The 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and what it means for Tanzania
On the 19th of December, after the anniversary, Partnership for Green Future mobilized University students to ensure the youths' voice on climate change from different faiths are given space to advocate for clean energy and a future they can rely on. The main goal of the event was to bring together young people in the climate movement to mark the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and call on the government to demonstrate real climate leadership to stay within 1.5 by keeping fossil fuels on the ground and not funding their infrastructure.
The event was attended by the students of University of Dar es Salaam, Climate Action Network Tanzania, Climate Science community and TAJPI. Other participants included Dar es Salaam University Student Organization (DARUSO), Association of Students from Geography and Environmental Studies (AGEM), University of Dar es Salaam Association for Wildlife and Conservation (UDAWICOSA), Earth day and Go Green.
Key moments
- Sports: The event started with sports, basketball and football, which took place at Mabibo Hostel grounds. Sports is considered as a good strategy of mobilization in Tanzania.
- Talent show and short messages:
After the sports, some of the students showed their talents by singing in different styles focusing on themes about tackling the effects of climate change and the role of youth in climate action. There was also a performance of various written messages that were displayed and delivered verbally.
The Main Speech: Ms. Rehema Peter, the host of the event, shared information with guests and participants on the real challenges Tanzania is facing due to climate change. "Dar es Salaam has become the hottest city in East Africa and people are still ignorant of the cause". She also raised an alarm about the development of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) which is going to put Tanzania at high risk. She called for University students and other stakeholders to use all channels to advocate for a Fossil Free Tanzania and for the Government to keep fossil fuels in the ground. There was also a special moment to share the message with all the students gathered, and to remind them that they are the voice of change. East Africa Radio from Dar es Salaam covered the event, taking the message of the day to be aired and published, and promised a platform for climate action. Different young people at University were recorded with various messages calling for clear action towards a just recovery ahead of COP 26.
The students emphasized the need to be empowered on issues related to fossil fuels and strategies so as to build a successful climate movement. "We appreciate each and everybody who made this event a success, especially the support from 350 Africa and we cannot wait to change the tide in our beloved country."
By Rehema Peter, founder of Partnership for Green Future
Why youth voices matter in tackling the climate crisis
This year, many Local Conference of Youths have aimed at laying strategies to hold our countries accountable and demand for increased action in regards to the Nationally Determined Contributions. Targets were set in reducing national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Youths further presented green innovations and different initiatives that each of them is doing in their various communities to combat climate change and contributing to the domestic mitigation and adaptation measures.
The Local Conference of youths is normally organized to acquaint youths with the upcoming negotiations and lay local strategies that can be applied at the Global Conference of Youths and Conference of parties. However, it was identified that most of the initiatives are still at a small scale and yet they have the potential to be replicated in various communities and countries across the globe.
Many were prepared to present the above presentations but due to the change, we were left asking each other where would our voices be heard at the highest level Conference of Parties?
Despite this, the youth did not throw in the towel and a strong decision was made in the shortest time to have the 15th Conference of Youths at two venues, one in Madrid and the other one in Santiago as formerly planned. Further still, the decision by the Chilean Government did not deter the different Local Conferences of youths that were organized by youths in their different countries across the globe ahead of the Global 15th Conference of youths and the 25th Conference of parties. The youth enthusiasm, collectiveness, and ambitiousness shown on this cannot be taken for granted.
Youths have risen up and are now at the centre of the action with global climate strikes. However, corrupt leaders, multinational corporations and more have kept on failing us, the youth, by not giving us an enabling environment to scale-up our initiatives, excluding us from the decision making processes and most of all only giving us the observer seat at these negotiations. But youths have continued to prove to the world that they are unstoppable, and they cannot be shut down.
Now, the 25th conference of Parties has kicked off and we have managed to show unbelievable courage to continue demanding governments to prioritize Youths and their demands in the upcoming decisions.
As the leaders will be meeting to discuss the future of our planet at COP25, youths in the different countries, communities, cities, towns, villages will also have a global chain of climate actions on 6th December. Youths will leave the negotiation rooms, boardrooms, for action to make visible the emergency and the urgency of climate action. There is hope!
By Joanita Babirye, Girls For Climate
