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Malala Yousafzai delivered her Nobel Lecture on 10 December 2014 at the Oslo City Hall, Norway.

Nobel Lecture by Malala Yousafzai, Oslo, 10 December 2014.

Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim.
In the name of God, the most merciful, the most beneficent.

Your Majesties, Your royal highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee,

Dear sisters and brothers, today is a day of great happiness for me. I am humbled that the Nobel Committee has selected me for this precious award.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and love. Thank you for the letters and cards that I still receive from all around the world. Your kind and encouraging words strengthens and inspires me.

I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love. Thank you to my father for not clipping my wings and for letting me fly. Thank you to my mother for inspiring me to be patient and to always speak the truth - which we strongly believe is the true message of Islam. And also thank you to all my wonderful teachers, who inspired me to believe in myself and be brave.

I am proud, well in fact, I am very proud to be the first Pashtun, the first Pakistani, and the youngest person to receive this award. Along with that, along with that, I am pretty certain that I am also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers. I want there to be peace everywhere, but my brothers and I are still working on that.

I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarthi, who has been a champion for children's rights for a long time. Twice as long, in fact, than I have been alive. I am proud that we can work together, we can work together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani, they can work together and achieve their goals of children's rights.

Dear brothers and sisters, I was named after the inspirational Malalai of Maiwand who is the Pashtun Joan of Arc. The word Malala means grief stricken", sad", but in order to lend some happiness to it, my grandfather would always call me Malala - The happiest girl in the world" and today I am very happy that we are together fighting for an important cause.

This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.

I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice... it is not time to pity them. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action so it becomes the last time, the last time, so it becomes the last time that we see a child deprived of education.

I have found that people describe me in many different ways.

Some people call me the girl who was shot by the Taliban.

And some, the girl who fought for her rights.

Some people, call me a "Nobel Laureate" now.

However, my brothers still call me that annoying bossy sister. As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world.

Education is one of the blessings of life-and one of its necessities. That has been my experience during the 17 years of my life. In my paradise home, Swat, I always loved learning and discovering new things. I remember when my friends and I would decorate our hands with henna on special occasions. And instead of drawing flowers and patterns we would paint our hands with mathematical formulas and equations.

We had a thirst for education, we had a thirst for education because our future was right there in that classroom. We would sit and learn and read together. We loved to wear neat and tidy school uniforms and we would sit there with big dreams in our eyes. We wanted to make our parents proud and prove that we could also excel in our studies and achieve those goals, which some people think only boys can.

But things did not remain the same. When I was in Swat, which was a place of tourism and beauty, suddenly changed into a place of terrorism. I was just ten that more than 400 schools were destroyed. Women were flogged. People were killed. And our beautiful dreams turned into nightmares.

Education went from being a right to being a crime.

Girls were stopped from going to school.

When my world suddenly changed, my priorities changed too.

I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed.

I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.

We could not just stand by and see those injustices of the terrorists denying our rights, ruthlessly killing people and misusing the name of Islam. We decided to raise our voice and tell them: Have you not learnt, have you not learnt that in the Holy Quran Allah says: if you kill one person it is as if you kill the whole humanity?
Do you not know that Mohammad, peace be upon him, the prophet of mercy, he says, do not harm yourself or others".
And do you not know that the very first word of the Holy Quran is the word Iqra", which means read"?

The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today, on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas nor their bullets could win.

We survived. And since that day, our voices have grown louder and louder.

I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not.

It is the story of many girls.

Today, I tell their stories too. I have brought with me some of my sisters from Pakistan, from Nigeria and from Syria, who share this story. My brave sisters Shazia and Kainat who were also shot that day on our school bus. But they have not stopped learning. And my brave sister Kainat Soomro who went through severe abuse and extreme violence, even her brother was killed, but she did not succumb.

Also my sisters here, whom I have met during my Malala Fund campaign. My 16-year-old courageous sister, Mezon from Syria, who now lives in Jordan as refugee and goes from tent to tent encouraging girls and boys to learn. And my sister Amina, from the North of Nigeria, where Boko Haram threatens, and stops girls and even kidnaps girls, just for wanting to go to school.

Though I appear as one girl, though I appear as one girl, one person, who is 5 foot 2 inches tall, if you include my high heels. (It means I am 5 foot only) I am not a lone voice, I am not a lone voice, I am many.

I am Malala. But I am also Shazia.

I am Kainat.

I am Kainat Soomro.

I am Mezon.

I am Amina. I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education. And today I am not raising my voice, it is the voice of those 66 million girls.

Sometimes people like to ask me why should girls go to school, why is it important for them. But I think the more important question is why shouldn't they, why shouldn't they have this right to go to school.

Dear sisters and brothers, today, in half of the world, we see rapid progress and development. However, there are many countries where millions still suffer from the very old problems of war, poverty, and injustice.

We still see conflicts in which innocent people lose their lives and children become orphans. We see many people becoming refugees in Syria, Gaza and Iraq. In Afghanistan, we see families being killed in suicide attacks and bomb blasts.

Many children in Africa do not have access to education because of poverty. And as I said, we still see, we still see girls who have no freedom to go to school in the north of Nigeria.

Many children in countries like Pakistan and India, as Kailash Satyarthi mentioned, many children, especially in India and Pakistan are deprived of their right to education because of social taboos, or they have been forced into child marriage or into child labour.

One of my very good school friends, the same age as me, who had always been a bold and confident girl, dreamed of becoming a doctor. But her dream remained a dream. At the age of 12, she was forced to get married. And then soon she had a son, she had a child when she herself was still a child - only 14. I know that she could have been a very good doctor.

But she couldn't ... because she was a girl.

Her story is why I dedicate the Nobel Peace Prize money to the Malala Fund, to help give girls quality education, everywhere, anywhere in the world and to raise their voices. The first place this funding will go to is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan-especially in my home of Swat and Shangla.

In my own village, there is still no secondary school for girls. And it is my wish and my commitment, and now my challenge to build one so that my friends and my sisters can go there to school and get quality education and to get this opportunity to fulfil their dreams.

This is where I will begin, but it is not where I will stop. I will continue this fight until I see every child, every child in school.

Dear brothers and sisters, great people, who brought change, like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San Suu Kyi, once stood here on this stage. I hope the steps that Kailash Satyarthi and I have taken so far and will take on this journey will also bring change - lasting change.

My great hope is that this will be the last time, this will be the last time we must fight for education. Let's solve this once and for all.

We have already taken many steps. Now it is time to take a leap.

It is not time to tell the world leaders to realise how important education is - they already know it - their own children are in good schools. Now it is time to call them to take action for the rest of the world's children.

We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority.

Fifteen years ago, the world leaders decided on a set of global goals, the Millennium Development Goals. In the years that have followed, we have seen some progress. The number of children out of school has been halved, as Kailash Satyarthi said. However, the world focused only on primary education, and progress did not reach everyone.

In year 2015, representatives from all around the world will meet in the United Nations to set the next set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals. This will set the world's ambition for the next generations.

The world can no longer accept, the world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries, only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in Algebra, Mathematics, Science and Physics?

Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary and secondary education for every child.

Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.

Dear sisters and brothers, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don't. Why is it that countries which we call strong" are so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it, why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard?

We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe will soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century, we must be able to give every child quality education.

Dear sisters and brothers, dear fellow children, we must work... not wait. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. We. It is our duty.

Let us become the first generation to decide to be the last , let us become the first generation that decides to be the last that sees empty classrooms, lost childhoods, and wasted potentials.

Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a factory.

Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage.

Let this be the last time that a child loses life in war.

Let this be the last time that we see a child out of school.

Let this end with us.

Let's begin this ending ... together ... today ... right here, right now. Let's begin this ending now.

Thank you so much.

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2014

To cite this section
MLA style: Malala Yousafzai - Nobel Lecture. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2023. Mon. 13 Nov 2023. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/lecture/>

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See them all presented here.

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The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was awarded jointly to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education"

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Malala Fund | Working for a world where all girls can learn and lead

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Founded by student and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, Malala Fund invests in girls' education programmes to help girls go to school and reach their full potential.

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The Daily Show - Malala Yousafzai Extended Interview

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Malala Yousafzai On Her Journey Into Education Activism | Forbes

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Malala Yousafzai Talks About Her Support for Greta Thunberg

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Marley Dias on the impact of "Brown Girl Dreaming"

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Marley Dias is the 13-year-old social activist behind #1000BlackGirlBooks, an international movement to collect and donate children's books that feature Black girls as the lead character. With the help of her mother's foundation, GrassROOTS Community Foundation, Marley launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive in November of 2015, leveraging the power of social media to reach a larger audience.

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From Activist To Author: How 12-Year-Old Marley Dias Is Changing The Face Of Children’s Literature

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At the annual Forbes’ Women Summit in New York City Tuesday, 12-year-old founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks Marley Dias reflected on how she was able to turn her frustration by the books she was seeing in school -- stuff more along the lines of Shiloh than I Love My Hair -- into a genuine movement.

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Meet Marley Dias, The Force Behind #1000BlackGirlBooks

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Marley Dias Talks Encouraging Kids To Read, Getting Kids Involved In Activism | The View

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Malala Yousafzai Urges Support For Girls And Women Of Afghanistan

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A #NatureNow message from Greta Thunberg.

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David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg's plea for the planet

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Greta Thunberg to world leaders: 'How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood'

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Greta Thunberg: Who is the climate activist and what has she achieved?

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The climate activist has been arrested in Sweden and the UK as a result of her protests.

