In June 2022, two of our young #ClimateLeaders made their way to Germany for a line-up of climate and social justice events, engagements, and conferences, set up and supported by our partners and friends at Misereor and Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (BDKJ). These events sought to bring together youth from South Africa and Germany in the name of global solidarity and knowledge building.
Through an adventure of climate justice engagements in Stuttgart our activists – Lisakhanya Mathiso and Gabriel Klaasen – found themselves doing back-to-back discussions, panels, speeches, and more in front of varying crowds of different sizes; dialogues with groups of 10 people to discussions on a stage in front of thousands.
“It was an absolutely amazing and humbling experience, having crowds of the variety that we did all keen to hear our perspective. More importantly it was amazing that we could find common ground and see eye to eye as what was needed in this movement.” – Gabriel Klaasen
Having the opportunity to meet and engage with the team at our oldest and ever supportive partner Misereor, in Aachen being a definite highlight – having the opportunity to see all the work they do and meet other partners on this adventure of connection and solidarity. This set our activists on the right mind track as they made their way to the open ground coal field in the Rheinland where they witnessed the horrific destruction of land, environment, and communities for the sake of coal mining. While this devastation was brutal the resistance that it is met with is powerful and resilient – a perfect example of some of the activism that takes place in the name of Climate Justice.
After engaging with German civil society in the various spaces, hearing the injustices caused by the coal mining from frontline communities and activists, who have dedicated their lives to living mere meters from the coal mines in acts of protest, Gabriel and Lisakhanya made their way to the 56th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn where they experienced the negotiations rooms and the planning of social mobilisations. This alongside the networking and collaboration with the intergenerational group of activists gave them a glimpse of what COP27 might be like.
As the month-long journey came to an end, so did the programme, with the crescendo of BDKJ and Misereor’s global youth climate action solidarity academy. This week-long programme saw our young activists engaging with youth and German government officials. The focus of this being a space for reflection and shared experience, of knowledge building and engagement with different individuals relevant to the theme of Mobility and Climate Justice.
“It was truly an amazing experience engaging and building solidarity with the groups we met in Germany, not only because of our partners but because it offered a space for a shared understanding of reality and purpose. It has begun a beautiful relationship of solidarity that resonates from its very call for justice for all!” – Lisakhanya Mathiso
