A movement that started with one determined teenage activist has snowballed into a global movement in less than a year.
In August last year, then 15 year-old Greta Thunberg, who I've written about here, here and here, sat alone outside the Swedish parliament and began her activism career with purpose and ferocity.
She is no longer alone
Because of her, the Youth Strikes for Climate movement has started. This recent article from the Guardian shows how much confidence under-18s around the world have mustered under her.
The Youth Strikes for Climate movement is not centrally organised, so keeping track of the fast growing number of strikes is difficult, but many are registering on FridaysForFuture.org. So far, there are almost 500 events listed to take place on 15 March across 51 countries, making it the biggest strike day so far. Students plan to skip school across Western Europe, from the US to Brazil and Chile, and from Australia to Iran, India and Japan.
And Uganda. And no doubt elsewhere in Africa, where some of the worst effects of climate change will be felt.
The students have written a letter
And here's the text:
We, the young, are deeply concerned about our future. Humanity is currently causing the sixth mass extinction of species and the global climate system is at the brink of a catastrophic crisis. Its devastating impacts are already felt by millions of people around the globe. Yet we are far from reaching the goals of the Paris agreement.
Young people make up more than half of the global population. Our generation grew up with the climate crisis and we will have to deal with it for the rest of our lives. Despite that fact, most of us are not included in the local and global decision-making process. We are the voiceless future of humanity.
We will no longer accept this injustice. We demand justice for all past, current and future victims of the climate crisis, and so we are rising up. Thousands of us have taken to the streets in the past weeks all around the world. Now we will make our voices heard. On 15 March, we will protest on every continent.
We finally need to treat the climate crisis as a crisis. It is the biggest threat in human history and we will not accept the world’s decision-makers’ inaction that threatens our entire civilisation. We will not accept a life in fear and devastation. We have the right to live our dreams and hopes. Climate change is already happening. People did die, are dying and will die because of it, but we can and will stop this madness.
We, the young, have started to move. We are going to change the fate of humanity, whether you like it or not. United we will rise until we see climate justice. We demand the world’s decision-makers take responsibility and solve this crisis.
You have failed us in the past. If you continue failing us in the future, we, the young people, will make change happen by ourselves. The youth of this world has started to move and we will not rest again.
Over 18? Not in school?
Then support them on 15 March anyway. Here are some suggestions from Greta's Fridays for Future site:
Many people do not think they can strike, i.e. they are worried about their school grades. The Belgium schools all used clocks which then 'struck' and then took a picture and this was there method to strike on November 30. Other groups have other ways to find a way to strike, even churches have their bells strike! Some empathy strike. All support is welcome.
If you post your work with the hashtag #FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrike we will be able to find and share your excellent work.
I like that empathy strike idea!
And I'll be using those two tags from now on.
References
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/01/youth-climate-strikers-we-are-going-to-change-the-fate-of-humanity
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/01/youth-climate-change-strikers-open-letter-to-world-leaders
https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/01/school-kids-on-climate-change-strike-misunderstood-by-people-says-german-activist
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47427788
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_strike_for_climate
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/21/18233206/greta-thunberg-student-school-strike-climate-change
https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/about