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Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɡrêːtaˈtʉ̂ːnbærj] TOON-berry; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of human-caused climate change.

Born in Stockholm, Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint. In August 2018, aged 15, Thunberg began skipping school, vowing to remain out of school until after a Swedish election to attempt to influence the outcome. She protested outside the Swedish parliament where she called for stronger action on climate change by holding up a Skolstrejk för Klimatet ( School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers. After the election, Thunberg spoke in front of supporters, telling them to use phones to film her. She then said she would continue school striking for the climate every Friday until Sweden was in compliance with the Paris climate agreement. Thunberg's youth and blunt speaking manner fueled her rise to the status of a global icon.

After Thunberg's first school strike for the climate, other students engaged in similar protests. They united and organized the school strike for climate movement. After Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, weekly climate strike protests took place on Fridays around the world. In 2019, coordinated multi-city protests involved over a million students each. To avoid carbon-intensive flying, Thunberg sailed on a carbon-free yacht from England to New York where she addressed the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. In her speech, Thunberg scolded the world's leaders by exclaiming " How dare you" in reference to their perceived indifference and inaction to the climate crisis. Her admonishment made worldwide headlines. After Thunberg graduated from high school in 2023, her activism continued to gain international attention and her protest tactics have become increasingly assertive. As an adult, her protests have included both peaceful demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience such as defying lawful orders to disperse, which have led to arrests, convictions, and an acquittal. Thunberg's activism has evolved to include other causes, supporting Ukraine, Palestine, Armenia and Western Sahara in their respective conflicts with Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan and Morocco.

Thunberg's rise to world fame made her an ad hoc leader in the climate activist community. She faced heavy criticism, especially due to her age. Thunberg's influence on the world stage has been described by The Guardian and other media as the "Greta effect". She has received honours and awards, including in 's 100 most influential people, named the youngest Time Person of the Year in 2019, inclusion in the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women (2019), and nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg was born on 3 January 2003, in Stockholm, Sweden, to opera singer Malena Ernman and actor Svante Thunberg. Her paternal grandfather was actor and director Olof Thunberg. As explained by , "with a thespian father" and singer mother, "it is perhaps unsurprising that [Thunberg] has a slightly unusual name.... Thunberg shares her second name with the adventuring creation of Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, better known as Hergé." She has a younger sister, Beata.

Thunberg says she first heard about climate change in 2011, when she was eight years old, and could not understand why so little was being done about it. The situation depressed her, and as a result, at the age of 11, she stopped talking and eating much and lost ten kilograms (22 lb) in two months. Eventually, she was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and selective mutism. In one of her first speeches demanding climate action, Thunberg described her selective mutism as meaning she "only speaks when necessary".

For about two years, Thunberg challenged her parents to lower the family's carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment by becoming vegan, upcycling, and giving up flying. She has said she showed them graphs and data, but when that did not work, she warned her family that they were stealing her future. Giving up flying in part meant her mother had to abandon international ventures in her opera career. Interviewed in December 2019 by the BBC, her father said: "To be honest, [her mother] didn't do it to save the climate. She did it to save her child, because she saw how much it meant to her, and then, when she did that, she saw how much [Greta] grew from that, how much energy she got from it." Thunberg credits her parents' eventual response and lifestyle changes with giving her hope and belief that she could make a difference. Asked in September 2021 whether she felt guilty about ending her mother's international career, she was surprised by the question: "It was her choice. I didn't make her do anything. I just provided her with the information to base her decision on." The family's story is recounted in the 2018 book Scenes from the Heart, updated in 2020 as Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis, with contributions from the girls, and the whole family credited as authors.

Strike at the Riksdag

Thunberg in front of the Swedish parliament, holding a "Skolstrejk för klimatet " (transl. School Strike for the Climate) sign, Stockholm, August 2018

Bicycle in Stockholm with references to Thunberg: "The climate crisis must be treated as a crisis! The climate is the most important election issue!" (11 September 2018)

Sign in Berlin, 14 December 2018

Thunberg speaking at the annual climate conference, Austrian World Summit, 2019

In August 2018, Thunberg began the school climate strikes and public speeches for which she has become an internationally recognized climate activist. In an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, she said she got the idea of a climate strike after school shootings in the United States in February 2018 led several youths to refuse to return to school. These teen activists at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, went on to organize the March for Our Lives in support of greater gun control. In May 2018, Thunberg won a climate change essay competition held by Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. In part, she wrote: "I want to feel safe. How can I feel safe when I know we are in the greatest crisis in human history?"

After the paper published her article, Thunberg was contacted by Bo Thorén from Fossil Free Dalsland, a group interested in doing something about climate change. Thunberg attended a few of their meetings. At one of them, Thorén suggested that school children could strike for climate change. Thunberg tried to persuade other young people to get involved but "no one was really interested", so eventually she decided to go ahead with the strike by herself.

On 20 August 2018, Thunberg, who had just started ninth grade, decided not to attend school until the 2018 Swedish general election on 9 September; her protest began after the heat waves and wildfires during Sweden's hottest summer in at least 262 years. Her demands were that the Swedish government reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement, and she protested by sitting outside the Riksdag every day for three weeks during school hours with the sign Skolstrejk för klimatet ("School strike for climate").

Thunberg said her teachers were divided about her missing class to make her point. She says: "As people, they think what I am doing is good, but as teachers, they say I should stop."

Throughout the autumn of 2018, Thunberg's activism evolved from a solitary protest to taking part in demonstrations throughout Europe, making several high-profile public speeches, and mobilizing her followers on social media platforms. In December, after Sweden's 2018 general election, Thunberg continued to school strike - but only on Fridays. She inspired school students across the globe to take part in her Friday school strikes. In December alone, more than 20,000 students held strikes in at least 270 cities.

Thunberg spoke out against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2020 and Joint Entrance Examination 2020 entrance exams, which were conducted in India in September. She said it was unfair for students to have to appear for exams during a global pandemic. She also said that India's students had been deeply impacted by the floods that hit states such as Bihar and Assam, which caused mass destruction.

On 3 February 2021, Thunberg tweeted her support of the ongoing 2020-2021 Indian farmers' protest. Effigies of Thunberg were burned in Delhi by nationalists who opposed the farmers' protests. Thunberg's tweet was criticized by the BJP-led Indian government, which said that it was an internal matter. In her initial tweet, Thunberg linked to a document that provided a campaigning toolkit for those who wanted to support the farmers' protest. It contained advice on hashtags and how to sign petitions, and it also included suggested actions beyond those directly linked to the farmers' protest. She soon deleted the tweet, saying the document was "outdated", and linked to a different one "to enable anyone unfamiliar with the ongoing farmers protests in India to better understand the situation and make decisions on how to support the farmers based on their own analysis". The Indian climate activist who edited the toolkit, Disha Ravi, was arrested under the charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy on 16 February 2021.

Protests and speeches in Europe

Thunberg's speech during the plenary session of the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) went viral. She said that the world leaders present were "not mature enough to tell it like it is". In the first half of 2019, she joined various student protests around Europe, and was invited to speak at various forums and parliaments. At the January 2019 World Economic Forum, Thunberg gave a speech in which she declared: "Our house is on fire." She addressed the British, European and French parliaments; in the latter case several right-wing politicians boycotted her. In a short meeting with Thunberg, Pope Francis thanked her and encouraged her to continue her activism.

By March 2019, Thunberg was still staging her regular protests outside the Swedish parliament every Friday, where other students occasionally joined her. According to her father, her activism did not interfere with her schoolwork, but she had less spare time. She finished lower secondary school with excellent grades: 14 As and three Bs. In July 2019, magazine reported Thunberg was taking a " sabbatical year" from school, intending to travel in the Americas while meeting people from the climate movement on her way to attend and address COP25.

Sabbatical year

United States Congresswoman Dina Titus listening to Thunberg and her fellow activists discussing the urgent need to address climate change, 2019

In August 2019, Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Plymouth, England, to New York City, in the 60-foot (18 m) racing yacht , equipped with solar panels and underwater turbines. The trip was announced as a carbon-neutral transatlantic crossing serving as a demonstration of Thunberg's declared beliefs of the importance of reducing emissions. The voyage took 15 days, from 14 to 28 August 2019. France 24 reported that several crew members would fly to New York to sail the Malizia II yacht back to Europe. On Thunberg's return voyage aboard the La Vagabonde catamaran, she was quoted that she chose sailing as a way to send a message to the world that there is no real sustainable option to travel across the oceans. While in New York, Thunberg was invited to give testimony in the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis on 18 September. Instead of testifying, she gave an eight-sentence statement and submitted the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C as evidence.

UN Climate Action Summit

This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!
You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

On 23 September 2019, Thunberg attended the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. That day the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) hosted a press conference where Thunberg joined 15 other children, including Ayakha Melithafa, Alexandria Villaseñor, Catarina Lorenzo, and Carl Smith.

Together, the group announced they had made an official complaint against five nations that were not on track to meet the emission reduction targets they committed to in their Paris Agreement pledges: Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey. The complaint challenged these countries under the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Protocol is a quasi-judicial mechanism that allows children or their representatives, who believe their rights have been violated, to bring a complaint before the relevant "treaty body", the Committee on the Rights of the Child. If the complaint succeeds, the countries will be asked to respond, but any suggestions are not legally binding.

