Youth Activism

Major Win For Youth Climate Activists In Montana Supreme Court

December 20, 2024 Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch. Educate! climate crisis, Montana, Our Children's Trust, Supreme Court, Youth Activism

The Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark victory on Wednesday, affirming a lower court’s decision that the energy policies of the state violated youth activists’ constitutional rights to a clean environment. The ruling in Held v. Montana last August invalidated a law stopping regulators from taking into consideration the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing permits for new fossil fuel projects, reported The Guardian. The six-to-one decision was the first state supreme court decision of its kind in the United States.

Resisting Youth In The Age Of Fascist Dream-Worlds

November 17, 2024 Henry Giroux, Counter Punch. Strategize! Capitalism, Class Struggle, climate crisis, Liberals, Youth Activism

Hyper-capitalism is the death knell of democracy. It reduces everything to a commodity, monetizing and pathologizing every aspect of life. The blind faith in markets and unfettered individualism has dismantled the social state, ravaged the environment, and fueled staggering inequality. By divorcing economic activity from its social costs, liberals have obliterated civic culture, creating a vacuum filled by despair and alienation. Into that vacuum emerged a band of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, radical Christian nationalists, and a cruel band of misogynists and neoliberal fascists.

Fourth Day Of Swarming: Youth Demand Strike In Leeds And Cambridge

November 15, 2024 The Canary. Resist! climate crisis, Palestine, Protests, United Kingdom (UK), Youth Activism

On Thursday 14 November, supporters of Youth Demand disrupted traffic in Leeds and Cambridge, demanding a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and for the UK government to halt all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021. As the Canary has been documenting, the group first took action on Remembrance Day, Monday 11 November. Members laid a Palestinian flag-coloured wreath at the Cenotaph, while also blocking roads and disrupting traffic elsewhere in London and in Manchester. At 11am, a group of Youth Demand supporters silently blocked the road outside of the Houses of Parliament during the Armistice Day remembrance service. The group could be seen holding signs which read ‘Never Again for Anyone’ and ‘Over 186,000 Dead’.

Young People And Transition: Making Space At The Table

November 7, 2024 Gina Umney, Resilience. Organize! Arts, climate crisis, Transition Towns, Youth Activism

Young people today find themselves on the front line of a rapidly changing world. Whether actively engaged with climate issues or not, these issues will undoubtedly and profoundly shape their futures, quality of life and inner worlds. Witnessing the escalating environmental crisis unfold in real time alongside their personal growth and development, can make these challenges feel overwhelming. With 84% of young people aged 16-25 in the UK worried about climate change and 59% reporting that it affects their daily lives (The Lancet Planetary Health, 2020) it’s crucial that movements such as Transition strive to place young people at their heart, building supportive and empowering pathways to navigate these turbulent times together.

Young People Will Save The World; We’re The Last Generation That Can

September 14, 2024 Keara Sosa, Counter Punch. Strategize! climate crisis, Higher Education, Sustainability, Youth Activism

The past 20 years have been critical in the fight for bold and sustainable climate solutions. The next five years will be even more vital — and young people like me are fighting hard to make sure our leaders get it right. Research shows we have about five years left to avert global warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, the tipping point when even more severe climate disruptions could exacerbate hunger, conflict and drought worldwide. Climate change — long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil — impacts our livelihoods and our lives. It harms our health and well-being and threatens our access to vital resources, from water to food to housing.

Beyond The Finance Bill: Kenya’s Ongoing Demand For Change

August 20, 2024 Nicholas Mwangi, Orinoco Tribune. Resist! IMF, Kenya, Mass Action, US Imperialism, Youth Activism

For the past five weeks, Kenya has been gripped by unprecedented protests. What began on June 18 as a rejection of the Finance Bill has expanded into a larger movement demanding better governance and radical change in the country. In society, development and events are never entirely predictable, nor do they occur in isolation. Even periods of apparent inactivity can give way to rapid change, overshadowing years of dormancy or quietness. These dynamics are evident in the ongoing protests in Kenya, that embody Lenin’s famous quote, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen.”

A Student Movement Sets Out To Conquer Bangladesh

July 22, 2024 Santiago Montag, Left Voice. Resist! Bangladesh, India, Repression, Worker Rights, Youth Activism

The university campuses of Dhaka are usually peaceful spaces, far from the din of the traffic of the city outside. The buildings of Jahangirnagar University are immersed in the jungle forests of the Bay of Bengal where the youth can enjoy exchanging ideas in the tea rooms and train for their future. Dhaka University also boasts of large parks that seek to generate the same tranquility and seclusion. Until a few days ago, few would have guessed that the youth of these campuses would flood the streets of the capital and start a major rebellion that would soon spread across the country, sparking an unprecedented crisis that would put the current Awami League government on the ropes.

