This agreement should be the turning point in our story; a turning point for all of us.
January, 2016: The Marshall Islands’ Selina Leem, formerly a student at Marshall Islands High School and now a student at UWC Robert Bosch College in Germany, spoke to world leaders at the 2015 United Nations Climate Conference (COP21) in Paris. Alongside her was the late Tony deBrum.
In her heartfelt speech, she talked about the effects of climate change on her home environment and her cultural heritage.
Leem recounted the moment when, as a little girl, it dawned on her that she and her family were completely surrounded by water. She said: “I am only 18 years old but ever since I can remember, I have felt nervous about my home. I have always been hearing my island is changing.”
Leem urged the people at the conference to take action to protect not just the global community but her island from the threats of climate change:
”This agreement is for those of us whose identity, whose culture, whose ancestors, whose whole being, is bound to their lands. I have only spoken about myself and my islands but the same story will play out everywhere in the world. If this is a story about our islands, it is a story for the whole world…
“Sometimes when you want to make a change, then it is necessary to turn the world upside down. This agreement should be the turning point in our story; a turning point for all of us.”
Climate Issues
The Marshall Islands faces severe impacts from climate change, including rising sea levels, increased flooding, and extreme weather events, threatening the very existence of the islands and their communities. See related stories…