Autumn global climate strikes

In late September 2019 Thunberg entered Canada where she participated in climate protests in the cities of Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver, including leading a climate rally as part of the 27 September 2019 Global Climate Strike in Montreal. The school strikes for climate on 20 and 27 September 2019 were attended by over four million people, according to one of the co-organisers. Hundreds of thousands took part in the protest, described as the largest in the city's history. The mayor of Montreal gave her the Freedom of the City award. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in attendance, and Thunberg spoke briefly with him. While in the United States, Thunberg participated in climate protests in New York City with Alexandria Villaseñor and Xiye Bastida, in Washington, D.C., with Jerome Foster II, Iowa City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Denver with Haven Coleman, and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation with Tokata Iron Eyes. In various cities, Thunberg's keynote speech began by acknowledging that she was standing on land that originally belonged to Indigenous peoples, saying: "In acknowledging the enormous injustices inflicted upon these people, we must also mention the many enslaved and indentured servants whose labour the world still profits from today."

Participation at COP25

Thunberg had intended to remain in the Americas to travel overland to attend the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) originally planned in Santiago, Chile, in December. However, it was announced on short notice that COP25 was to be moved to Madrid, Spain, because of serious public unrest in Chile. Thunberg has refused to fly because of the carbon emissions from air travel, so she posted on social media that she needed a ride across the Atlantic Ocean. Riley Whitelum and his wife, Elayna Carausu, two Australians who had been sailing around the world aboard their 48-foot (15 m) catamaran La Vagabonde, offered to take her. So on 13 November 2019, Thunberg set sail from Hampton, Virginia, for Lisbon, Portugal. Her departing message was the same as it has been since she began her activism: "My message to the Americans is the same as to everyone - that is to unite behind the science and to act on the science."

Thunberg arrived in the Port of Lisbon on 3 December 2019, then travelled on to Madrid to speak at COP25 and to participate with the local Fridays for Future climate strikers. During a press conference before the march, she called for more "concrete action", arguing that the global wave of school strikes over the previous year had "achieved nothing" because greenhouse gas emissions were still rising - by 4% since 2015.

Further activism in Europe and end of sabbatical year

On 30 December 2019, Thunberg was guest editor of the BBC Radio's flagship current affairs programme, the Today Programme. Thunberg's edition of the programme featured interviews on climate change with Sir David Attenborough, Bank of England chief Mark Carney, Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, and Shell Oil executive Maarten Wetselaar. The BBC subsequently released a podcast containing these interviews and other highlights. On 11 January 2020, Thunberg called on German company Siemens to stop the delivery of railway equipment to the controversial Carmichael coal mine, operated by a subsidiary of Indian company Adani Group in Australia, but on 13 January, Siemens said that it would continue to honour its contract with Adani.

On 21 January 2020, Thunberg returned to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, delivered two speeches, and participated in panel discussions hosted by The New York Times and the World Economic Forum. Thunberg used many of the themes contained in her previous speeches, but focused on one in particular: "Our house is still on fire." Thunberg joked that she cannot complain about not being heard, saying: "I am being heard all the time."

In February 2020, Thunberg travelled to Oxford University to meet Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pakistani activist for female education who had been shot in the head by the Taliban as a schoolgirl. Thunberg was later to join a school strike in Bristol.

On 4 March 2020, Thunberg attended an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament's Environment Committee to talk about the European Climate Law. There she declared that she considered the new proposal for a climate law published by the European Commission to be a surrender.

On 24 August 2020, Thunberg ended her " gap year" from school when she returned to the classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted travel and meetings in 2020 and 2021.

Activism during the COVID-19 pandemic

In early 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide implementation of mitigation measures, including social distancing, quarantine, and face coverings. On 13 March 2020, Thunberg stated that "In a crisis we change our behavior and adapt to the new circumstances for the greater good of society." Thunberg and School Strike for Climate subsequently moved their activities online. On 20 August 2020, the second anniversary of Thunberg's first strike, Thunberg and fellow climate activists Luisa Neubauer, Anuna de Wever van der Heyden and Adélaïde Charlier met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. They subsequently announced plans for another global climate strike on 25 September 2020. Neubauer said that whether the strike in September is virtual in nature or in the streets would be determined by the pandemic situation. At a joint press conference with fellow activists echoing her sentiment, Neubauer said: "The climate crisis doesn't pause."

On 14 December 2020, Thunberg used Twitter to criticize the New Zealand Labour Government's recent climate change emergency declaration as " virtue signalling", tweeting that New Zealand's Labour Government had only committed to reducing less than one percent of New Zealand's carbon emissions by 2025. In response, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and climate change Minister James Shaw defended New Zealand's climate change declaration as only the start of the country's climate change mitigation goals. On 29 December 2020, during a BBC interview, Thunberg said that climate experts are not being listened to despite the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of using science to address such issues. She added that the COVID-19 crisis had "shone a light" on how "we cannot make it without science".

Thunberg with a megaphone leading an event in Berlin, 2021

Thunberg and other climate activists launched the annual Climate Live concert to highlight climate change. Their first concert was held in April 2021. In May 2021, she addressed the COVID-19 crisis again, when she urged a change in the food production system and the protection of animals and their habitats. Thunberg's comments, which came amidst calls for meat-free alternatives, also addressed health concerns regarding animal welfare and the environment. Thunberg said that the way humans are destroying habitats are the perfect conditions for the spread of diseases and noted zoonotic illnesses such as COVID-19, Zika, Ebola, West Nile fever, SARS, MERS, among others. In July 2021, Thunberg received her COVID vaccine, saying: "I am extremely grateful and privileged to be able to live in a part of the world where I can already get vaccinated. The vaccine distribution around the world is extremely unequal. No one is safe until everyone is safe. But when you get offered a vaccine, don't hesitate. It saves lives."

The inaugural edition of Vogue Scandinavia (August-September 2021) had a cover photograph of Thunberg shot by Swedish photography and conservationist duo Iris and Mattias Alexandrov Klum and an interview with her. The cover shows Thunberg wearing a trench coat while sitting with an Icelandic horse in a woodland outside Stockholm. In the interview, Thunberg criticized the promotional campaigns the fashion industry uses to appear sustainable without "actually doing anything to protect the environment" and called the campaigns " greenwashing". On the same day, she used Twitter to criticize the fashion industry as "a huge contributor" to the climate and ecological "emergency" and "not to mention its impact on the countless workers and communities who are being exploited around the world in order for some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposables". Thunberg's wearing of wool during the photoshoot garnered criticism from other vegans, who said it promoted animal cruelty. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), she was unaware that the clothing was made of real animal-derived wool.

On 28 September 2021, Thunberg criticized U.S. president Joe Biden, British prime minister Boris Johnson, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders over their promises to address the climate crisis in a speech at the Youth4Climate Summit in Milan. Thunberg also criticized and doubted organizers of climate conferences, saying, "They invite cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend they are listening to us. But they are not." A month later, Thunberg took part in a protest in London, demanding that the financial system stop funding companies and projects that use fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas. The protest in London is part of a series taking place at the financial centres around the world, including New York City, San Francisco and Nairobi. She told the BBC journalist Andrew Marr that banks should "stop funding our destruction", ahead of the UN COP26 climate summit. At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Thunberg attended a panel on climate change hosted by British actress Emma Watson.

In November 2021, Thunberg, along with other climate activists, filed a petition to the United Nations, calling it to declare a level 3 global climate emergency, with the aim of creating a special team that will coordinate the response to the climate crisis at an international level. In December 2021, Thunberg reiterated her criticism of U.S. president Joe Biden, saying, "If you call him a leader - I mean, it's strange that people think of Joe Biden as a leader for the climate when you see what his administration is doing", alluding to the U.S. expansions on use of fossil fuels during the Biden administration. Thunberg further lamented that activists and teenagers are needed in order to bring awareness about climate change.

Post-COVID-19 pandemic

On 6 February 2022, Thunberg condemned the British firm Beowulf and its mining of iron on Sámi land. She said, "We believe that the climate, the environment, clean air, water, reindeer herding, indigenous rights and the future of humanity should be prioritized above the short-term profit of a company. The Swedish government needs to stop the colonization of Sami."

On Friday, 25 February 2022, Thunberg combined her usual Friday climate protests to include opposing the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. She stood outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm holding a sign that read "Stand With Ukraine". On 29 June 2023, Thunberg met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other prominent European figures to form a working group to address ecological damage from the 16-month-old Russian invasion.

In late 2022, Thunberg's The Climate Book was released. It is a compilation in which she brought together over one hundred experts-geophysicists, oceanographers and meteorologists; engineers, economists and mathematicians; historians, philosophers and indigenous leaders-who wrote essays focusing on changes to the Earth's climate. Thunberg also contributed writings to the book and is credited as its author. She donated her copyright and all royalties generated by the book to her foundation and will not personally profit from sales or other commercial uses. While on her 2022 midterm Autumn break from school, Thunberg embarked on a publicity campaign for the book's initial release, which occurred in the UK on 27 October 2022 and in Australia on 1 November 2022; it is published under Penguin's Allen Lane Imprint books. On 14 February 2023, the Climate Book was released in the United States and elsewhere. An extract from The Climate Book and reviews are available.

On 14 January 2023, Thunberg spoke during a protest in Lützerath, calling on the German authorities to stop the expansion of a nearby coal mine. She was detained along with other activists by German police while demonstrating at the opencast coal mine of Garzweiler 2, around 9 km from the village on 17 January, after police warned the group that they would be detained unless they moved away from the edge of the mine. The mine's owner RWE had earlier agreed with the government on demolishing Lützerath in exchange for a faster exit from coal and the saving of five villages originally slated for destruction. She was released the same day after an identity check.

