The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall

Author:Jane Goodall [Goodall, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Celadon Books

Children of Chinese migrants from country to city. Chinese university students helped them understand that they mattered and could make a difference. (JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE ROOTS & SHOOTS, BEIJING, CHINA)

“I Don’t Want Your Hope”

Of course, Roots & Shoots is but one of a number of organizations working to empower, educate, and activate young people. All around the world young people are increasingly taking to the streets to demand change. “Fridays for Future” was initiated by Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist who at the age of fifteen started protesting outside the Swedish Parliament with a sign that read SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE. Greta has spoken with world leaders and at major conferences, and millions of people have participated in these youth-led climate protests.

I asked Jane if she had met Greta Thunberg.

“I have. She’s done an amazing job of raising awareness of the climate crisis in many parts of the world and not only among the youth.”

I wondered what Jane thought of Thunberg’s provocative speech at the World Economic Forum when she declared, “Adults keep saying: ‘We owe it to young people to give them hope.’ But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day, and then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.” I asked Jane what she thought about Greta’s critique of hope and her belief that fear is a more appropriate response.

“We do need to respond with fear and anger about what is happening,” Jane replied. “Our house is on fire. But if we don’t have hope that we can put the fire out, we will give up. It’s not hope or fear—or anger. We need them all.”

“We have so many huge problems. Isn’t it a cop-out for adults to say that the children will solve these problems?”

Jane sat up in her chair, clearly provoked by my question.

“It actually makes me angry when people say it will be up to young people to solve them,” she said. “Of course, we can’t and shouldn’t expect them to solve all our problems. We’ve got to support them, encourage them, empower them, listen to them, and educate them. And I truly believe the young people of today are rising to the challenge in a most remarkable way. Once they understand the problems and are empowered to take action—well, they are changing the world as we speak.

“And it’s not only what they do,” Jane added. “It’s particularly exciting to see how children are influencing their parents and grandparents. So many parents tell me that they never thought about their purchases until their child started explaining what they were learning about the environment.”

“How did that work?” I asked, thinking back to my own experiences as a parent and how my children became advocates for buying green and were the driving force behind many of the changes my family made in the way we shop and consume.

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