Once again, young people across the globe are protesting in solidarity at the blatant lack of action in the face of pressing climate change issues.
On September 24, 2021, grassroots climate movement Fridays for Future led its first global strike since the pandemic took over the world. Started in 2018 by Greta Thunburg, who was only 15 at the time, her school strike against inaction towards climate change not only spurred global conversations, she also started the #FridaysforFuture grassroots movement along with fellow young people, all working together to #UprootTheSystem; a name and hashtag chosen to bring about an intersectional discussion about climate change.
|Image Credit: Tobias Schwarz / AFP Via Getty Images
After being forced to remain within the confines of pandemic SOPs for too long, Uproot the System took off in a fervent blaze last week with an estimated 1,400 events across 80 countries worldwide.
Uproot the System centres MAPA, or “most affected people and areas” platform that rightfully gives importance to indigenous groups and people, as well as regions labeled the “Global South” (parts of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania).
Overjoyed to be back on the streets, protestors in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Italy, India, Japan, Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, and the Philippines participated last Friday, among many others. Greta herself was at a rally in Berlin with German climate activist Luisa Neubauer. There were about 420 protest locations all over Germany alone.
|Image Credit: Stefano Guidi / Getty Images
|Image Credit: Tefano Guidi / Getty Images
“Without listening to MAPA (most affected people and areas), embracing intersectionality, and uprooting this system, we have no hope of stopping the climate crisis,” a statement on the Fridays for Future website reads.
A global first, the Fridays for Future worldwide in-person climate strike has also encouraged online protests as many places are still adhering to lockdown procedures. Largely fuelled by young people, the strikes’ sole motive is to apply pressure to governmental bodies “from the streets”.
|Image Credit: Philipp Von Ditfurth / Picture Alliance Via Getty Images
|Image Credit: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP Via Getty Images
It will interesting to see if this dynamic movement will be noticed by the hundred or so world leaders that are currently discussing issues including climate change at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. This comes ahead of the imminent U.N. COP26 conference, a climate summit of world leaders to be held in Scotland in November.
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