This video by newspaper The Washington Post looks at youth climate activism across the globe. Starting with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg – who started the School Strike for Climate, also known variously as Fridays for Future (FFF), Youth for Climate, Climate Strike/Climatestrike or Youth Strike for Climate. They show her 2018 speech at the U.N., before interviewing 16-year old Alexandria Villasenor, 8-year old Amanda Cabera, It highlights that activists and politicians in the global south have been raising these issues for many years. The short documentary also speaks to academic and writer Naomi Klein, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement Varshini Prakesh.

discussion

Who are some of the activists we meet in this clip? What are they fighting for? What tactics have they used?

Why do you think it is youth who have been leading this movement?

Why do you think The Washington Post primarily interviews Naomi Klein and Varshini Prakesh for this clip?

What does it mean to go “beyond” Greta Thunberg? Can you think of other social movements that require us to go beyond individuals as symbols?