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COP 28: Youth delegation uses song in fight for climate justice

Protestors in Dubai on Dec.6, 2023.   -  
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AP Photo

United Arab Emirates

This year's United Nations climate talks may have seen record numbers registered to attend the summit, but activists who have spent years demonstrating at the annual event say their space to voice their demands is shrinking every year.

Activists in Dubai sang Wednesday (Nov. 06) their demands for justice as decision makers were gathered for the COP28.

Jesse David of the Pan African climate justice alliance is the one who wrote a song. He explains his approach.

"The main goal of writing this song is just to show that the youth have a voice in the climate discourse. We have a voice and ought to be heard, and even to channel impact through a creative way, because we believe everyone has a role to play, we have the impact that can be done in terms of policy, in terms of people entering into negotiation groups. But even creatives, we can do that as much as of being an engineer. I'm an engineer and a musician too, so as much as I can channel impact through the professional side, I can send an input through a creative way and still people hear the message and take action."

Pro testors say this year's demonstrators have been limited in the number of people allowed to participate and which climate issues they're allowed to address.

The conference of parties will end on December 12.

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