Post-high school graduation

On 9 June 2023, Thunberg graduated from high school and marked the day by attending what would be her last school strike for climate protest before receiving her diploma. She wore the Swedish traditional graduation white dress and white studentmössa (cap) to the protest. She vowed to continue, saying that her "fight has only just begun". In Thunberg's subsequent protest pictures that she posts to her social media accounts, some of the group photos have featured "School Strike for Climate" signage.

On 19 June 2023, Thunberg took part in a Reclaim the Future protest in Malmö, Sweden, and was charged with disobeying a police order. On 24 July 2023, a trial was held at Malmö District Court where the prosecution presented its case against Thunberg for disobedience to authority after having disrupted traffic and refusing to follow police orders. While she acknowledged that the facts of the case against her were accurate, Thunberg said that due to the existential and global threat to the climate caused by the fossil fuel industry, her protest was a form of self-defence. She was sentenced by the court to pay fines totaling 2,500 SEK (approximately US$240). Within hours after the court convicted her, Thunberg attended a similar protest where Reclaim the Future again blocked oil tankers on a road in Malmö. She was again forcibly removed by police and later criminally charged. On 11 October 2023, Thunberg's second Swedish trial for disobedience (disobeying a police order to disperse) occurred. She was found guilty for the 24 July 2023 incident and ordered to pay fines totaling 4,500 Swedish crowns ($414).

On 4 August 2023, Thunberg cancelled a prearranged appearance that was to occur the following Friday, 11 August, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to promote her book: The Climate Book. She said that as a climate activist she could not attend an event sponsored by Baillie Gifford - an investment management firm - due to its connections with the fossil fuel industry. In making the announcement, the festival's Nick Barley said that he was disappointed but respected Thunberg's decision. "I share Greta's view that in all areas of society the rate of progress is not enough." He went on to say: "The book festival exists to give a platform for debate and discussion around key issues affecting humanity today - including the climate emergency . . . We strongly believe that Baillie Gifford are part of the solution to the climate emergency." In its response, Baillie Gifford said that it was not a significant fossil fuel investor, with 2% of its clients' money being invested in companies with some business related to fossil fuels while the market average was 11%.

On 18 October 2023, Thunberg was arrested in London, England, for her part in protesting against the Energy Intelligence Forum, described as the " Oscars of oil". She was charged with failure to comply with a lawful order to disperse, a "condition imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act". On 15 November 2023 Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and entered a plea of "not guilty". On 2 February 2024 the case against Thunberg, et al., was dismissed by the presiding judge after the prosecution rested its case. The judge agreed with the defence that "the crown had failed to present enough evidence to prove their case".

On 6 April 2024, Thunberg participated in an Extinction Rebellion-led protest in The Hague, Netherlands, where law enforcement forcibly removed her from blocking a road. She then joined another group of Extinction Rebellion protesters who were blocking a different road and was again removed. The BBC and some other media outlets reported that Thunberg was arrested while some media outlets only mention that she was detained. It is unclear whether criminal charges were - or will be - filed.

On 23 April 2024, Thunberg was charged with civil disobedience for allegedly ignoring police orders to leave two climate demonstrations which law enforcement claim were blocking Sweden's parliament building on 12 and 14 March. Her refusal to comply with police orders caused her to be forcibly removed. Thunberg entered a plea of not guilty. A Swedish court convicted her on 8 May 2024 and she was fined 6,000 Swedish Kronor (US$550). Thunberg was also ordered to pay an additional 1,000 Swedish Kronor (US$92) in damages.

Pro-Palestinian activism

Thunberg wearing a keffiyeh in solidarity with Palestine at an event in Amsterdam in 2023

On 20 October 2023, Thunberg posted a photo during her usual Friday climate protests, showing her and three other protesters holding signs. One sign read "climate justice now" and the other three displayed support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amidst the Israel-Hamas war. Her post on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram also included fourteen links to "Palestine solidarity" social media accounts where, she said, "you can find information on how you can help." Thunberg was immediately criticized for not condemning Hamas's attack on Israel. The following day Thunberg posted "It goes without saying - or so I thought - that I'm against the horrific attacks by Hamas. As I said, 'the world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.'" The Israeli Ministry of Education responded to Thunberg's initial "statements in support of Gaza without condemning Hamas" by removing "various references in the educational curriculum that present Thunberg as a role model and a source of inspiration for youth".

On 5 December 2023, Thunberg and three researchers/activists affiliated with Fridays for Future Sweden published an opinion piece in The Guardian titled "We won't stop speaking out about Gaza's suffering - there is no climate justice without human rights." The piece clarified her and FFF Sweden's support for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip amidst the Israel-Hamas war. The article stated that "All Fridays for Future groups are autonomous, and this article represents the views of nobody but FFF Sweden." They also addressed the criticism that Fridays for Future has been radicalized and is engaging in politics by stating that the organisation has always been political because it is a movement for justice. FFF Sweden believes that "means speaking up when people suffer, are forced to flee their homes or are killed - regardless of the cause".

In September 2024, Danish police apprehended Thunberg during a pro-Palestinian protest in Copenhagen against the Israel-Hamas war. Thunberg, along with five others, was detained after blocking the entrance to a building at the University of Copenhagen. Less than a week later, she was "carried out" from the library of Stockholm University by Stockholm police after she participated in an encampment inside the library. She characterized the police response as a "repression". Following those incidents, she was labeled "antisemite of the week" by StopAntisemitism. In December 2024, while speaking at a pro-Palestine rally in the German city of Mannheim, Thunberg declared "Fuck Germany and fuck Israel." In response, local CDU politician Manuel Hagel accused Thunberg of "moving very consciously in close proximity to anti-Semitism".

Reflecting on her pro-Palestine activism in November 2024, Thunberg stated:

For me, it hasn't been solely about the climate at all. The media often wants to simplify things, like 'she's the one who works on climate.' They want to put a face to the issue. I mean, we're talking about climate justice. All forms of justice are included within climate justice. In the last year, when I started getting involved in Palestinian activism, that view has shifted.

Boycott of COP29

Thunberg boycotted COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan, for human rights violations, and instead visited neighboring Georgia and Armenia. While in Georgia, she joined a political demonstration against Georgia's government in Tbilisi, stating "I am here to express my support and solidarity to all activists and citizens who are coming forward to defend their fundamental rights such as freedom, justice and democracy." In an interview, she said that "The only thing that will come out of [COP29] is loopholes, more negotiations, and symbolic decisions that look good on paper but are really just greenwashing."

She then visited Armenia, where she argued that "We need to stop hosting climate conferences in places like Azerbaijan, a country that is repressing its own population to an extreme degree." At a demonstration in front of the United Nations delegation headquarters in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, she stated "We urge international media and those in power who are in Baku to go and visit Armenian hostages and demand an immediate release to all political prisoners, prisoners of war and hostages." While in Armenia, she also visited Pink Armenia, which stated "We extend our gratitude to Greta Thunberg for raising Armenia's critical issues on international platforms and for showing her solidarity with the LGBT+ movement."

Position on climate change

A video of Thunberg speaking at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos

Thunberg delivering a speech at a July 2019 school strike for climate change in Berlin

Thunberg states that humanity is facing an existential crisis because of global warming and holds the baby boomers, and each subsequent generation, responsible for creating and perpetuating detrimental changes to the Earth's climate. She uses graphic analogies (such as "our house is on fire") to highlight her concerns and often speaks bluntly to business and political leaders about their failure to take concerted action.

Thunberg has said that climate change will have a disproportionate effect on young people, whose futures will be profoundly affected. She argues that her generation may not have a future any more because "that future was sold so that a small number of people could make unimaginable amounts of money." She also has said that people in the Global South will suffer most from climate change, even though they have contributed least in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. Thunberg has voiced support for other young activists from developing countries who are already facing the damaging effects of climate change. Speaking in Madrid in December 2019, she said: "We talk about our future, they talk about their present."

Speaking at international forums, she berates world leaders because she believes that too little action is being taken to reduce global emissions. She says that lowering emissions is not enough, that emissions need to be reduced to zero if the world is to keep global warming to less than 1.5 °C. Speaking to the British Parliament in April 2019, she said: "The fact that we are speaking of 'lowering' instead of 'stopping' emissions is perhaps the greatest force behind the continuing business as usual." In order to take the necessary action, she added that politicians should not listen to her, they should listen to what the scientists are saying about how to address the crisis. According to political scientists Mattia Zulianello and Diego Ceccobelli, Thunberg's ideas can be defined as technocratic ecocentrism, which is grounded on "the exaltation of the vox scientifica".

More specifically, Thunberg has argued that commitments made at the Paris Agreement are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, and that the greenhouse gas emissions curve needs to start declining steeply no later than 2020 - as detailed in the IPCC's Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C published in 2018. In February 2019, at a conference of the European Economic and Social Committee, she said that the EU's current intention to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 is "not sufficient to protect the future for children growing up today" and that the EU must reduce their CO ₂ emissions by 80%, double the 40% goal.

Thunberg reiterated her views on political inaction in a November 2020 interview where she stated that "leaders are happy to set targets for decades ahead, but flinch when immediate action is needed." She criticized the European Green Deal, which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050, saying that it "sends a strong signal that real and sufficient action is being taken when in fact it's not. Nature doesn't bargain, and you cannot make deals with physics."

In July 2020, Greta Thunberg, Luisa Neubauer, Anuna De Wever and Adélaïde Carlier wrote an open letter to all EU leaders and heads of state stating they must "advocate to make ecocide an international crime at the International Criminal Court." In June 2023, Greta called the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine by Russia an ecocide and called for prosecution, stating "Russia needs to be held accountable for their action and for their crimes. The eyes of the world are on them now".

