Islamabad : Earth Uprising, a global youth led movement and organisation working on the climate crisis had their selection and election process for the Global Youth Leadership Council. These youth aged 18-24 are first short-listed and then run an election from all the different continents, where two Pakistani students ran the election against fellows from across Asia and won.
These two students, Razan Ahmed, 18 and Hania Imran, 18 will visit Costa Rica to work on initiatives and ideas to help solve the climate crisis, as well as have the opportunity to attend Conference of the Parties 27 in Egypt this year as representative of Asia and the Middle East.
In Costa Rica, they will have the opportunity to interact with people who worked on the Paris Agreement. Hania Imran said, “This is a big feat for Pakistani youth. We rarely have the opportunity to attend these conferences or have a say in how to solve the climate crisis, Pakistani youth and their voice do not reach these big conferences even though Pakistan is one of the top ten countries affected by this crisis. I hope, although it is just the two of us, that we can express Pakistan’s concerns as well as the Asia region. Although it is an achievement, it is also a responsibility. We will have to speak for millions of Pakistanis and Asians suffering through this crisis every day and do justice to them as well. Unfortunately, it is a huge privilege to attend these conferences that should be accessible to all.”
Razan Ahmed also commented on the achievement, saying, “I hope our government is able to take this initiative, the Global Youth Leadership Council, as an example and is encouraged to make a national council to deal with the existential threat of climate change to Pakistan. One with scientists, people from disproportionately affected communities, and youths.”
Razan and Hania have been working on the climate crisis for years, and both hope to continue to do so.