Make.Climate.Fair.

Climate change concerns us all and everyone's participation in climate protection is more important than ever - for concrete action and for a voice. This is why Green City e.V. and Mikado UMdieWELT from the Initiativgruppe Interkulturelle Begegnung und Bildung e.V., funded by the Munich Re Foundation, have launched a new participatory project on climate justice. Through train-the-trainer courses, young people are trained to become multipliers for education for sustainable development. They can then conduct workshops in their peer groups and encourage people to protect the climate.

The young generation in particular is facing enormous challenges and an uncertain future due to climate change. With environmental movements such as Fridays for Future (FFF), initiatives have emerged for the first time that motivate large groups of young people to get involved in climate protection. But more than 40 percent of the FFF demonstrators come from the upper middle class, are white and are well-educated. People with a migration biography are underrepresented in these movements compared to the overall population. This is neither due to a lack of interest nor a lack of willingness. Very often, people with a migration biography simply do not have the same educational opportunities.   

  

At the same time, the debate on climate justice shows that it is mainly people with migration biographies, from precarious backgrounds and in the Global South who suffer more from the effects of climate change. And this despite the fact that they have contributed the least to climate change.

For the joint project, Green City - which has been active as a local environmental organisation in Munich for over 30 years - has cooperated with Mikado UMdieWELT from the Initiativgruppe Interkulturelle Begegnung und Bildung e.V. The organisation has been supporting educational activities of migrants in Munich for many decades. Equal opportunities and educational justice are central issues. The Mikado UMdieWELT project is aimed at young people, especially Black and People of Colour (BPOC) and those affected by intersectional and structural discrimination. It aims to motivate them to actively, responsibly and autonomously shape the future in a globalised world.

With the new project, the initiators want to appreciate the abilities, strengths and resources of young people with and without a migration biography. At the same time, they want to open up a space where experiences can be made and participation is encouraged - regardless of background. All interested people between the ages of 16 and 26 are welcome.

The project got started in the last few weeks. As befits a real participatory project: together with the young people. In the first phase, the so-called core group meets and designs the project. They contribute their potential, their knowledge and their enthusiasm and are seen as experts for their target group. Green City and Mikado UMdieWELT accompany with professional knowledge. The young people decide which topics they want to focus on. Education for sustainable development and climate justice form the framework.

The conception phase is followed by the train-the-trainer sessions. All young people are invited to attend. The free workshops take place from June to September. Afterwards, the young multipliers implement the acquired knowledge in a strengthened and motivated peer-to-peer approach and conduct workshops. Their goal: inspire more young people for climate protection with an authentic approach.  

We are very happy that we as the Munich Re Foundation can financially support this innovative project and are already very excited about the results of the training courses and workshops. After all, our aspiration is to motivate more people for climate protection.