Young Voices Driving Climate Action in Tunisia
One Planet, One Future, Different Paths
In Kebili, an arid oasis region in southern Tunisia, where rising temperatures, advancing desertification, and water scarcity threaten daily life, Yosr, 21 years old, is proving that climate activism must also mean inclusion. A student of sign language at the Higher Institute of Human Sciences in Tunis and a member of the PAR network, she saw a critical gap in the climate movement: the exclusion of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
How can we mobilize everyone if vital information isn't accessible?
Her activism took shape when she joined the UNICEF-supported Participatory Action Research (PAR) network. As the PAR coordinator in Kebili, she leads efforts to make climate action accessible to all, pioneering the creation of a climate change lexicon in Tunisian Sign Language. This groundbreaking work ensures that children and young people with hearing impairments are not left behind in conversations about their own future.
Her leadership extends beyond local initiatives. Yosr actively participated in the regional consultations for Tunisia's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), where she advocated for youth perspectives and inclusive approaches to climate policy.
She attended COP30 in Brazil and connected the climate negotiation conference with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
By integrating sign language into our advocacy, we make sure the climate conversation is truly for everyone.
Through her efforts, Yosr is not only amplifying the voices of vulnerable communities, but she is also reshaping the climate movement itself, ensuring it reflects the principles of equity, dignity, and inclusion.
For Farah, a 21-year-old student from Sousse, the climate crisis was never abstract data. It was in the worrying decline of her city's water resources and the growing anxiety over a basic human need.
I realized climate issues are not a distant subject to be studied. They are a reality we live every single day.
Her journey as a young activist began in childhood, as a member of Tunisia's Children's Parliament, a space where young people debate public policies that shape their rights and future. This early engagement laid the foundation for her civic awareness and commitment to change.
As a PAR coordinator in Sousse, she champions youth-led climate action and community initiatives, ensuring that young people's concerns are heard, addressed, and translated into meaningful change.
Her dedication eventually took her beyond Tunisia's borders. In November 2024, at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Climate Change Convention, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Farah represented Tunisian youth on the global stage. There, she shared her lived experiences and the urgent challenges facing her generation.
This was a turning point. My activism shifted from national advocacy to an international platform. I realized our voices can influence not only local communities but global decisions about the future we will inherit.
While their paths are different, Yosr and Farah share a common commitment to addressing climate and environmental challenges and ensuring that young people have a voice in shaping solutions. The change they inspire is profound: in themselves, in their peers, and in their communities. They are living proof of what happens when young people are equipped, empowered, and engaged.
Their message conveys not despair, but constructive and determined hope.
Start where you are, use what you have. Your local challenge is your call to action.
