In 2019, I started walking for the climate. I went to meet other young people who had made the same observation: we are increasingly worried about the situation into which current systems are plunging us, devastating for the planet but also on a personal level.
Act rather than suffer
During the Conference of the abertzale movement of the Northern Basque Country on January 27, 2024, the workshops devoted to youth noted that the uncertain global context generates a feeling of helplessness. Young people are being hit hard by the situation, the unprecedented challenges that confront us and with which we must deal. These moments allowed me to realize the collective, political and societal dimension of taking back control of the conditions of our lives necessary to act rather than suffer. Climate issues and eco-anxiety are terms that have come up several times in discussions within the Xuti Gazte! movement. ; a feeling that is all the stronger when we see the gap between what must be done given the scale of current problems and the lack of action and voluntarism on the part of political leaders in the face of the climate emergency.
This political inertia is compounded by the stigmatization of young people. Getting involved and getting closer to people, young people who have the same ambitions in particular, corresponded to finding political resonance with the desire to do and not to wait. It’s at Bizi! that I found these resources, with the sincere approach of sharing adequate reading keys to make decisions that meet the challenges and thus implement actions allowing us to (re)think and (re)heal our territory.
Up skills
To take action at the right level and rely on the wealth of initiatives present in Iparralde, we must continually increase our skills to act. We expect our elected officials who represent us to train, whatever their age.
“We expect our elected officials who represent us to train, whatever their age. »
The Association of Rural Mayors of France also mentions this need (1) : “ It is essential to strengthen what already exists, pool resources, draw inspiration from good practices and develop training for elected officials and agents. “. Training is a major challenge in seizing the levers for taking action and an essential first step. It is also the first advice given by local elected officials to initiate and succeed in the ecological metamorphosis of their community. (2) : “ the first key to the success of an environmental transition policy is training and awareness-raising among all stakeholders: elected officials, public officials “. If it is not yet obvious for everyone to continue training, I am convinced that it is in the interest of all, and even more so for the younger generations.
(1) Grand Workshop of Rural Mayors of France for the Ecological Transition, Association of Rural Mayors of France (AMRF), July 2023 report.
(2) Engage and succeed in the environmental transition of your community Senatorial information report no. 87 (2023-2024)
