A Bigger Picture

My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis

Vanessa Nakate | 2021

This memoir delves into Nakate’s journey as a Ugandan climate activist. It chronicles her experiences growing up in Uganda, awakening to the environmental crisis, and rising as a prominent voice in the global climate movement.

Vanessa Nakate shares personal anecdotes, reflecting on her childhood in Kampala and how her early experiences with climate change impacts, such as droughts and floods, shaped her activism. She discusses her initial frustrations with the lack of attention given to African voices in the climate conversation and her determination to advocate for environmental justice for marginalized communities.

The memoir also details Nakate’s activism efforts, including her participation in protests, speaking engagements, and social media campaigns. It highlights her challenges as a young African woman in a predominantly Western-led movement and addresses issues of representation and equity within the climate activism space.

Throughout the book, Nakate emphasizes the importance of intersectionality in the fight against climate change. She recognizes the interconnectedness of social justice, racial equality, and environmental sustainability. She calls for a more inclusive and diverse approach to climate action that amplifies the voices of those most affected by environmental degradation.

“We are on the front line, but not on the front page.”

-Vanessa Nakate

When it comes to speaking or writing about climate change, voices and stories of people of colour and from the Global South are often omitted, even though these communities usually contribute the least to the problem and suffer its consequences the most.

Vanessa shows that without addressing this critical gap, without highlighting the real and immediate danger communities like hers and so many others face, we have no hope of making progress in the race to save our planet. Vanessa, just twenty-four years of age, is an exceptional person who has seen the effects of climate change play out first-hand.

As a shy girl growing up in Kampala, Vanessa began to notice that the vast climate problems the African continent was facing were being completely ignored on the global stage. These problems included the destruction of the Congo rainforest, sharply rising temperatures, and subsequent droughts, which left the agricultural sector incredibly vulnerable. Witnessing the suffering caused by global warming propelled Vanessa into action, and despite risks to her personal safety, she became the first climate striker in Uganda.

She traces the links between the climate crisis and anti-racism, feminism, education, economics, and even extremist radicalization. She also tells the inspiring personal story of how she found her voice and shows readers that anyone, regardless of age, location, or skin colour, can be an influential activist.

The memoir offers a compelling narrative of one woman’s journey from local activism to global advocacy. It urges readers to take action against the climate crisis and work towards a more just and sustainable future for all.

Bibliografie

Nakate, V. (2021) A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis. Stuttgart, Germany: Pan Macmillan.