How Kenya’s Youth, Middle Classes And Working Poor Joined Forces

July 10, 2024 Caroline Kimeu, Portside. Strategize! Austerity, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kenya, Ruto, Youth Activism

I remember Kenya’s June 25 protests like they were yesterday. The energy on the streets of Nairobi was frenetic, filled with the sound of whistles, motorcycle honks, vuvuzelas (long horns used to cheer in soccer games) and loud blasts of teargas. “We are tired,” chanted the thousands of demonstrators who had turned out to oppose government plans to introduce wide-ranging tax hikes, on what would become the bloodiest day of the protests. Hoisting up Kenyan flags, they marched through one of the city’s main avenues, which was colored pink from water cannon spray, dodging rounds of rubber bullets and teargas.

Generation Z Is At The Forefront Of A Powerful Uprising In Kenya

July 2, 2024 Samuel Karlin, Left Voice. Resist! Gen Z, International Monetary Fund, Kenya, Technology, Youth Activism

Youth in Kenya are rising up in the face of extreme repression. Mass protests began spreading rapidly in response to President William Ruto’s attempt to pass a tax bill. The bill would have raised taxes on household essentials including sugar and cooking oil in compliance with austerity measures that the government is trying to implement in order to receive a loan from the predatory International Monetary Fund (IMF). In response, young Kenyans, proudly identifying as “Generation Z,” have organized a mass movement online. For now, this uprising is developing independently of Kenya’s traditional parties and institutions which would benefit from co-opting the movement out of the streets.

Kenya Protests: Gen Z Shows The Power Of Digital Activism

June 25, 2024 Job Mwaura, The Conversation. Organize! Digital Activism, Kenya, Mass Action, Media, Social Media, Taxes, Youth Activism

This is a powerful moment for digital activism. The protests have seen significant participation from young Kenyans who are using digital media to organise and voice their opposition. A great number of those driving the protests are Generation Z (often referred to as Gen Z) – individuals born roughly between the late 1990s and early 2010s and characterised by digital prowess and social consciousness. They have created this organic, grassroots movement which has used platforms, like social media, to mobilise and coordinate efforts quickly. Through my work I’ve documented how essential digital media has been in political participation in Kenya in the past decade.

Hawaii To Decarbonize Transportation In Youth Climate Change Settlement

June 22, 2024 Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch. Resist! Carbon emissions, climate crisis, Hawaii, Transportation, Victory, Youth Activism

On Thursday, Hawaii agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by 13 young people alleging the state had violated their constitutional rights with infrastructure that adds to greenhouse (GHG) emissions, exacerbating climate change. In the settlement, the state agreed to decarbonize its transportation system by 2045. At a news conference, Governor of Hawaii Josh Green, a Democrat, called the settlement “groundbreaking,” reported Reuters. “We’re addressing the impacts of climate change today, and needless to say, this is a priority because we know now that climate change is here,” Green said, as Reuters reported. “It is not something that we’re considering in an abstract way in the future.”

Should Children Take Part In Nonviolent Struggle? 

June 8, 2024 George Lakey, Waging Nonviolence. Strategize! Capitalism, Child Wellbeing, Human Rights, Youth Activism

In fifth grade I was introduced to children as nonviolent warriors. In one of our elementary school’s story collections I ran into a tale from the Norwegian resistance to Nazi German occupation during World War II. It was centered on the problem of preventing Norway’s store of gold bullion from falling into the hands of the occupiers. The first step was moving the gold to storehouses on farms in Norway’s mountainous western coast. The next step — of getting the gold on ships to Britain, where the country’s royal family had already fled — was going to be a lot harder due to the patrols of German warships.

Time’s Up For The Government To Stop Israel Arms Exports

June 1, 2024 The Canary. Resist! Elbit, Palestine, United Kingdom (UK), weapons, Youth Activism

Youth Demand is a recently-formed direct action group. It not only focuses on the climate crisis, but has also be taking action over Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. For example, Palestine Action and Youth Demand teamed up to paint the MoD headquarters in London, while other supporters marched through the capital, on Wednesday 10 April. They were demanding an end to the MoD contracts with Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit Systems and an end to all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK, including revoking oil and gas licences issued since 2021.

Alaska Youth On The ‘Front Lines Of The Climate Crisis’ Sue To Stop LNG Pipeline

May 24, 2024 Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch. Resist! Alaska, climate crisis, Legal System, Pipelines, Youth Activism

Eight young people from Alaska are suing their state government, claiming a major new North Slope natural gas project is in violation of their constitutional rights.

Youth Are Calling For Free Public Transit Across British Columbia

April 22, 2024 Transit for Teens, The Tyee. Organize! British Columbia, Canada, Earth Day, Public Transit, Public transportation, Transportation, Youth Activism

Public transportation is woven into the fabric of daily lives for teens. For many, it’s the bridge between home, school and extracurricular activities. What if public transit for youth was a public good? The Transit for Teens campaign aims to make that a reality across British Columbia. We are members of the Transit for Teens youth leadership coalition with the Centre for Family Equity, and we’re raising awareness in the lead-up to the provincial election this fall about how free transit is a globally tested approach that can meet climate, social inclusion and health goals here in B.C.

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