To Relocate Or Stay? Climate Warriors Pose Questions Of Climate Mobility At COP2

November 10

Sharm el-Sheikh - Today, the Pacific Climate Warriors launched the Frontline Truths: Stories of Climate Mobility platform at COP27 in Egypt. With stories of forced relocation, community displacement, as well as resilience and resistance to movement, Pacific youth are demanding that any decisions about their mobility be informed by the realities of frontline communities.

Following the launch of the platform, Pacific youth representatives met with Pacific leaders including: Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna, Palau Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Hon Steven Victor, Niue Minister for Natural Resources, Hon. Mona Ainu’u, and Marshall IslandsMinister for Natural Resources and Commerce Hon. John Silk. In this discussion, the young Pacific activists and negotiators presented the Frontline Truths storytelling platform as an opportunity to utilize technology to insert youth voices into decision-making spaces.

Brianna Fruean, Samoan Pacific Climate Warrior says: “It was important to bring the stories into COP27 to ensure that the voices of people who couldn’t make it to Egypt are heard, especially the stories of those most affected by the decisions made in these negotiation rooms. There are so many more young Pacific people whose stories will be vital to change.”

Itinterunga Rae Bainteiti, Kiribati Pacific Climate Warrior says, “When my people settled on Rabi 77 years ago, they were promised homes. When they arrived, they lived in tents. They were given two weeks worth of rations and after that, had to scour this new and foreign land for food. We lost elders and children to illness because there were no hospitals, no treated water and no sanitation.

We are a generation that is so angry because the process of our migration did not work for our people. But we do not dwell on what has happened in the past, we want to move forward, using these lessons learnt so that it can help other migrants that will have to cross borders to survive. We want to ensure that they are guaranteed basic human rights. The right to life, the right to access their homeland and the right to be their authentic selves wherever they want to call home.”

Jobod Silk, Jo-Jikum Youth Coordinator says,

Today, the threat of climate change puts the people of the Marshall Islands on the verge of displacement once again. But this time we are putting our foot on the door. Never again do we want to be put in that position. We are adapting, we are mitigating, we are staying, “even if it means we are swimming in our own homes”.

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