Q&A: Young people know how to work together

Ineza Grace is just 25 years old, but she has already represented Rwanda at three United Nations climate change summits.

She has also helped establish two youth climate networks – one international and one at home – which are putting young people at the centre of high-level talks about the world’s future.

While running between meetings at COP26, Ineza tellsSciDev.Netwhy women and young girls are making their voices heard and demanding change.

What’s your experience been at COP26? Do you think enough is being done? Will the results will be positive?

有一种理解是，一些领导人，尤其是来自全球北部的领导人，试图为媒体打扫卫生，因为现在每个人都比以往任何时候都更加意识到气候无所作为正在做不公正，尤其是在全球南方。但是，当您从技术上看谈判时，就没有很大的进步。我可以做出的一个事实之一是[估价导致损失和损害的气候变化影响的成本，这是我们面临的最大不公之一。当缓解或适应气候变化为时已晚时，“损失和损害”是会发生的。

You’re a member of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition and you also created another organisation, The Green Protector.

Yes, I am a co-founder and co-director at Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, we started in summer 2020. We are a coalition of youth around the world where we have one single demand, which is to achieve climate justice. The only way to achieve climate justice is for global leaders to take action to address loss and damage. We do this by pressuring global leaders by giving out for example, open letters. We have sent a couple to the EU, to the COP26 presidency, and to the United States of America. We also do training, because we want to ensure that youth across the world have information about what’s loss and damage, and most importantly on how everyone can take action, regardless of where you’re located, or the background you have in education. Climate change is something that is happening to all of us, and it has no borders, and the only way we are going to come out safe is if we work together. Working together in a non-tokenistic manner is something that the youth understand. But when you’re looking at global diplomacy, there’s still some work to be done.

How is climate change impacting young people? And how do you see it affecting your futures?

I was exposed to climate change impacts when I was younger, but I didn’t know it was climate change. I just have that memory of waking up in the middle of the night to save my life. My mum was the one who woke me up, because intensive rainfall and wind destroyed my house ceiling. When I finished high school, I saw on the news that in this particular area in my country, people were forced to move because erosion and flooding were hitting their area. So, I went to study environmental engineering. Loss and damage is something that is costing my future. We are here [at COP26] because we want to go back home and say to our community, ‘Now you can rest assured we have come to a solution.’ But whenever I’m in the room, you can hear the frustration because developed countries, small island countries have been making their demands clear for ages.

What role do women play in the solutions for climate change, particularly in Sub-Saharan African communities? There have been some fantastic voices here at COP26, especially young women from Africa.

首先，他们是英雄，因为他们设法生活在我们仍然很长的距离或取木的地区。但是我们不会放弃，因为女性确实有这种自然感（需要）保护。我很幸运能来自卢旺达，卢旺达这个国家的声音更加强调和授权。但是在某些国家，没有妇女来影响决策，这意味着大多数解决方案不是性别反应的。我们正在利用我们的声音要求改变。当一个女人说话时，另一个女人在听。如果我进入一个房间，我需要讲话，以便在房间里的女性同伴也会鼓励说话。

And that highlights the importance of having role models for girls and young women.

Yes, yes. Because we grew up thinking that the men in the room are the ones to make a decision. I had to realise that women [have] equal power, because I was in this mindset of knowing that [being a] woman equals keeping your mouth shut, and do as you’re told. So, I believe that now Africa is rising because women are speaking up and they’re taking space and they are creating hope. Because when I see my colleague [Elizabeth Wathuti] from Kenya speaking up, or Vanessa Nakate from Uganda, when I see those women speaking up it’s a sense of hope.

这件作品由Scidev.net的撒哈拉以南非洲英语桌子制作。