Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • REVIEW: An Evening with Sally Wainwright
    • Love & Loyalty: The Best Mothers in Literature
    • REVIEW: An Evening with David Olusoga and Adam Rutherford
    • Podcasts Prevail During Lockdown
    • 10 Ways to Improve Your Revision
    • REVIEW: Beauty Subscription Boxes
    • Managing Your Mental Health in Lockdown
    • How 3D printing can revolutionise medicine
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Flickr
    Seren
    • News & Politics
      1. Local News
      2. UK News
      3. Uni News
      4. World News
      5. Politics
      6. Comment
      7. Business
      Featured

      SABB Election: The Full Result Breakdown

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      A guide to the recent Dutch elections

      April 8, 2021

      FCA warning : Young Investors at Risk

      April 5, 2021

      What?! Bangor University burned down two weeks ago?!

      April 1, 2021
    • Arts & Culture
      1. Books
      2. Games
      3. Film
      4. Music
      5. TV
      6. Creative Corner
      Featured

      Bangor alumni podcast earns Hollywood cameo & BBC features

      By Amelia SmithMarch 7, 20210
      Recent

      REVIEW: An Evening with Sally Wainwright

      April 18, 2021

      Love & Loyalty: The Best Mothers in Literature

      April 17, 2021

      REVIEW: An Evening with David Olusoga and Adam Rutherford

      April 17, 2021
    • Lifestyle
      1. Fashion
      2. Food and Drink
      3. Social
      4. Health and Beauty
      5. Travel
      Featured

      Brewing up a Storm: The History of Guinness

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      10 Ways to Improve Your Revision

      April 16, 2021

      Managing Your Mental Health in Lockdown

      April 16, 2021

      REVIEW: Beauty Subscription Boxes

      April 16, 2021
    • Discovery
      1. Science
      2. Environment
      3. History
      4. International
      Featured

      Brewing up a Storm: The History of Guinness

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      How 3D printing can revolutionise medicine

      April 15, 2021

      #DanceYourPhD- Scientists explain their thesis through interpretive dance

      April 8, 2021

      A guide to the recent Dutch elections

      April 8, 2021
    • Sport
      1. Varsity 2019
      2. Varsity 2018
      3. Varsity 2017
      4. Varsity 2016
      5. Varsity 2015
      6. Varsity 2014
      7. Varsity 2013
        • Varsity 2013 Results
        • Varsity 2013 – In tweets
      Featured

      Bangor Muddogs’ American Football: a young woman finding her place

      By Jade HillMarch 23, 20210
      Recent

      Formula 1’s ‘Drive to Survive S3’ is released

      April 7, 2021

      Bangor Muddogs’ American Football: a young woman finding her place

      March 23, 2021

      Marcus Rashford named on The Times Next 100 List

      March 4, 2021
    • Students’ Union
      1. Union News
      2. Societies
      3. Volunteering
      4. Clubs
      Featured

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      By Caroline CartmillMarch 17, 20210
      Recent

      Bangor University Feminist Society

      March 30, 2021

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      March 17, 2021

      LGBT History Month in Bangor

      March 4, 2021
    • Issues
      • Current Issue
      • This year’s issues
      • Last year’s issues
      • Seren Archive
      • Seren Teams
    Seren
    Home»Discovery»Environment»ACTIVIST OF THE MONTH: Isra Hirsi
    Environment

    ACTIVIST OF THE MONTH: Isra Hirsi

    Olga BialasikBy Olga BialasikDecember 10, 2019Updated:December 6, 2019No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    If you’re at all interested in American politics, you may have heard of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, but what about her daughter? Isra Hirsi is already helping to save the planet at just 16 years old, having started her climate activism by joining her high school’s environmental club. This interest is a new one – even though Isra has been involved with social justice issues from a young age, throughout middle school she was mostly focused on the Black Lives Matter movement.

    It wasn’t until she realised how disproportionately people of colour are affected by climate change that she began to speak up about the crisis. As a young, black, Muslim woman and the child of immigrants, she knew the importance of amplifying marginalised voices, and she began to work towards raising this awareness in environmentalist groups, noting that the movement is still predominantly white; “When we talk about the climate crisis and we don’t talk about these communities that are being affected, we create this circle of it becoming a white issue, or an issue that doesn’t care about black and brown bodies.”

    In January 2019, she co-founded the US Youth Climate Strike and remains the organisation’s executive director, dealing with policy, advocacy and action. Her determination to shed light on climate change, especially for young people, was well rewarded in March, when approximately 1.6 million students across 120 countries gathered to demand action from adults in power, a strike that became one of the largest ever. Isra also took part in the global climate strike on 20 September, where she spoke at the march in Minneapolis, Minnesota, her home city.

    In an interview for Grist, Isra was asked whether her inspiration regarding activism came from her parents. She denied this, claiming that it was her own learning process that motivated her. In fact, she had been frustrated with her mother’s presence in her work for months, saying, “I didn’t want to be known as Ilhan Omar’s daughter, I wanted to be known as myself.”

    She need not have worried; Barack Obama tweeted about her this year, naming her among five young activists he hopes will inspire people to follow their example. And just recently, in late October, Isra received the Voice of the Future Award at WrapWomen’s Power Women Summit, proving that she is making a name for herself in the climate movement, outside of her mother’s shadow.

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Olga Bialasik

    Related Posts

    Activist Spotlight: Nemonte Nenquimo

    December 27, 2020

    New Youth-Filed Climate Case Greenlit by the ECHR

    December 18, 2020

    Bangor University Participates in SHAPE Sustainability Impact Projects

    November 25, 2020

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Related/Similar Articles
    • New Youth-Filed Climate Case Greenlit by the ECHR
      New Youth-Filed Climate Case Greenlit by the ECHR
      December 18, 2020
    • Activist Spotlight: Nemonte Nenquimo
      Activist Spotlight: Nemonte Nenquimo
      December 27, 2020
    • LGBT History Month in Bangor
      LGBT History Month in Bangor
      March 4, 2021
    • 2020: A wrap up of Seren TV moments
      2020: A wrap up of Seren TV moments
      December 13, 2020
    MORE INFORMATION
    • ABOUT
    • ADVERTISE
    • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED
    • MEMBERS
    Links
    • Bangor University Bangor University
    • Google+ Google+
    • Undeb Bangor Undeb Bangor
    About

    Seren is Bangor University Students’ Union’s English Language Newspaper

    We have editorial independence from both Bangor University and Bangor Students’ Union. Seren is written by students for students and we’d love you to get involved!

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.