In an interview shortly before the 2021 COP26 conference in Glasgow, Thunberg, asked how optimistic she was that the conference could achieve anything, responded, "Nothing has changed from previous years, really. The leaders will say, 'we'll do this and we'll do this, and we will put our forces together and achieve this', and then they will do nothing. Maybe some symbolic things and creative accounting and things that don't really have a big impact. We can have as many COPs as we want, but nothing real will come out of it." She called Chinese president Xi Jinping "a leader of a dictatorship" and said that "democracy is the only solution to the climate crisis, since the only thing that could get us out of this situation is ... massive public pressure."

On 30 October 2021, she arrived at Glasgow Central station for the COP26. She spoke at some protests during the COP and marched in a Fridays for Future Scotland climate strike on Friday 5 November; she said in an earlier interview that the public needed to "uproot the system". She delivered a speech to protesters in which she described COP26 as a failure, speaking of "blah blah blah" and greenwashing.

Public response and impact

In February 2019, 224 academics signed an open letter of support stating they were inspired by Thunberg's actions and the striking school children in making their voices heard. This support from academics, including many scientists, is in sharp contrast with the opposition Thunberg usually receives from politicians.

Politicians

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres endorsed the school strikes initiated by Thunberg, admitting: "My generation has failed to respond properly to the dramatic challenge of climate change. This is deeply felt by young people. No wonder they are angry." Speaking at an event in New Zealand in May 2019, Guterres said his generation was "not winning the battle against climate change" and that it was up to the youth to "rescue the planet".

Thunberg urges MEPs to show climate leadership, receives standing ovation, 2020

Democratic candidates for the 2020 United States presidential election such as Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, and Bernie Sanders expressed support after her speech at the September 2019 action summit in New York. German Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated that young activists such as Thunberg had driven her government to act faster on climate change.

Thunberg and her campaign have been criticized by politicians as well, ranging from personal attacks to statements that she oversimplifies the complex issues involved. Among them are the Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Emmanuel Macron, Russian president Vladimir Putin, OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and, repeatedly, U.S. president Donald Trump.

In September 2019, Trump shared a video of Thunberg angrily addressing world leaders, along with her quote that "people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction." Trump wrote about Thunberg, tweeting: "She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" Thunberg reacted by changing her Twitter bio to match his description, and stating that she could not "understand why grown-ups would choose to mock children and teenagers for just communicating and acting on the science when they could do something good instead." In December 2019, Trump again mocked Thunberg after she was named Person of the Year for 2019 by Time, tweeting: "So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" Thunberg responded by changing her Twitter biography to: "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend." During the 2020 United States presidential election, Thunberg commented on Trump tweeting "Stop the count!" with the text: "So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!"

In October 2019, Putin described Thunberg as a "kind girl and very sincere", while suggesting she was being manipulated to serve others' interests. Putin criticized her as "poorly informed", adding, "No one has explained to Greta that the modern world is complex and different and people in Africa or in many Asian countries want to live at the same wealth level as in Sweden." Similar to her reaction to Trump, Thunberg updated her Twitter bio to reflect Putin's description of her. In December 2019, Thunberg tweeted: "Indigenous people are literally being murdered for trying to protect the forest from illegal deforestation. Over and over again. It is shameful that the world remains silent about this." When asked about this subject two days later, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro responded, "Greta said that the Indians were dying because they were trying to protect the Amazon. It is impressive how the press gives voice to such a brat." On the same day, Thunberg changed her Twitter description to pirralha, the Portuguese word for "brat" used by Bolsonaro.

In a Time story published in May 2019, Thunberg addressed the criticism she has received online, saying, "It's quite hilarious when the only thing people can do is mock you, or talk about your appearance or personality, as it means they have no argument or nothing else to say." Former U.S. vice-president and Trump's eventual successor Joe Biden responded to Trump's tweet mocking Thunberg after she was named the Time's Person of the Year 2019 by tweeting at Trump: "What kind of president bullies a teenager? @realDonaldTrump, you could learn a few things from Greta on what it means to be a leader."

Thunberg swarmed by the press at the European Parliament, 2019

In August 2019, Scott Walsman wrote in Scientific American that Thunberg's detractors have "launched personal attacks", "bash [her] autism", and "increasingly rely on ad hominem attacks to blunt her influence". Writing in The Guardian, Aditya Chakrabortty said that columnists including Brendan O'Neill, Toby Young, the blog Guido Fawkes, as well as Helen Dale and Rod Liddle at The Spectator and The Sunday Times, had been making "ugly personal attacks" on Thunberg. British TV presenter Piers Morgan also mocked Thunberg. As part of its climate change denial, Germany's right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has attacked Thunberg "in fairly vicious ways", according to Jakob Guhl, a researcher for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Arron Banks' Twitter post saying that "freak yachting accidents do happen in August" in reference to Thunberg, outraged a number of British MPs (Member of Parliament), celebrities, and academics. Tanja Bueltmann, founder of EU Citizens' Champion, said Banks had "invoked the drowning of a child" for his own amusement and said that most of those attacking Thunberg "are white middle-aged men from the right of the political spectrum". Writing in The Guardian, Gaby Hinsliff said Thunberg has become "the new front in the Brexit culture war", arguing that the outrage generated by personal attacks on Thunberg by Brexiteers "gives them the welcome oxygen of publicity".

In September 2019, Nick Gillespie wrote in that "Greta Thunberg's histrionics are likely heartfelt but neither they nor the deplorable responses they conjure are a guide forward to good environmental policy in a world that is getting richer every day." In August 2021, Yasmeen Serhan wrote in The Atlantic that Thunberg had become "the target of a barrage of disinformation and conspiracies" from the far-right and populist right, "including depictions of her as a spoiled child, a leftist pawn, and even a Nazi".

"The Greta effect"

September 2019 climate strike in Geneva

In summarizing Thunberg's global impact on the climate debate, the BBC encapsulated her influence: "she is credited with raising public awareness of climate change across the world, especially amongst young people. Many commentators call this 'the Greta effect'".

Beginning in early 2019, roughly concurrent with growing public recognition of Thunberg's work, Google Trends data shows a growth in searches for the term climate emergency (shown in red), and for the term climate crisis (shown in blue). The surge in 2006 followed release of Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth.

In February 2019, Thunberg shared a stage with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, where he outlined: "In the next financial period from 2021 to 2027, every fourth euro spent within the EU budget will go towards action to mitigate climate change." Climate issues also played a significant role in European Parliament election in May 2019, as Green parties recorded their best ever results, boosting their MEP seat numbers from 52 to 72. Many of the gains came from northern European countries where young people have taken to the streets inspired by Thunberg.

In June 2019, a YouGov poll in Britain found that public concern about the environment had soared to record levels in the UK since Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion had "pierced the bubble of denial". In August 2019, publication and sales of children's books about the climate crisis reportedly doubled compared to the previous year. Publishers attribute this to the "Greta effect".

According to a 2021 study, "those who are more familiar with Greta Thunberg have higher intentions of taking collective actions to reduce global warming and that stronger collective efficacy beliefs mediate this relationship. This association between familiarity with Greta Thunberg, collective efficacy beliefs, and collective action intentions is present even after accounting for respondents' overall support for climate activism."

Flight shame

Thunberg has spearheaded the anti-flying movement, promoting rail travel over flying on environmental grounds. The buzzword associated with this movement is or "flight shame". It is a phenomenon in which people feel social pressure not to fly because of the rising greenhouse gas emissions of the airline industry. It was originally championed by Swedish Olympic athlete Björn Ferry, but has gained significant momentum after Thunberg's refusal to fly on environmental grounds. Thunberg backed the campaign to fly less and made it part of her 2019 "awareness tour" in Europe.

Sweden reported a 4% drop in domestic air travel for 2019 and an increase in rail use. The BBC says that the movement could halve the growth of global air travel, but Airbus and Boeing say that they still expect to grow at around 4% until 2035. In June 2019, Swedish Railways (SJ) reported that the number of Swedes taking the train for domestic journeys had risen by 8% from the previous year, reflecting growing public concern (reflected in a survey published by Swedish Railways) about the impact of flying on CO ₂ emissions.

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Public image and controversies

According to ABC news, in December 2019 Thunberg was attacked by a sitting US president, Donald Trump, after she was named Time's youngest Person of the Year. Trump tweeted that "[Thunberg] must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie. Chill Greta, Chill!" In response, Thunberg changed her Twitter (now X) profile description to read: a "teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend."

In popular culture and art

A multi-story mural of Thunberg in Istanbul, Turkey

Thunberg has been depicted in popular culture and art. Greta and the Giants, a book by Zoë Tucker and Zoe Persico, published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books, was inspired by the life of Thunberg. Argentinian artist Andrés Iglesias unveiled an 18-meter mural of Thunberg above Mason street, near Union Square in San Francisco. American painter Elizabeth Peyton chose her 2019 portrait Greta Thunberg as the leading image of one of her shows. She has been depicted in multiple murals. In Bristol, a 15-metre-high (49 ft) mural of Thunberg by artist Jody Thomas, portrays the bottom half of her face as if under rising sea water since May 2019. Thunberg was featured on the Time magazine cover in May 2019 issue, where she was described as a role model and one of the " Next Generation Leaders". She and fifteen others were featured on the cover of the fashion magazine created by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in September 2019.

