In 2020, my country was the protagonist of a significant social awakening and empowerment. The authorities repeatedly told us that we lived in an oasis, but the citizens began to realize that this was not so. The people of Chile were suffering. And so we began to slowly burst the bubbles in which we lived. The social explosion, big anti-government protests in October 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic have made us question everything. What is normal? What is right and wrong? We had the unique
opportunity to rethink and rebuild our society, but above all, dream together a new world.
Living through these experiences led me to dream of a world of equality and sustainability, where social and environmental justice is a reality. For me, an ideal world would be one based on empathy, where we are aware of the social and ecological impacts of our decisions, without forgetting that we are part of a community. We must leave aside the individualism and selfishness that has been invading our society, and reconnect with the people and ecosystems around us.
Now, as a young environmental activist, I am creating my ideal world.
I joined Fridays For Future Chile in 2019 and co-founded Latinas For Climate in 2020. Both groups are youth-led environmental movements. I seek to promote ecological rights from a gender perspective because the climate crisis can have very complex impacts on women. For example, more than 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. Food insecurity affects women more because they are often in charge of the family, and droughts cause them to walk even further to get water. We need to address climate change from a gender perspective. Through all of this work, I am very grateful for the opportunities we have to raise our voices, take action for social change, and inspire other people to start acting, too.
Our world has reached a point of no return. We do not have much time left to act. But if we unite based on love and cooperation, then we can succeed in reducing the impacts of the climate crisis and gender inequality, and achieve a better future for ourselves and the next generations. I will continue to lead projects that push for change in my community, region, and, eventually, the world.
———–
Get a copy of WE HAVE A DREAM 201 Dreams 201 Countries