Kenyan youth have called on world leaders to pursue climate justice as they shared their experiences on dealing with erratic weather changes in their communities during a conference held in Nairobi.
The event, dubbed the Afrikan Youth Caravan and held at Strathmore University, brought together youth from different parts of the country to share their solutions to the climate change crisis in readiness for the UNFCCC COP27 that will be held in Egypt in November.
With the drought situation currently being experienced in parts of the country and the region, addressing climate change is an urgent matter for Africa as it affects the economy and the livelihoods of millions.
The Kenya Environmental Action Network (KEAN), with its principal partners the Youth Sustainable Development Network, Action for Nature and Youth4Nature convened both sub-regional workshops to engage youth across the continent
"We are resilient in the face of the climate crisis. The notion that African youth are victims of the climate crisis is far wider, yet shedding little to no light on the ongoing transformation within the climate space. The caravan challenges the narratives through three key messages of resilience, just energy transition and youth action," Kaluki Paul, COP27 Stakeholder Lead for Nature4Climate explained.
Elizabeth Wathuti, founder of Green Generation Initiative (GGI), noted that at the major climate conferences there was a pattern of pledges made by leaders not being met and with the inaction, communities were being affected greatly.
"This is where we come in to challenge this pattern. We should not be afraid to hold world leaders accountable.
"Young people are stepping into the gap and really showing what climate leadership really is- in matters of climate, we are actually leaders of today,"said Wathuti.
Important components of campaigning for climate action were also addressed, including storytelling which was established to be key in shifting the mindset of people on the role of youth in the climate space.
"Youth need to find a space in the decision-making process. We need inclusion as we work at the grassroots level within communities. There still is a gap as youth are being excluded. Let us try to find a consensus where we can work together," Peter Bulimo, the Bustani Gardens project Advisor advocated.
The link between climate change and the economy was adequately addressed by Wanjira Mathai, African Director of the World Resources Institute as she called on an intersectional approach to issues affecting the country.
"Unless we have a certain level of economic empowerment, adaptation is impossible. We must link climate change with the economy.
"There is a need to protect the integrity of the Indigenous forests, ensure effective and efficient production of food and encourage restoration," Mathai said.
The conference was part of a series of others concurrently held in other regions of Africa. The youth shall conclude the caravan in Sharm-El-Sheikh where they will present outcomes of the workshops as the Afrika Youth statement to COP27.
