icone FR

A glow of hope for the future of the Earth

"Fridays For Future", "Youth for Climate" you have probably heard their names, but who are they and why are they making so much noise?

By Angelo Simoes

Fridays for Future protester
Fridays for Future protester

Why not lose hope

At a time when the most popular sport on Earth is about to see its World Cup in Qatar in winter, representing an unprecedented ecological disaster, it may seem idyllic to think that things will get better in the future. Despite the fact that every day our planet is in a more critical state than the previous one, there are still reasons not to lose hope, especially because many citizens of the world, especially the new generation, are becoming more and more concerned and committed to the climate and ecology.

Is it just a whim or a real anger?

The increasingly popular “Fridays For Future” movement is calling for action to stop global warming, led by Greta Thunberg and millions of young people around the world by calling for international student strikes on Fridays to make their beliefs heard. Starting with a simple strike on 20 August 2018 in Sweden, it is now internationally that climate marches are being organised to make young people's voices heard on the ecological inactions of current politics.

Greta Thunberg at a demonstration in Paris on 22 February 2019
Greta Thunberg at a demonstration in Paris on 22 February 2019

What are they fighting for?

Their demand is to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement and take urgent action to stop global warming, including the development of renewable energy uses to replace fossil fuels and ensure climate justice and equity. It also means that the middle classes are fed up with the repercussions of the actions of the world's powerful organisations and politicians who act without thinking about the consequences. In Belgium this inspired two students, Kyra Gantois and Anuna De Wewer to continue Greta Thunberg's actions under their own banner called "Youth for Climate". This movement has since spread to France, where more than 50,000 people will gather in the streets of the French capital in 2019 to denounce the government's inactivity on this issue. Today this kind of movement is fighting to offer hope to the future generation as well as to the current one to live in good conditions.