INDIA: Licypriya Kangujam is a 10-year-old climate activist who is making her country proud by represnetaing India globally. Currently, she is in New York to attend high-level events related to the UN Transforming Education Summit during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). She is the youngest climate activist to have attended UNGA.
Recently, addressing the lack of media exposure of her works, Licypriya Kangujam tweeted, “Not a single Indian media cover my news of attending the UN General Assembly #UNGA at UN HQs, New York because I question our leaders and the big Industrialists. More or less, I’m an Indian, not Chinese & I’m representing my country as one of the youngest participants here!”
Transcontinental Times recently posted a video giving a glimpse of Licypriya Kangujam’s life and activism.
Licypriya Kangujam is one of the youngest climate activists globally and has addressed world leaders during the United Nations Climate Conference 2019 (COP25) in Madrid, Spain.
She has been fighting for climate crisis since 2018. Licypriya Kangujam has been demanding the implementation of new laws to lower India’s high population levels, demand climate change literacy in schools, and take other climate action initiatives.
Licypriya Kangujam’s thoughts on climate crisis and its effects
Licypriya Kangujam was a part of the panel discussion on climate change held in Hyderabad during the Rotary International Presidential meeting in 2022. A panellist questioned her regarding how the crisis has affected her life and what she thinks our leaders should do about it.
Answering the question, she said, “Climate change affects everyone, not just me, you, or someone else. Every single person living on this globe is affected by the climate change crisis. Every single youngster in this nation and on this planet is already a victim of climate change.”
When questioned about her repeated demonstrations in front of the parliament and whether her protests had any impact on the government, Licypriya Kangujam said, “When I was around six years old, I had the opportunity to attend the United Nations disaster in Mongolia, where I met many world leaders, great scientists, experts, policymakers, and criminal justice activists. It was a life-changing experience for me. After returning from Mongolia in July 2018, I started my own organisation called ‘The Child Movement’ to urge the world’s leaders to take immediate climate action as soon as possible to save our planet and our future.”
Need for climate crisis education in schools
When asked about her demands for the country leaders, she said, “Three other demands I have for our leaders. First, the amended law needs to be swiftly approved by parliament. Making climate education mandatory for all school curricula is the second recommendation because it will help battle against root-cause change and help our leaders see the world through the perspective of their children and grandkids. The planting of trees by all students worldwide and in India comes in third.”
“We deserve climate justice, and the wealthy nations must cover the costs of the harm and loss caused to the developing nations. Without climate financing, there would be no climate justice,” she stated.
Kangujam has urged the world’s leaders to concentrate on combating climate change rather than waging war.
“The world should cease creating issues, according to Kangujam, if it doesn’t know how to solve existing ones,” she said.
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