#AfrikaVuka: Together we can deCOALonize Africa and save the planet.

For many years now, I have been looking for answers to one of the questions that the esteemed environmentalist, Pierre Rahbi had put in one of his books:

How is it that we have not become aware of the inestimable value of our small planet, the only oasis of life in an infinite steel desert, and that we do not stop plundering it, polluting it, destroying it blindly instead of taking care of it and building peace and harmony between peoples?

I know now that only through the collective efforts of humanity, will we be able to provide an adequate answer to this predicament. I am constantly looking for people to rely on. People who believe that we can change the game to save the planet. People who are willing to incite and pull others towards behavioural change, to give up their arrogance, and to learn and contribute through actions that connect us to this humanitarian fight for a just world.

Thanks to 350 Africa, I was able to find this collective of people during a digital retreat held in the country of a thousand hills, Rwanda. These so-called « climate activists » have come together in a platform known as Afrika Vuka. This platform, which aims to align the campaigns and movements that are working to end the fossil fuel era in Africa, wants Africa to be « deCOALonize » to move to clean and renewable energy.

These individuals have put the human and nature at the heart of their concerns and understand that it is necessary to build cohesive links between citizen movements, especially when we share the same aspirations and the same values. We came to understand that we must be united to win this fight against us, with “investors” who do not want to become aware of their blissful ignorance.
I would like to thank 350Africa, which was able to bring us together to discuss our different techniques of campaigning and narration in the digital age.
This initiative confirms what Didier Court said: « The sharing of experiences, skills of each and each promotes the growth of collective intelligence. »

I will add that knowledge is the only thing you do not lose when you share it. I walked away with a sense of accomplishment, satisfied with this generous exchange with climate activists from all over the continent. In the past, everyone considered the climate activist a dreamer. But this is no longer the case because all our arguments are legitimized by scientific research. Climate change is a reality, let’s act before it’s too late.