The faces of a committed generation
In Belgium, the fight for the climate has two main faces. How did Anuna de Wever from Berchem and her sidekick Adélaïde Charlier from Namur manage to make the political world aware of the climate issue?
Anuna developed her critical thinking skills during the debates on current affairs that punctuated family meals. At the age of 16, while attending a conference, she discovered that women are the first victims of climate change. The ball was set rolling when her mother told her about Greta Thunberg, the Swedish girl who skipped school to support the climate. The Youth For Climate movement was born around the dinner table and led to her meeting Adélaïde Charlier, who became the movement's French-speaking spokesperson and her friend. As far back as she can remember, Adélaïde has always been committed (sports team, Oxfam, Amnesty International). Her life took a real turn when she contacted Anuna to propose extending the youth movement to Wallonia. Across the country, young people are taking part in the Youth For Climate movement and skipping school to protest. The duo are now inseparable and they share the same message, namely that the climate crisis must be at the centre of the political and civic debate. Together, they take part in political meetings, trips, conferences and contributed to the creation of the Green Deal.
What's next? What is certain is that they will continue to be the spokespersons of a generation that is undoubtedly committed.