With such an important issue as protecting their planet from climate change, young people are valiantly striding to the forefront. Youth-led Zero Hour is mobilizing like-minded individuals for an exciting event July 12 to July 14 in Miami.
So what if they are not scientists? So what if they are not politicians? So what if they are not even old enough to vote?
Their future is at stake. Passion is their power.
“We’re very determined,” says Natalie Sweet of the activist organization Zero Hour. “We are working to push adults through lobbying and our summits and our rallies.”
Youth Climate Summit
As with Zero Hour itself, the Miami Youth Climate Summit offers training, networking, and resources for young activists to ensure the voices of youth are included in discussions about the environment. Impressive speakers, educational workshops, and a science fair are part of the event.
“With the summit, we hope to uplift the citizens of Miami, and train more young people to be effective climate justice advocates,” the Zero Hour website states.
Summit Participants & Supporters
A wide assortment of kids, teenagers, adults, and eco-focused organizations are participating in the event. A few examples showcase the enthusiasm and energy of these fresh faces focused on injecting their perspectives into the political arena.
- Earth Uprising describes its organization as a team of young people working to save the planet. “Even though many of us cannot vote, we can make our voices heard!” their website states. “We have started Earth Uprising to support and hasten the youth climate movement … We want action and we want it now. We are impatient and it is our time to lead.”
- iMatter expresses its mission on its website: “We are called to befriend and support young people as we collectively step into our authentic voice and power to disrupt the status quo and push local leaders to do what is necessary to end the climate crisis and transition to a just, sustainable society. NBD, just another group of humans trying to save the world.”
- Equality Equation as described on its website, is “a social justice innovation lab, pooling together the brightest minds in art, media, and activism. “
Related Events
In addition to the summit in Florida, related events are springing up elsewhere in the world. They include:
- Zero Hour Australia, July 17, Surfers Paradise, email for information
- Silicon Valley Youth Climate Summit, July 13, 2019, in Cupertino, California
- Howard County Youth Action, July 13, 2019, in Clarksville, Maryland
- Youth Activist Summit July 13, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada
“Our action rallies and summits are supported by a [policy] that will be sent via mail or email to every [member of Parliament] in Australia calling for a stronger climate policy to protect not only the youth and future generations, but also our natural resources and organisms,” says Australia Zero Hour Director Saige Hill. “Our rallies are simple and allow people to march for climate change. We also run seminars for schools and youth groups [and] we also invite local scientists or councils to talk about the effects in our local area.”
Find events in your area on Zero Hour’s Youth Climate Actions map.
Feature image courtesy of thisiszerohour.org