Carlon Zackhras
“Mama?
My bed’s wet.
and it’s not a wet dream.
Well it is wet, but literally.
Up to my knees.
Our house is 10 meters from the water.
Mama?
Am I safe?
-A little boy in a little atoll nation”
With this poem Carlon Zackhras encapsulates why climate change is a fight that he’s not willing to give up. His homeland, the Marshall Islands, lies 2 meters above sea level.
“May I remind you, the Marshall Islands’ contribution to climate change is only 0.00001% of the world’s emissions.”
Carlon is part of Jo-Jikum, a Youth NGO that helps to teach youth to mobilise and take action for climate change awareness at a grassroots level.
Zackhras also organizes with #FridaysForFuture - the global youth lead climate change movement that was started by Greta Thunburg. He was a part of the youth coalition that spoke at COP25 in 2019. Within a media circus that focused on Greta, Carlon bravely urged world leaders to listen to indigenous voices and to take action.
Find out more about what Fridays for Future does here https://fridaysforfuture.org/