15-year old Penelope Lea is the first climate and environmental activist ever elected as a UNICEF Norway Ambassador. Her goal is to empower children to speak out on the topic of climate change as one of the most important causes for their futures. She shared these thoughts with Voices of Youth on the importance of taking care of each other in the time of COVID-19:
These days are days to find new ways to stand together. New ways to show empathy, love and solidarity with each other. New ways to feel close, new ways to lift our spirits and make each other strong. As strong as we need to be, for as long as we need to.
We are tightly connected, more than we understand, to each other and the entire Earth. We depend upon each other and what you do, which choices you make, influences other's lives. They always have, but these days even more.
New ways to work for climate justice
These days are days to see how much we change our ways in order to take care of each other. And we can. We will do it with presence, but from distance.
These days are also days to find new ways to work for climate justice and a livable future and planet, for both people and animals.
The climate strikes are still going on online, and this pandemic makes this work even more important.
And we are still working and finding new ways to organize and make this movement even stronger.
I use my days reading up on everything I care about, everything I love. I'm also interviewing some of my climate activists-heroes from all over the world on Skype.
It keeps me close to what I love, to what's important.
Sending all my love.
