In Uganda, hundreds of young people and students have participated in the global climate strike. You call upon not only their own government to Act. Your appeal is also made to the industrial countries.
Early in the Morning will be tents on the Constitution square in the centre of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and a stage set up. Music blaring from the speakers. A Roller-skating troupe performs daring Stunts. After hundreds of youth and students of different universities gather. Many wear white-and-green T-Shirts with the inscription “Uganda Youth GO GREEN”, a movement, joined by many youth organisations and environmental NGOs in Uganda.
“We want that, globally, the use of plastic is banned,” demands about Mohamed Lodyama. He stands in front of the stage at the Constitution square and holds up a sign with the inscription: “For a plastic-free Commonwealth”. In the next few days, the heads of state of the Commonwealth member States will come together in Kampala. Lodyama want you to ask questions of the environment and climate in the center.
A few meters further Gabriela Tunimwe wearing a mouth guard mask and a shield with the inscription: “Do something about the air pollution in Kampala – every day 13 people die”. Kampala has one of the highest air pollution rates in Africa.
With posters like this, young people and students protesting in Kampala for more climate protection
Lack of implementation of the climate conventions
“Millions of young people of the country are called far, to demonstrate against climate change instead of going to school,” says Edmund Muhunza, the Director of the Ugandan movement “Youth GO GREEN” at a press conference on Wednesday. “We will go Hand-in-Hand with the Rest of the world.”
The aim of the protest March was Uganda’s government shake up to do more for the implementation of the global climate targets, so Muhunza. Uganda had signed in 2015, the climate Protocol of Paris, but many of the measures had not been addressed by the government so far, criticized the youth representatives. He calls the high degree of deforestation, as well as the destruction of many wetlands as examples.
The climate goals – also a question of justice
Led by a student brass band, several hundred young people marching along the main road through Kampala’s busy city centre. Police escorts will accompany the demonstrators, keeping them the way. Around the traffic jams, the exhaust fumes mists the protesters.
“Climate change is also a question of justice,” says Miriam Tarissa of the “Uganda Climate Action Network”, the umbrella organisation of environmental organisations in Uganda, at the press conference. “We realize more and more that the causes of climate change by the industrialised and developed countries, out,” she complains.
A broad Alliance of Ugandan youth and environmental organisations had called for a climate protest
Uganda’s youth are not wanted, therefore, only your own government is under pressure, but also the world community to make more transfer payments to the victims of climate change in the Global South. In Uganda, hundreds of people due to landslides and Floods, which are triggered during the rainy season due to the Erosion of die each year. “We were in Uganda recently, more and more extreme weather, and we note that money flows, in order to compensate for this Situation. But the money is not for those who need it most. This is unfair.”
The protest ends after around two kilometers in front of the Parliament, which is protected by police officers. Parliament boss Rebecce Kadaga invited the organisers to present her with a Petition. Therein Uganda’s youth calls on your government to do more against climate change than to adopt only laws that would be adhered to anyway.