By Keith Ancheta
I
December 26, 2023
As a response to the decision, the Youth Cluster of The Climate Reality Project Philippines, in partnership with The Climate Reality Indonesia, the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, and the Loss and Damage Working Group of the UNFCCC Children and Youth Constituency (YOUNGO), organized a discussion on youth-led campaigning for loss and damage and the role that art play. The side event, entitled “Shaping Narratives through Art: The Case of Loss and Damage and the Youth,” was held on 09 December 2023 at the Ghana Pavilion in the Blue Zone.
Children and young people are among the most vulnerable sectors to the impact of climate change due to several different factors. As Samuel Okorie, the Global South Contact Point of the Loss and Damage Working Group of YOUNGO, said, young people are “victims of circumstances of the climate impact.” Because these climate impacts are beyond the control of children and young people, they suffer the brunt of the crisis. Jefferson Estella, the Pacific Coordinator of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, shared the stories of young people from the Philippines living in communities at the frontlines of the crisis. The intrinsic vulnerability of young people (e.g., due to their bodies still developing and lack of socio-economic ability), coupled with the susceptibility of their communities to climate impacts, exacerbate how they experience climate change.
However, children and young people are also changing the narratives from being viewed as victims of the crisis to survivors – survivors that can be the source of solutions. Young people, equipped with rich experiences, passion, creativity, and energy, are already leading initiatives to address the loss and damage experienced by vulnerable communities. Kristina Juchem, the Global North Contact Point of the Loss and Damage Working Group of YOUNGO, talked about the different projects her organization has done towards loss and damage. She and Samuel also shared about the work that YOUNGO does to campaign for loss and damage in the UNFCCC process. Jefferson highlighted the work done by young people to campaign for loss and damage.
The inclusion of young people in discussions about loss and damage is important. However, the space given to young people to add their voices to the conversation and affect critical decisions remains limited. Creating new spaces to influence decisions is where art comes into play.
Art as a tool in climate campaigning is not new. Different campaigns have used various art forms to push for their goals, recognizing the ability of art to communicate the complexity of these issues to the general public.
Art has the power to inspire solutions. Desiree Llanos Dee, the Chief Doodler of Tofu Creatives, shared how she uses virtual art to share relevant information with various audiences. She said that imagination is essential in crafting solutions to the crises society is facing. Creativity is necessary because traditional ways of addressing climate change – such as siloed efforts and band-aid solutions – have remained insufficient. Art can also be a way to highlight the human nature of the crisis. Ahsania Aghnetta, the Youth Coordinator of The Climate Reality Project Indonesia, discussed how she applies her filmmaking skills to campaign for climate change. She recently directed a documentary entitled “Degayu,” which shows how the people of Degayu, a local community in Indonesia, face climate change. Numbers and statistics often overshadow the human aspect of climate change. By highlighting how human lives are at stake, decision-makers may realize the cost of inaction to climate change goes beyond economic losses. Nityalila Saulo, the Chief Designer of Tofu Creatives, closed the event by performing her song “Tayo tayo,” which is a reminder of how art also brings communities together towards a common goal.
Despite the progress in tackling loss and damage, and with a fund already set up, much more is needed, and the work is far from finished. The board still needs to finalize how the loss and damage fund will work, such as the funding modalities and means of access. More loss and damage, both economic and non-economic, are predicted to be experienced by vulnerable communities as the temperature continues to rise, which requires more effective measures to address, minimize, and avert these losses and damages. And the implementation gap needs to be closed by providing the means of implementation by developed countries based on the needs and priorities of climate-vulnerable countries.Despite the progress in tackling loss and damage, and with a fund already set up, much more is needed, and the work is far from finished. The board still needs to finalize how the loss and damage fund will work, such as the funding modalities and means of access. More loss and damage, both economic and non-economic, are predicted to be experienced by vulnerable communities as the temperature continues to rise, which requires more effective measures to address, minimize, and avert these losses and damages. And the implementation gap needs to be closed by providing the means of implementation by developed countries based on the needs and priorities of climate-vulnerable countries.
Moving forward, the Youth Cluster will initiate programs and projects utilizing various art forms to shape conversations regarding loss and damage financing, influence decisions on operationalizing the loss and damage fund, and pressure top polluters to pay up for the climate crisis they have caused.
Children and young people have shaped the narrative of climate change multiple times across different levels of society. In this critical decade for climate action, where further delay is unacceptable and high-impact solutions are warranted, young people, together with other vulnerable groups, can harness the power of art to ignite the flame of the climate movement, influence decision-makers to deliver the needed climate measures, transform ambitions into concrete actions, and bring hope to everyone.
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ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Keith Sigfred Ancheta is a climate advocate, communicator, and stubborn optimist. He volunteers as one of the Youth Cluster coordinators of the Climate
Reality Project Philippines and co-leads projects on youth empowerment, climate policymaking, and creative communications. In 2021, he became a mentor
for the global training of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps. Keith is a researcher-educator by training and profession, finishing his Bachelor of Secondary Education (Biological Sciences) in 2019 at Saint Louis University and his Master of Science in Microbiology at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2023.
