KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Not quite as huge a turnout as last year, but a very respectable 500 people gathered at the Grand Parade for this year’s climate strike.
Their message was just as powerful as last year’s, and even more urgent.
See also: ‘I want to be a normal kid’ – Climate strike Halifax sends clear message to those in power
The kids are smart…
“We need to move away from activism as a role that only a few take on. Everyone here can become a quote unquote activist. We all have varying gifts, knowledge, capacities and access to spaces. Rather than being a full time activist, I am asking you to incorporate caring for the land and living relations as a personal responsibility that you take on daily.
They’re inclusive.
We must acknowledge that the climate movement has been and continues to be dominated by a Western white point of view, We must acknowledge the voices of those most affected by the crisis itself.
They’re kind.
So the most important thing to remember as we fight for justice in various ways, is to remember why we fight. We don’t just fight to cool the earth, we fight for equity, we fight for peace, we fight for a new world where humanity can thrive. A world where the next generation learns that every person, every plant, every animal, every part of the ecosystem on this planet is valuable and deserves our respect.
I want everyone to take a moment and visualize what this future looks like to you.What do you see there? And how do you feel there? I want you to grab on to the feeling that image creates.And I want you to take it and let it guide you in whatever decisions you make. I want you to remember that even if it seems hopeless, you must never stop fighting for that reality.
And they’re running out of patience fast.
I’m absolutely tired of politicians dismissing us. I’m tired of politicians telling me time and time again that they care about climate justice. Because if they cared about our planet and the lives of people living on it, I wouldn’t be here right now, I would be doing normal teenage things instead of standing here on the steps of City Hall begging for a chance to grow up without catastrophic weather.
We’re scared that we can’t grow up safely. And we are scared that you will continue to do nothing. But no matter how scared we are, you should be 10 times more scared for your jobs, because it is the citizens of the world that have the real power. And we the people are telling you, you’re not doing enough.
With a special thanks to our generous donors who make publication of the Nova Scotia Advocate possible.
Subscribe to the Nova Scotia Advocate weekly digest and never miss an article again. It’s free!
