins College. She is interested in connecting areas of sustainable development, conflict resolution, international commerce and policy, and wishes to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration to shape informed policy decisions. In 2008-09, Lauren worked for The Nature Conservancy as their Great Lakes Project Coordinator, where she took part in collaborative efforts and strategic planning throughout the Great Lakes region and Canada on strategies related to: climate change adaptation, land-use planning, policy, restoration, invasive species and ecosystem services. She also represented The Conservancy’s Great Lakes Project on government agency committees, such as the Great Lakes Habitat Initiative. Her graduate research has been focused on Environmental Dispute Resolution (EDR), aimed at using mediation and consensus building techniques as a proactive means of developing sound environmental policy and sustainable development solutions. She has given presentations on Environmental Dispute Resolution and consensus building techniques for policy development at the Indiana Lakes Management Society Annual Conference and the Association for Conflict Resolution, Chicago Chapter. Lauren actively participates in environmental affairs in her community and currently serves on the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission steering committee.

Erin Schrode is a young ecoRenaissance woman. As the “face of the new green generation,” the spokeswoman and founding member of the national Turning Green campaign shares her knowledge as an eco-expert on television and the radio, in numerous books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, and speeches. This “incredible youth leader” was honored with the 2009 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award for outstanding leadership in community service and commitment to improving the world, named one of JVibe’s 18 Under 18 extraordinary teenagers, selected as a recipient of the Natural Products Innovator Award, chosen as a Green My Parents champion, and invited to represent the United States as a delegate at the inaugural One Young World Summit in London this February. Erin just returned from Haiti, where she worked in medical aid relief at the leading acute care field hospital in Port-au-Prince. This fall, she began her studies in Cross-Cultural Diplomacy and Global Public Service as a Presidential Honors Scholar at New York University. "One of the leading young green movers in this country," Erin hopes to inspire her peers around the globe to take action and make the world a sustainable place for future generations.

Michael Semeraro is a senior at Vanderbilt University in the School of Engineering, double-majoring in Civil Engineering and Economics. He was born and raised in Northern New Jersey 20 miles outside of New York City. Michael has been interested in sustainable development since researching the subject of climate change for a high school Model UN conference. He became involved in sustainable development work through the THIMUN Youth Network, having attending CSD -16 &17 with the TYN delegation. At CSD Michael was introduced to SustainUS and after CSD - 17 began to get involved in the organization and is currently serving as the Member – at – Large on the Steering Committee. Michael is looking forward to working with his fellow SustainUS delegates to work on this CSD cycle’s thematic issues and is excited for the work ahead.

Qobilon Shokirov was born and raised in Tajikistan (Central Asia). He have graduated from Khujand State University with a BA Degree in Foreign Languages. Because he has a great interest in international sustainable development, he was awarded an internship with U.S. non-profit organization based in Seattle called EarthCorps. EarthCorps brings emerging leaders from all over the world and across the United States to Washington State for 18 month long Internship program. Through the civic engagement programs the interns provided hands-on habitat restoration work for endangered species. They taught environmental education and cross-cultural understanding in local schools and at volunteer events in 2005-2006. In 2007, he participated in the Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) Summer University in Braunwald, Switzerland organizaed by ETH Zurich and International Student Festival in Trondhiem, Norway to get more international and cross-cultural experience. In 2008, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to do his Masters Degree in Resource Management and Conservation and his currently studying at the Antioch University New England in Keene,  NH. Quobilon is particularly interested in building National Parks and creating Youth Conservation Programs in Central Asia. As an advocate for sustainable development, since 2005 he has had many academic, cultural exchange opportunities to various countries and has supervised many Ecological Restoration and key Conservation projects throughout the USA, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia. He is passionate about today’s development issues and how it effects our worlds overall sustainability.

Marcie Smith, a Central Kentucky native, is a senior at Transylvania University studying International Affairs, French, and Environmental Studies.  As a sophomore, Marcie founded Transylvania's environmental action group TERRA, which has led numerous awareness and action campaigns on climate change, coal consumption, and environmental justice; has lobbied at the state and federal levels for bold legislation on climate change and mountaintop removal; and succeeded in making Transylvania a signatory onto the President's Climate Commitment.  She is a member of of the recently-formed Transylvania President's Sustainability Advisory Committee where she is working to create a campus plan for climate neutrality.  In 2007, she interned for Congressman Ben Chandler in the U.S. House of Representatives, focusing on environmental and foreign affairs issues.  She spent the spring 2008 semester in Madagascar studying ecology, environmental dina, and mining code modernization.  In the summer of 2008, she joined the Institute for Environmental Security in The Hague, Netherlands, where she continued to research Madagascar's expanding extractive sector and its impact on environmental security.  She loves jazz and theater and in her spare time enjoys cooking for friends and reading.

Claire Wescott

Emily Walz

Julia Wong, Agent of Change Coordinator, is a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Her interest in sustainability began when she studied the effects of land reclamation on Hong Kong's marine ecosystem. To coordinate efforts and share best practices for a sustainable campus, Julia collaborated with students from eight universities to develop a joint policy statement and formulate implementation plans. Volunteering with National Student Partnerships has given her the opportunity to help alleviate urban poverty by connecting the community to vital resources and services. Julia is thrilled to engage youth in sustainable development and help organize dynamic delegations to the UN.