Climate Action by ALL for ALL
Natalie Gwatirisa is a climate advocate based in Zimbabwe. She is creatively integrating her linguistic skills in disseminating climate information through her organisation All For Climate Action which focuses on promoting Action For Climate Empowerment of Article 6 of the UNFCCC and article 12 of the Paris Agreement. For the past five years, her work has been focusing on fostering a better understanding of - and ability to address - climate change and its effects, promoting community engagement, creativity and knowledge in finding climate change solutions. She is on the pathway to becoming a climate youth negotiator following her training with UNICEF and other institutions.
She spoke with our Communications team about the role and inclusion of youth voices in regional and global climate action.
Natalie Gwatirisa
SHE Changes Climate: Climate Action is at the heart of the mission you developed when founding All For Climate Action (AFCA) in 2021. How was this received by Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans?
Natalie: We started with a Whatsapp group and we had the group full in less than 3 days. This was a sign that young people were eager to be part of the team even though the vision was not clear yet. We launched the initiative on the 6th of May with the support of Africa's greatest climate activists the likes of Morris Nyonmbi from Uganda, Elizabeth Gulugulu from Zimbabwe, Brenda Mwale from Malawi, Patience Nabukalu from Uganda. Getting the support of these activists meant a lot in terms of also mobilising participants to attend the online launch.
In the beginning the idea was to protest and join the global movement against climate injustice; but looking at the political environment in Zimbabwe, for the sake of our lives, it was safe enough to focus on climate empowerment instead and make peaceful engagements. Not just that but also fill in the gap between climate science and the people.
Since then, AFCA have organised different activities with young people that includes educational programs, training, online meetings and we are proud to have engaged more than a 1000 young people across the region.And now that we are quite visible in Zimbabwe , we have been able to get recognised in different spaces.Up to date we have partnered with more than 10 organisations that include Amnesty International Zimbabwe and many other youth led organisations. Young people have been requesting to be part of the organisation as members , interns , advisors but unfortunately because of the incapacity to cater all these young people we haven't been able to.
This year has been quite exciting for us , growing as a team and getting more supporters to our work.
SHE Changes Climate: This has definitely been a journey, and it seems along the way there's been constant reassurance that this initiative serves a crucial purpose for people and for the environment.
We know of a few initiatives that work to mobilise people and we’ve seen the power of using influential people to create awareness and expand communities of like-minded and curious people. What steps did you take to garner national and international African activists?
Natalie: One of the tools that have made me grow or the organisation grow is the social media connections we leverage on. Having connections with different climate activists across the globe on my social media pages has helped me a lot. Sometimes following each other's work helps you find a way in which we can support each other . Networking and collaboration has helped to push the agenda. I would get into people's direct messages and propose whatever idea I need their support.
Also I believe that through my work I have managed to inspire different young people from different parts of the country. By continuing with the work that I do a lot of young people have approached me and I have managed to be open enough to help them start their own journey through volunteering. Some would just approach us to volunteer and by that we could have support for our work.
Basically leveraging on our social media networks and inspiration we give to the people are some of the ways that has helped us to grow.
SHE Changes Climate: This approach (leveraging digital tools, and being audacious in reaching out to people) definitely aligns with the name of the organisation: ALL for Climate Action. There’s been more conversations around climate action and policies in Africa, what with the recent Africa Climate Summit and even the BRICS Summit. If presented with the opportunity to engage in multi-stakeholder conversations with presidents and prime ministers, what would your input be regarding the state of the climate crisis in Africa and what needs to be done urgently?
Natalie: I believe Africa is well vested with precious minerals and raw materials that are on high demand in the energy industry across the world. We have countries like China and Russia buying raw lithium for instance from Zimbabwe to make energy products that they will sell back to Zimbabwe with high prices that not even a single person from the marginalised will afford. We are talking of a just energy transition and green economies in Africa, but we cannot do all that without skills, without knowledge, without expertise. If African countries could invest in empowering their own people with skills, the green jobs there won't need to take away the raw materials to the Global South; but rather it benefits Africa instead. Think of plants that will be established to refine the minerals: the cobalt from DRC, the Lithium in Zimbabwe, the industries that manufacture lithium batteries. Think of Europe buying finished products from Africa.
Africa is rich in minerals so it should be in expertise. As the world is on the rush for all these precious minerals, Africa should empower its children and make sure that they are up to date to fit in the just transition process. Just transition isn't only about ending fossil fuels and promoting green economies; it is also about equipping young people to transit through training, through education, public awareness, through participation, and access to information and international cooperation.
In conclusion, African Leaders need to empower our people, finance climate empowerment and they will reap the benefits of it.
SHE Changes Climate: And building on your focus on uplifting the youth, there's a current unemployment crisis in Africa in this regard and some may say that this is tied to the lack of good governance in Africa. What opportunities do you imagine can be reserved primarily for the youth and enable them to be more active (and proactive) in climate action?
Natalie: First, I believe that there are quite a lot of opportunities for young people to can contribute to meaningful active participation in the climate change discourse. We need to look at opportunities that lies within politics: are young people involved in this at national level and international level? Polity - within the structures that exist at national and international levels are young people involved? And lastly policy, are young people being involved?
For me these 3 areas that need to be influenced: politics, polity and policy. However all this can not really be achieved with tokenism which has been the norm in most conferences etc. There is a difference between attending and participating which normally get misunderstood.
So for me opportunities for young people lies in these 3 areas :
Participation in climate policy making and programming.
Process of governance acknowledging youth as actors and power dynamics.
Structural dimension of governance , institutional settings that shape policy and interactions with stakeholders.
SHE Changes Climate: Such a powerful capture. We hope that you get an opportunity to speak at one of the primary climate summits in the coming year!
Natalie Gwatirisa
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
To feature in our monthly #SHEConnects series, email our Head of Communications: natalie@shechangesclimate.org
