In August, YFoEE and BUNDjugend (Young Friends of the Earth Germany) organised Camp for [Future], a climate camp in the coal-mining region in the west of Germany. This event became a huge gathering of young activists from all Europe, where they participated and ran many workshops and activities related to the social and environmental justice movement. We asked some of them about the global climate strikes, and reflections on their environmental activism.
Why would you encourage people to join the climate strikes?
“I would say people should support climate strikes for a reason that is very obvious to me. It is the most important thing in our lives right now. For people who are privileged enough to be able to access media and information about climate justice and don’t realise how important it is, honestly I don’t understand. Everyone should support this movement because this is about our future. Not only our future: it is the future of the next generations, the future of all children around the world.”
“Sometimes people think that environmental activism doesn’t care about humans – that it is just about animals and nature but actually, all of these things are interconnected and people should realise that and support the rights of their children, their future and the future of the humanity.”
Why you are passionate about climate justice?
“Young Friends of the Earth has this slogan that says “climate justice = equal rights = open borders”. So for me climate justice is this interconnected thing that covers many issues. Because climate justice isn’t just justice for the planet, it is also justice for every person, every animal, every living being who is oppressed. So yeah, I am passionate about climate justice because I am passionate about ending all kinds of oppression.”
Dimitra, member of Young Friends of the Earth Bulgaria