Sunday, 20.03.22, 6 pm CET / 8 pm EAT

Streaming: https://m.twitch.tv/vsschriftstellerverband

Many are rightly concerned about the war against Ukraine. Not only is it a humanitarian crisis, but it also adds to a rising number of equally pressing issues. When the latest IPCC Assessment Report was published, for example, UN Secretary General António Guterreswarned: “Nearly half of humanity is living in the danger zone – now. Many ecosystems are at the point of no return – now. Unchecked carbon pollution is forcing the world’s most vulnerable on a frog march to destruction – now. The facts are undeniable.“ 

In this talk, activists and authors Vanessa Nakate and Carola Rackete talk about the numerous and diverse crises of our time. Both are committed not only to nature conservation, but to many other issues. They show how closely intertwined climate crisis, species extinction, wars, causes of flight, racism and sexism are. What needs to happen now, on a large and small scale, to improve conditions for people and nature? How can we as individuals help to make a change? And where do we have to start in order to really achieve climate justice?

moderated by Dr. Heike Wex, presented by Klima-Buchmesse and Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung

Vanessa Nakate is a Ugandan climate justice activist. She grew up in Kampala and started her activism in December 2018 after becoming concerned about the unusually high temperatures in her country. Inspired by Greta Thunberg to start her own climate movement in Uganda, Vanessa began a solitary strike against inaction on the climate crisis in January 2019. Vanessa founded the Youth for Future Africa and the likewise Africa-based Rise Up Movement. Her book „A Bigger Picture“ was published by Mariner Books in November 2021, the German version is available under the title „Unser Haus steht längst in Flammen“ (Rowohlt). 

Carola Rackete, born in 1988, studied nautical sciences in Elsfleth (Germany) and conservation management in Ormskirk (UK). She visited Antarctica in 8 of the last 10 years while working on polar research vessels for the German polar research institute AWI, the British Antarctic Survey and for Greenpeace. Between 2016 and 2019, she volunteered for sea rescue NGOs in the Central Mediterranean and was arrested as captain of the »Sea-Watch 3« vessel in 2019. Her current activism is focused on justice in nature conservation and climate movements. In 2020, the updated paperback edition of her bestseller „Handeln statt hoffen“ was published by Droemer Verlag. The English translation („The Time to Act Is Now“) was recently published with the support of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and can be downloaded for free: https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/45396

Dr. Heike Wex studied physics and did her doctorate on atmospheric aerosol particles – a topic she is still doing research on. However, during her student times, she also learned about climate change. For many years, she found nothing effective to do about this serious problem. But when Scientists for Future came along (scientists supporting the Fridays for Future movement), she immediately joined them and is now actively involved in preventing a severe climate crisis, working primarily at the regional level.