Some of Thunberg's speeches have been incorporated into music. In 2019, Thunberg contributed a voiceover for a release of " The 1975", a song by the English band by the same name. Thunberg finishes the song by urging: "So, everyone out there, it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel." Proceeds will go to Extinction Rebellion at Thunberg's request. In September 2019, John Meredith set her UN Action Summit speech to death metal. The Australian musician Megan Washington and composer Robert Davidson used the same 'how dare you' speech, for a performance at an event exploring the future of music. DJ Fatboy Slim created a mashup of this speech with his dance hit " Right Here, Right Now".

Project Pressure, Voices for the Future, projected a quote by Thunberg onto the United Nations building in New York in the lead up to the UN Climate Action Summit, 2019

In 2019, Thunberg collaborated with the climate charity Project Pressure on an art piece projected onto the UN building in New York in the lead up to the UN Climate Action Summit featuring the voices of six young activists, including Thunberg herself. Vizualised by Joseph Michael, authored by Klaus Thymann and music by Brian Eno, their commentary was on the climate crisis and the urgent actions that need to be taken to minimize its consequences.

In May 2020, Thunberg was featured in Pearl Jam's music video " Retrograde". She appears as a fortune teller, with images in her crystal ball depicting startling effects of climate change in numerous countries.

On 3 September 2020, the Hulu cinéma vérité-esque documentary had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film was directed by Nathan Grossman, who single-handedly operated the camera and sound equipment while memorializing Thunberg's climate activism "from the first solitary days of her school strike in August 2018, all the way through to her two-week sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to New York City to attend the United Nations Climate Summit in September 2019." Following its Venice premiere, the film had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2020, and opened in cinemas across Europe, North America and Australia in October.

In March 2021, the University of Winchester installed a life-sized sculpture of Thunberg on its campus. BBC Studios made a three-part series Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World, with planned visits to various countries omitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and awards

Thunberg has received honours and awards over the course of her activism. In May 2018, before the start of her school strike, she was one of the winners of a climate change essay competition by Svenska Dagbladet (The Swedish Daily News) for young people. Thunberg has refused to attend ceremonies or accept prizes if it requires her to fly, such as for the International Children's Peace Prize. She has received prizes from various NGOs but also from scientific institutions that lauded her success in raising awareness.

's 25 most influential teens of 2018, December 2018, an annual list compiled by Time magazine of the most influential teenagers in the world that year.

Nobel Peace Prize nomination, 2019, by three deputies of the Norwegian parliament. Again in 2020 by two Swedish lawmakers. Nominated in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Rachel Carson Prize, March 2019, awarded to a woman who has distinguished herself in outstanding work for the environment in Norway or internationally.

Time 100, April 2019, by Time magazine, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world for that year.

Honorary degree of Doctor honoris causa (dr.h.c.), May 2019, conferred by the Belgian University of Mons (Mons, Belgium) for "contribution ... to raising awareness on sustainable development".

Ambassador of Conscience Award, June 2019, Amnesty International's most prestigious award, for her leadership in the climate movement, shared with Fridays for Future.

The Geddes Environment Medal, July 2019, by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, for "an outstanding practical, research or communications contribution to conservation and protection of the natural environment and the development of sustainability."

International Children's Peace Prize, October 2019, shared with 14-year-old Divina Maloum from Cameroon, awarded by the KidsRights Foundation.

Maphiyata echiyatan hin win (Woman Who Came from the Heavens), Lakota tribal name conferred, October 2019, at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, following support for the Dakota Access pipeline opposition, after being invited by Tokata Iron Eyes, a 16-year-old Lakota climate activist.

Nordic Council Environment Prize, October 2019. Thunberg declined to accept the award or the prize money of DKK 350,000 (€47,000 as of October 2019) stating that Nordic countries were not doing enough to cut emissions.

Time Person of the Year, December 2019, by Time magazine, the first recipient born in the 21st century and the youngest ever. For succeeding in "creating a global attitudinal shift, transforming millions of vague, middle-of-the-night anxieties into a worldwide movement calling for urgent change." And: "For sounding the alarm about humanity's predatory relationship with the only home we have, for bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders, for showing us all what it might look like when a new generation leads."

Glamour Woman of the Year Award 2019, 12 November 2019, by magazine. Accepted by Jane Fonda, quoting Greta as saying "If a Swedish, teenage, science nerd who has shopstop, refuses to fly and has never worn makeup or been to a hairdresser can be chosen a Woman of the Year by one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world then I think almost nothing is impossible."

She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2019.

, December 2019, an annual list of ten "people who mattered" in science, produced by the scientific journal , specifically, for being a "climate catalyst: A Swedish teenager [who] brought climate science to the fore as she channeled her generation's rage."

Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, 2019

Forbes 30 under 30 Europe 2020 - Social Entrepreneurs

Human Act Award, on Earth Day, 22 April 2020, by the Human Act Foundation, for "her fearless and determined efforts to mobilize millions of people around the world to fight climate change." The USD100,000 prize money was donated to UNICEF and doubled by the Foundation.

Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD), 31 May 2021, conferred by the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, for "her international recognitions for challenging world leaders to take immediate action against climate change."

Species named in Thunberg's honour

The following species have been described and named after Greta Thunberg:

Nelloptodes gretae, by Michael Darby, Natural History Museum, UK, December 2019, a new species of beetle from Kenya in the family Ptiliidae. Its long antennae bear a passing resemblance to her braided pigtails.

Craspedotropis gretathunbergae, by Schilthuizen et al., 2020, a new species of land snail from Borneo in the family Cyclophoridae.

Thunberga greta, in a new genus Thunberga gen nov, both by Peter Jäger, June 2020, a new species of east African huntsman spider in the family Sparassidae. As of April 2022 the new Thunberga genus contained twenty-nine newly described spiders, all from Madagascar and Mayotte, many in honour of other inspirational young people.

Opacuincola gretathunbergae, by Verhaege & Haase, 2021, a new freshwater snail from New Zealand in the family Tateidae.

Pristimantis gretathunbergae, by Mebert et al., 2022, a species of frog native to Panama.

For No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, Thunberg was named author of the year by Waterstones

Scenes from the Heart (2018), with her sister, father and mother.

Thunberg, Greta (2019). No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-241-51457-3. OCLC 1196840691. 96 pages. A collection of Thunberg's climate action speeches, with the earnings being donated to charity.

"Greta Thunberg Speeches and Interviews". What Would Greta Do?. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. An archived compilation of Thunberg's speeches and interviews, and IPCC Reports, up to March 2020

Thunberg, Greta (November 2019). "The Disarming Case to Act Right Now on Climate Change". Stockholm: TED.

Ernman, Malena; Thunberg, Greta; Ernman, Beata; Thunberg, Svante (2021). Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-199288-4. OCLC 1179047026. 288 pages

Thunberg, Greta; Calderón, Adriana; Jhumu, Farzana Faruk; Njuguna, Eric (2021-08-19). "Opinion | This Is the World Being Left to Us by Adults". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-16.

Thunberg, Greta (October 2022). The Climate Book. London, United Kingdom: Allen Lane (Penguin Books). ISBN 978-0-241-54747-2. Hardback.

References

1. ^ Gibson, Caitlin (16 March 2020). "Before Greta Thunberg was a global icon, she was a tormented child who refused to eat or speak". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.

2. Sengupta, Somini (12 November 2019). "Greta Thunberg Sets Sail, Again, After Climate Talks Relocate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019.

3. ^

4. ^

5. Watts, Jonathan (23 April 2019). "The Greta Thunberg effect: at last, MPs focus on climate change". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019.

6. ^

7. ^

8. ^

9. ^ "Greta Thunberg's father: 'She is happy, but I worry'". BBC News. 30 December 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019.

10. ^

11. ^ Olsson, Christer (20 May 2015). "Det har varit ett helvetiskt år" [It's been a hellish year]. Expressen (in Swedish). Stockholm. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019.

12. ^

13. ^ Thunberg, Greta (23 December 2018). "Teen activist on climate change: If we don't do anything right now, we're screwed" (Interview). Interviewed by Fareed Zakaria. CNN. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019 - via YouTube.

14. ^

15. ^ "Information Pack about the Optional Protocol to the Convention on theRights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (OP3 CRC)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 October 2019.

16. ^ Laframboise, Kalina (27 September 2019). "'We will not be bystanders': Greta Thunberg tells hundreds of thousands at Montreal climate march". Global News. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019.

17. ^ Harvey, Fiona (6 December 2019). "Greta Thunberg says school strikes have achieved nothing". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019.

18. ^ Kaminski, Isabella (7 December 2019). "'We have achieved nothing': Greta Thunberg urges 'concrete action' during Madrid climate conference". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019.

19. ^

20. ^ "Greta Thunberg regresa a la escuela después de un año" [Greta Thunberg returns to school after more than a year]. Associated Press (in Spanish). 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021.

21. ^ Bo, Yacong; Guo, Cui; Lin, Changqing; Zeng, Yiqian; Li, Hao Bi; Zhang, Yumiao; Hossain, Md Shakhaoat; Chan, Jimmy W.M.; Yeung, David W.; Kwok, Kin On; Wong, Samuel Y.S.; Lau, Alexis K.H.; Lao, Xiang Qian (January 2021) [28 October 2020]. "Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 transmission in 190 countries from 23 January to 13 April 2020". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 102: 247-253. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.066. PMC 7598763. PMID 33129965.

22. ^ "Greta Thunberg: Activist calls on banks to stop funding climate 'destruction'". BBC News. 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.

23. ^ Bryant, Miranda (10 November 2021). "Youth activists petition UN to declare 'systemwide climate emergency'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.

24. ^ Stevis-Gridneff, Matina; Sengupta, Somini (6 July 2022). "Europe Calls Gas and Nuclear Energy 'Green'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023.

25. Thunberg, Greta; Brannen, Peter [at Wikidata]; Shapiro, Beth; Kolbert, Elizabeth; Oppenheimer, Michael; Oreskes, Naomi; Rockström, Johan; Hayhoe, Katharine; Hausfather, Zeke; Samset, Bjørn H. [in Norwegian]; Ceppi, Paulo; Francis, Jennifer; Otto, Friederike; Marvel, Kate; Winkelmann, Ricarda; Rahmstorf, Stefan; Pörtner, Hans-Otto [in German]; Kvale, Karin; Gleick, Peter H.; Gergis, Joëlle [at Wikidata]; Nobre, Carlos; Arieira, Julia; Nascimento, Nathália; Law, Beverly; Purvis, Andy [at Wikidata]; De Palma, Adriana; Goulson, Dave; Larson, Keith W.; Soong, Jennifer L.; Gustafsson, Örjan [in Swedish]; Edwards, Tamsin; Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Tedros; Vicedo-Cabrera, Ana M.; Shindell, Drew; Colón-González, Felipe J. [at Wikidata]; Brownstein, John; MacFadden, Derek; McGough, Sarah; Santillana, Mauricio [at Wikidata]; Myers, Samuel S.; Huq, Saleemul; Patterson, Jacqueline; Lustgarten, Abrahm; Taylor, Michael; Oumarou Ibrahim, Hindou; Labba, Elin Anna; Guajajara, Sonia; Hsiang, Solomon; Oki, Taikan [in Japanese]; Burke, Marshall; Linden, Eugene; Anderson, Kevin; Otto, Alexandra Urisman [in Swedish]; McKibben, Bill; Peters, Glen [in German]; Erb, Karl-Heinz [at Wikidata]; Gingrich, Simone; Hällström, Niclas; Stephens, Jennie C.; Stoddard, Isak; Jackson, Rob [at Wikidata]; Popp, Alexander; Clark, Michael; Vermeulen, Sonja; Barrett, John; Garvey, Alice; Joshi, Ketan [at Wikidata]; Larkin, Alice; Anable, Jillian; Brand, Christian; Lowrey, Annie; Berners-Lee, Mike; Kaza, Silpa; Schrank, Nina; Stern, Nicholas; Narain, Sunita; Hickel, Jason; Ghosh, Amitav; Capstick, Stuart; Whitmarsh, Lorraine; Raworth, Kate; Stoknes, Per Espen; Eshel, Gidon; Elizabeth Johnson, Ayana; Monbiot, George; Wrigley, Rebecca; Atwood, Margaret; Chenoweth, Erica; Mann, Michael E.; Klein, Seth [at Wikidata]; Wallace-Wells, David; Klein, Naomi; Becker, Nicki; Ravi, Disha Annappa; Nakabuye, Hilda Flavia; Muñoz, Laura Verónica; Shikongo, Ina Maria; Siddiqa, Ayisha; Tan, Mitzi Jonelle; Mathai, Wanjira; Chancel, Lucas; Piketty, Thomas; Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi O.; Kimmerer, Robin Wall; Hawkins, Ed (28 October 2022). Thunberg, Greta (ed.). The Climate Book (1 ed.). London, UK: allen lane / Penguin Books / Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-241-54747-2. OCLC 1338161907. (2+18+446+2 pages) (NB. The cover features the Warming stripes by Ed Hawkins. For space reasons references are not included in the printed book, but can be found online at: https://theclimatebook.org Archived 21 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine.)

26. ^ Giordano, Elena (9 September 2024). "Greta Thunberg carried away by police at pro-Palestine demonstration, again". Politico.

27. ^ ""As part of her visit to Armenia, we had the opportunity to host activist Greta Thunberg."". 19 November 2024.

28. ^ Oroschakoff, Kalina (16 April 2019). "Climate icon Greta Thunberg finds that political change is 'complicated'". Politico. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019.

29. ^

30. ^ "'It's an existential crisis. Listen to scientists'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019.

31. ^ Zulianello, Mattia; Ceccobelli, Diego (2020). "Don't Call it Climate Populism: on Greta Thunberg's Technocratic Ecocentrism". The Political Quarterly. 91 (3): 623-631. doi:10.1111/1467-923X.12858. S2CID 219919296. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021.

32. Briand F. 2012. Making research count in marine governance - The communication challenge. CIESM Marine Policy Series no 3, 36 p. ISSN 2306-4897 ^ https://www.ciesm.org/FBriand_comm&governance.pdf

33. ^ "Climate campaigners 'greatest threat' to oil sector: OPEC". Agence France-Presse. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019.

34. ^ Multiple sources:

35. ^ "Greta Thunberg mocks Trump's election rage: 'Chill, Donald, chill!'". Global News. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021.

36. ^ Multiple sources:

37. ^

38. ^ Vaughan, Adam (18 December 2019). "The Year the World Woke up to Climate Change". New Scientist. Vol. 244, no. 3261/62. pp. 20-21. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019.

39. ^ Sabherwal, Anandita; Ballew, Matthew T.; Linden, Sander van der; Gustafson, Abel; Goldberg, Matthew H.; Maibach, Edward W.; Kotcher, John E.; Swim, Janet K.; Rosenthal, Seth A.; Leiserowitz, Anthony (2021). "The Greta Thunberg Effect: Familiarity with Greta Thunberg predicts intentions to engage in climate activism in the United States". Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 51 (4): 321-333. doi:10.1111/jasp.12737. ISSN 1559-1816.

40. ^ Tucker, Zoë (November 2019). Greta and the Giants: inspired by Greta Thunberg's stand to save the world. Frances Lincoln Children's Books. ISBN 978-0711253773. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021.

41. Cyranoski, David; Gaind, Nisha; Gibney, Elizabeth; Masood, Ehsan; Maxmen, Amy; Reardon, Sara; Schiermeier, Quirin; Tollefson, Jeff; Witze, Alexandra (2019). "Nature's 10: Ten people who mattered in science in 2019". Nature. 576 (7787): 361-372. Bibcode:2019Natur.576..361C. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03749-0. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 31848484.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɡrêːtaˈtʉ̂ːnbærj] TOON-berry ; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of human-caused climate change. Born in Stockholm, Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint.

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Dolores Huerta – Activist & Co-Founder of United Farm Workers | Hispanic Heritage Month | Biography

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In honor of #MayDay our organizers along with community members marched the streets of Fresno & Tulare standing in solidarity while commemorating the efforts and victories of Workers & Immigrants Rights around the world. May Day is not recognized as a holiday in the United States, however, we at DHF will continue to honor and celebrate it as such. Learn more about the history of May Day in the video below. #SíSePuede

Our democracy depends on people power - it depends on YOU! Join us as we build political power in communities of color throughout the Central Valley and the Antelope Valley. For English, visit: www.doloreshuerta.org/2022vote For Spanish, visit: www.doloreshuerta.org/2022vote-span

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:
Established in 2003, the Dolores Huerta Foundation's (DHF) mission is to inspire and organize communities to establish volunteer organizations empowered to pursue social justice. DHF conducts movement-building at the intersection of race, class, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status to address the harmful and discriminatory practices and abuses faced by marginalized individuals and families in the San Joaquin Valley. DHF uses a multi-pronged approach - grassroots organizing, advocacy, leadership development, and a public relations strategy to inform narrative change.
POSITION:
The Communications Director takes direction from and reports to the Executive Director on projects and activities related to communications programming, press coordination and social media. The Communication director supervises a team and oversees the following:
Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Coordinate and implement frequent communications and updates, such as calls to action, updates and promotion of DHF's work to donors and supporters.

Oversee regular social media and website updates regarding DHF projects, campaigns, and successes, calls to action and promotion of DHF's work.

Write and send media advisories, press releases, make outreach calls to the press to encourage attendance at DHF events, create press packets, establish relationships with members of the press, regularly update the DHF press list, and track DHF press hits and promote on social media.

Train staff on communications with the press and best practices for messaging; assist staff members preparing for press interviews.

Execute departmental needs in their respective action plans such as flyers, social media promotion, press promotion, etc.

Oversee and coordinate graphic design needs for the DHF team including flyers, merchandise, and publications.

Create and publish regular publications: Vecinos Unidos (Neighbors United) quarterly newsletter, Weaving Movements Newsletter, and Community Alliance monthly sponsored page.

Provide writing support and editing for DHF President, Executive Director, and other staff.

Create and publish Op Eds and Letters to the Editor.

Track DHF events and collect staff event report forms, photos, videos, and press clippings.

Produce and coordinate the distribution of DHF fundraising appeals. Coordinate with the Development Department to express timely gratitude to donors and supporters through a variety of communication methods.

Oversee responses to correspondence and inquiries for DHF from the general public.

Attend staff meetings, Director meetings and submit weekly/monthly reports,

Other duties as assigned (ie. Fundraising, data entry, and Get Out the Vote)

Knowledge Skills Abilities & Required Qualifications

Excellent time management skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Strong communication skills

Excellent knowledge of fundraising information and sources

Proficiency Office 365 Applications

Written and spoken proficiency in Spanish & English is a plus

Ability to work evenings and weekends

Education & Experience

Bachelor Degree in creative writing or related field (relevant experience can substitute for education requirement.

