Have you ever considered the difficulty and challenges that youth face in West Asia to push for climate justice? Tune in and hear what our youth guests Ala and Lama have to say about militarization and climate movements.
Episode Overview
With youth guests Ala Mustafa (Yemen), Youth4Naure Global Ambassador and Lama Ranjous (Syria), Water Science Policy
This episode discusses how war, the lack of political stability, and national security affect climate movements in Western Asia, focusing on Syria and Yemen where there is ongoing militarization. We discussed how youth priorities change in these circumstances and how progress can be regained for climate justice. We focused on the responsibility of the international community to help eliminate these struggles and the support needed for youth who want to achieve climate justice in these countries. Ala and Lama concluded with a message to the international community, highlighting how youth around the world can - and should - shape support for vulnerable communities who are suffering from militarization.
Listen to this episode
Key Takeaways
Social justice is the main factor in having successful climate movements amid focus on humanitarian responses in times of armed-conflict.
The availability of stability, public services, and national security and variances between climate change impacts, culture, and social change mechanisms is a primary reason why climate movements are working in Western countries than in West Asian ones.
The international community being responsible for the conflicts happening in these countries to some degree, cannot demand climate action amid instability.
Western youth can help push climate movements forward in West Asia by pressuring their governments to commit to better foreign policies. It starts from within!
Additional resources
& Local initiatives
“Global climate movements should join local climate movements and not the way around!”
Looking for more or have questions after listening? Join us at our Series #1 Webinar, happening on July 4 at 16:00 UTC / 19:00 Beirut time!
More about this episode
Episode Questions
Quick questions with quick responses (what did our guests choose?)
Isolationism vs integrationism?
Is cultural justice part of climate justice?
Individual entitlement vs collective entitlement?
Is the international community responsible for the war happening? From 1-10 how much focus is given to climate nowadays in your country?
Discussion questions
Were you involved in the climate movement in your country prior to the war? How has the war affected your progress?
How did your priorities change during militarization? Does stability affect how you perceive the environment?
During hard times and violence people tend to stop caring about the environment around them as a resentment to their suffering especially with the effects on climate change. Combined (Climate change and militarization) can cause a culture of environmental degradation in which the only future seen is that of survival and not handing down a better climate to future generations. How do you resonate with that?
What message of accountability do you have for the international community? How should they support youth in your country to push climate movements forward?
Guest Bios
Lama Ranjous:
Previous country coordinator for the Arab Youth Climate Movement - Syria
Previous Global Focal Point on Migration for the UN Major Group for Children and Youth
Program Officer at International Commission on Missing Persons - Iraq
Ala Mustafa:
Global Ambassador at Youth4Nature
Environment and Climate Change Program Coordinator at the International Youth Council - Yemen
Managing Director at Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network
COY16 Glasgow Country Coordinator - Yemen