A 3-day Malawi youth and children climate Justice caravan has officially started today in Balaka enroute to Lilongwe with cyclists making stopovers in Ntcheu, Dedza and finally Lilongwe where the National Children’s summit on Climate Justice is set to be held on Thursday this week.
Speaking to the media at the launch of the caravan this morning, communications and advocacy coordinator for National Youth Network on Climate Change, Clement Makuwa, said climate change related problems adversely affects children in many ways, adding that strong advocacy on the same is of paramount importance.
Makuwa added: ”Children are deprived off of their different rights. For instance, in cases of hurricanes or any other climate change related disasters, children are victims. When a cyclone destroys a classroom block, it means lessons at the school are disturbed in one way or another, thus robbing off children of their right to education.”
Apart from raising awareness on how climate change related problems affects children, the caravan also sort to relay messages and voice out children’s concerns to all influential leaders and stakeholders with a call for them to handle matters of children climate Justice with all the urgency and seriousness they deserve.
Later on Thursday this week, children across Malawi will converge in Lilongwe to deliberate on issues affecting them in as far as climate change is concerned where they are expected to come up with a position paper to be presented to president Lazarus Chakwera for consideration at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC),more commonly referred to as (COP27) slated for the 6th to 18th November, 2022 at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt.
Lilongwe cycling club’s Maria Moffat, 24 ,is among the 27 cyclists taking part in the initiative. She argues that, youths across the country have for a long time not done a lot in terms of participation in environmental conservation, adding that, it’s high time they stood firm and became pro-active on the same if the country is to emerge a winner in the fight against climate change related problems.
This year’s summit falls under the theme ”Children’s voice matters in climate change decision-making processes.”
Follow us on Twitter:
