Clockwise from top left Krishna M., Sachi M., Bella P., Rishub M., Sophie B., Ryann D, Shannon G., and Jelena C. were some of the participants in “Youth Voices on Climate: COP26 and Beyond,” on Thursday, Nov. 4.
By Krishna Madhav
Krishna Madhav is a youth leader from Plano, Texas, a past winner of the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest and a member of the One Earth Youth Advisory Council, which partnered with It’s Our Future, a youth leadership organization advocating for climate change solutions. (IOF is a partnership between One Earth Collective and Seven Generations Ahead.) The two youth organizations collaborated to plan, promote and produce a live webinar from the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held October 31 to November 13 in Glasgow, Scotland. Here’s Krishna’s report. . .
Exhilarated. Optimistic. Stressed. Excited. Nervous. Every time the dozen of us youth met—calling from Illinois, Maryland, and Texas—we would end our conversation with a one word description about how we felt. These were a few words that I remember being thrown out, and I also remember after hearing them, how aptly they served as a reflection for the climate movement as a whole.
With the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) just a few weeks away, the One Earth Youth Advisory Council partnered with It’s Our Future (IOF) to create something. . . new. Something fresh, young, and high-spirited. A virtual event covering COP26 and the global youth perspectives on our enduring fight against climate change. “Youth Voices on Climate: COP26 and Beyond” was the name we settled on for the event. We made sure to include “Beyond” in the title. While some politicians or influential figures were using the conference as a short-term placation of climate action, with general statements and empty promises, we knew that for any progress to be made, we would have to carry this momentum beyond the conference.
“We had to capture their attention and convince them that life, liberty, property, and this planet that we are all co-partners of, are worth fighting for.”
Five youth from IOF were chosen to represent a US youth delegation at COP26. There they would observe a week of world leaders alongside negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens—all working towards securing global net zero carbon emissions and protecting our environment. The idea was that they would experience the “boots on the ground” in this climate crisis and be able to share what they see through a webinar with youth across the world. So when I heard that I could be a part of this webinar, even though I wouldn’t be physically there, I knew I had to take part in this special opportunity.
We met every week, with increasing frequency as the event dawned upon us. And the atmosphere of every meeting was imbued with the electric and eclectic creativity and inspiration of this group of youth. We would brainstorm ideas for the event, ranging from local “What do you know about climate change” segments with our peers—to interviews with delegates from another country at COP26. No idea was a bad idea and every voice was heard to ensure the event would reflect our voices and serve as a platform for youth to discuss and learn. Once we had story mapped what we thought the webinar should look like, we got down to work. Countless hours of collaboration, filming, editing, and research went into creating a robust presentation that kept audiences informed and entertained. We had to capture their attention and convince them that life, liberty, property, and this planet that we are all co-partners of, are worth fighting for.
Central to the event was the experience of the five youth in Glasgow and their interviews with other delegates. Even though I and the other four youth in the US worked in concert with them weeks before, their travel and experience was a window for us into the workings of international climate activism.
They would start the day off by looking at a big screen displaying the various activities to attend. Then their next destination was the Action zone, a dynamic event space filled with activists, celebrities (they even had a brush with Bill Gates!), and just people looking to talk to the few young people present there. They got to meet delegations around the world and speak with a few countries’ leaders, like Arif Alvi of Pakistan. Al Gore himself gave what was described as the “best speech [they] have heard in [their] life.” For the Youth Voices webinar itself, we had two delegates, Diwigdi Valiente from Panama and Nathlia Lawen from Seychelles, share some fascinating insights into their own climate journey and their community efforts live from the conference itself.
Diwigdi Valiente (center left) from Panama and Nathlia Lawen (center right) from Seychelles, were interviewed by Ali Khan (far left) and Lily Aaron (far right) from Illinois, about how climate change is impacting their countries.
So by all metrics, it was an action-packed experience. And while the opportunity was an amazing one, there was still some discontent amongst the youth. Certain expectations of a more integrative and inclusive attitude when it came to marginalized and youth voices were not met. More direct language in the international agreements was replaced with conciliatory words. And while there is much progress to still be made on this front, the consensus was that meeting with youth and grassroots delegates and being able to share this knowledge is what was foundational to the conference, and the climate battle as a whole.
Holding this event gave all of us new hope in the power of youth voices and propelled our inspiration in climate activism. Because not only were we sharing our experiences and knowledge with others, we were learning from each other. And even though our individual actions may not be changing the paradigm of climate policy right now, education and storytelling have a radical effect on the world.