Young people want to stop the environmental catastrophe of nuclear weapons

We were introduced this week to a great new initiative called Reverse the Trend: Save Our People, Save Our Planet.

Reverse the Trend engages youth to address the environmental catastrophe of nuclear weapons by providing educational resources to understand the intersecting nature of these twin existential threats; encourage movement building through art; and create opportunities to share their local histories/stories in public and policy spaces.

Encourage movement building through art; and
Create opportunities to share their local histories/stories in public and policy spaces.

“For years now, youth have been speaking out about climate change and have been demanding action from leaders as this is an existential threat that requires immediate attention. Unfortunately, their plea for action has fallen on deaf ears. While youth are passionate about the issues of climate change and nuclear disarmament, the tools for effective mobilization are missing. What the youth need are direct pathways to engage with global leaders,” says the website.

If you are interested in peace education, be sure to check out their many lesson plans that cover nuclear disarmament affairs, international law, and environmental affairs.

According to the organizers, this curriculum is a resource for educators, interested youth, government officials, and any person interested in gaining a well-rounded understanding of these issues.

They also have an interesting blog that incudes write-ups of events from a youth perspective. You can also find poetry written by six students from the Marshall Islands, a former US nuclear weapon testing site.

Thanks to our friend Vanessa Lanteigne for making the introduction.