Youths talk about how art is instrumental in Climate change response

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 Last week I had the wonderful pleasure of joining my fellow GOAL NextGen Youths at the X-Change program in Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. The X-Change programme was initiated by the Global Citizenship team of GOAL Global organization as a way to engage young people in arts to create change in their societies. I joined Denis Wembi (who runs the Pages for Progress project aimed at educating youths about the Global Goals in Uganda), Bezawit Liro; a University student from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia who is passionate about using computer technology and art to engage the public in her and finally Clodagh Sulley a recent graduate in Ireland who is using her social sciences education in helping the Irish youths understand more about climate change.

The four of us sat for a panel talk at the IMMA Earth Rising Festival which ran throughout the whole of last week in Dublin at the Museum of Modern Art discussing how climate change and food systems are interrelated and how art can be used to engage people to think differently, change their attitudes and act for global justice. 

Climate change is a real issue. We dont need Greta (though she does an excellent job) to constantly remind us about this. We live the reality. People everywhere are affected by climate change and food systems are a great case study. The GOAL X-Change program I aforementioned evokes youth participation through sharing of art to inspire people to act. Now there was this image of a farmer in Honduras 🇭🇳, who was selling the few of his crops he had managed to save from his farm that was destroyed by a flood. Everywhere in the world are similar stories about how food production or any stage of the food chain had been affected because of climate change. Change is neccesary for us to help save the planet as well as humanity, because if we are not able to produce food because of climate change then we are not able to survive. It is then when art comes into the picture as a solution to the climate and food system challenge. Art is able to penetrate and speak with thè inner person of every individual. Art is a language which people of all ages and nationalities are able to understand. Art inspires. Art bridges the gaps created in our societies i.e. generational gaps, etc. It is then important that we must explore art as a tool that can help our communities act to combat climate change. Art is neccesary because it is a pull factor to the youths who are full of energy and creative ideas on how we can address the climate solution. 

For more about the discussion and what other topics we explored, visit GOAL NextGen social media handles I have shared below.

X handle.

https://instagram.com/goalnextgen?igshid=OGY3MTU3OGY1Mw==














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