2+ years' experience in a management position

Proficient with measuring and reaching income goals

Benefits: Eligible the 1 st Eligible after 1 year of service and hours requirement met: of the month following 60 days of service: EMPLOYMENT TERMS:

Medical: Kaiser HMO, $10 office visit copay

Dental: Guardian PPO, $30 deductible, 100% preventive care

Vision: VSP Choice Network $25 copay,

Life Insurance. Guardian, $25,000 life insurance policy provided by DHF with an option to purchase additional life insurance

Retirement: Principal Financial, DHF offers a 3% match

Kern, Salary, FLSA Status: F/T Exempt

Please check out the latest issue of the Dolores Huerta Foundation's Vecinos Unidos® Newsletter to learn more about the important gains and accomplishments that DHF Vecinos made this year. Big thanks to all of the esteemed volunteers and generous community members who make this work possible!
Utilice el botón "Translate" en la esquina inferior derecha para traducir estos artículos al español.
Letter from the Executive Directo r

The San Joaquin Valley has seen many injustices within the past few years, which is why we continue to mobilize and empower communities with COVD-19 resources and services, health equity education, and tools to combat systemic racism. Through it all, we triumph working with community members like you. Throughout the last year, we continued to fight against COVID-19 and together with our partners we have provided direct assistance to our communities and administered over 7,000 vaccinations. The effort against COVID-19 continues and we ask that if you or someone you know needs assistance in finding a vaccination site or registering for an appointment, please call us at: 661-383-2588.

As we look forward to the coming months and all the work that is yet to be done, we are strengthened by the knowledge that together we'll continue to make important changes in our communities. We look forward to organizing alongside you for the upcoming elections on Tuesday, June 7th (primary election) and Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (general election). Holding elected officials accountable is our right and responsibility. If you are eligible to vote, please make sure to register and visit www.sos.ca.gov to update your information and learn more about how you can get involved. Even if you can't vote, you can help educate voters in your neighborhood.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you. Our solidarity is our strength. Si Se Puede!

The Impact Fund and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability hosted their 3rd annual Clean Water Forum in Bakersfield on April 1-2. The free two-day conference brought together practitioners, experts, and community groups to engage in strategic conversations regarding the state of water litigation, with a particular focus on work that can affect communities in California's Central Valley. Dolores Huerta sent this greeting and call to action for those attending.

Redistricting determines if residents have fair representation in government and whether their representatives will reflect their interests. District lines can keep a community together or split it apart, thus leaving it without a representative who feels responsible for its concerns.

Join us as we urge the Panama Buena Vista School District to choose maps that will better serve the students in the area. The current maps that are being proposed are unacceptable and do not offer proper representation and equity for the surrounding community. Hold the school board accountable, fight for fair maps tonight 3/29/22 @ 5pm Panama Buena Vista School District 4200 Ashe Rd Bakersfield.

For more information on how to review the proposed maps, please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQE99p6O4L9IVC_30oMaGW8_WCmNPVd12sotxE7n1pA/edit?usp=sharing

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:
Established in 2003, the Dolores Huerta Foundation's (DHF) mission is to inspire and organize communities to establish volunteer organizations empowered to pursue social justice. DHF conducts movement-building at the intersection of race, class, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status to address the harmful and discriminatory practices and abuses faced by marginalized individuals and families in the San Joaquin Valley. DHF uses a multi-pronged approach - grassroots organizing, advocacy, leadership development, and a public relations strategy to inform narrative change.
POSITION:
The DHF Education Policy Program seeks to hire a School Meals Project Coordinator to educate, train, organize, and engage community members to advocate for health and nutrition through Civic Engagement. The School Meals Project Coordinator will create a curriculum regarding issues related to health and nutrition. The curriculum will be centered on empowering parents, students and community members to advocate for community health.
RESPONSIBILITIES:

Work closely with the Education Policy Director to produce planning and coordination of health education programs, projects, and/or campaigns.

Cultivate DHF participation in collaborations with partner organizations and seek allies addressing food insecurity in the San Joaquin Valley

Maintain analysis and oversight of existing health and nutrition policies at target school districts

Research and compile data to support state and national legislative efforts addressing food insecurity.

Develop positive relationships with school districts to support DHF's advocacy work.

Communicate and coordinate with parents and community members with projects, campaigns, and media opportunities.

Facilitate training for parents and other community members on a variety of health, civic engagement, and education curriculum in both Spanish and English.

Create content for newsletters and various social media platforms to update community members and partners on our work.

Provide weekly written reports to document activities, updates, and results via conference calls and timely updates.

Other duties as assigned (nonpartisan voter engagement, data collection & data entry, and fundraising)

QUALIFICATIONS:
The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experiences:

Associates Degree or equivalent experience can be substituted for education

Experience and passion for community organizing

Experience in providing trainings

A proactive solutions-oriented approach

Excellent interpersonal skills (one on one and group dynamics), cultural competency, strong listening skills, and personable

Patience and flexibility

Excellent team player

Written and spoken proficiency in Spanish & English

Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, Videoconference, google drive, & on-line navigation

Self-motivated, resourceful, and creative

Ability to work evenings and weekends

Strong collaborator, team player, able to adapt quickly to changing situations

Time management skills

Self-confidence and self-assurance

California Driver's License

Reliable transportation and auto insurance

EMPLOYMENT TERMS:
Location: Kern County

Hourly rate: $21.50
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance

75% of Medical Premium paid by DHF

Paid Life Insurance

401(k) with Employer Match

Accrued Paid Vacation

Internal learning and development programs

Please send resume, cover letter, and 3 references to:

humanresources@doloreshuerta.org Subject: "School Meals Project Coordinator Applicant: [YOUR NAME]"

Legendary organizer and activist Dolores Huerta grew up in an integrated community in Stockton, Calif. As a schoolteacher, she noticed that her students, many of whom were children of farm workers, were living in poverty. It was this realization that led Huerta to quit teaching and organize a path to create change.

In the 1950s, Huerta met Cesar Chavez. Together, they organized agricultural workers to demand better working conditions and higher wages and co-founded the United Farm Workers in 1962. More than 60 years into her activism, she continues to speak out as President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Huerta joins host Tetiana Anderson to reflect on her journey to transform labor rights in America.

Dolores Huerta Foundation Background
Established in 2003, the DHF's mission is to inspire and organize communities to establish volunteer organizations empowered to pursue social justice. DHF conducts movement-building at the intersection of race, class, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status to address the harmful and discriminatory practices and abuses faced by marginalized individuals and families in the San Joaquin Valley. The DHF uses a multi-pronged approach - grassroots organizing, advocacy, leadership development, and a public relations strategy to inform narrative change.

Community Organizer & T rainer: The Community Organizer & Trainer engages community residents and establishes a
grassroots base of trained volunteers to engage in advocacy efforts to improve the education,
health, and civic engagement outcomes for residents.

RESPONSIBILITIES
 Build a volunteer base of parents, students, and community members conducting a "House Meeting" campaign in targeted neighborhoods.
 Recruit and train volunteer activists in planning, facilitation, public speaking, advocacy, media, and outreach.
 Develop proficiency in the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to train and mobilize parents to advocate for their educational priorities through the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) school budgeting process.
 Develop and implement a strategic advocacy plan to engage the community on a variety of issues including education, health, LGBTQ equality, and civic engagement.
 Coordinate monthly General Meetings (community forums) to inform and activate the base.
 Establish committees to advocate for education reform while keeping abreast of local, state, and national education justice issues.
 Collaborate with partner organizations and allies working on educational justice, immigration reform, LGBTQ equality, health care access, etc.
 Advocate on local, state and national issues to government agencies and public officials.
 Engage volunteer residents in non-partisan voter registration, education, Get Out The Vote (GOTV), and other outreach/ obilization programs.
 Lead Power Analysis and Campaign Development to address issues affecting underrepresented communities.
 Establish a media and communications plan to publicize projects and solicit community support.
 Provide weekly and monthly written management reports to document activities, updates, and results via conference calls and timely updates; Update contacts on the DHF database on a weekly basis.
 Participate in weekly staff calls, monthly staff meetings, and monthly Kern Education Justice Collaborative meetings.
 Assist with DHF fundraising activities.
 Other tasks as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:
The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experiences:
 Experience and passion for community organizing
 Experience in providing trainings
 Experience in working with diverse communities
 A proactive solutions-oriented approach
 Excellent interpersonal skills (one on one and group dynamics), cultural competency, strong listening skills, and humor
 Patience and flexibility
 Strong collaborator and team player
 Written and spoken proficiency in English and Spanish
 Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, & on-line navigation
 Self-motivated, resourceful, and creative
 Ability to work evenings and weekends
 Ability to adapt quickly to changing situations
 Excellent time management skills
 Self-confidence and self-assurance
 Own car & auto insurance

EMPLOYMENT TERMS:
Location: Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Antelope Valley, Cal City
Full-time, Non-Exempt Status

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance

75% of Medical Premium paid by DHF

Paid Life Insurance

401(k) with Employer Match

Accrued Paid Vacation

Internal learning and development programs

TO APPLY: Please email resume, cover letter, and 3 references to:
Human Resources@ humanresources@doloreshuerta.org
Include "Community Organizer Application" in the subject of your email.

Dolores Huerta Foundation Background
Established in 2003, the DHF's mission is to inspire and organize communities to establish volunteer organizations empowered to pursue social justice. DHF conducts movement-building at the intersection of race, class, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status to address the harmful and discriminatory practices and abuses faced by marginalized individuals and families in the San Joaquin Valley. The DHF uses a multi-pronged approach - grassroots organizing, advocacy, leadership development, and a public relations strategy to inform narrative change.

IT Technician-Special Projects (Full-time) Bakersfield
Under the direct supervision of the IT Director the IT Technician will support current campaign
work, including setting up equipment for phone banking, door to door canvassing and
troubleshoot any technical issues quickly and effectively.

POSITION: We are seeking a detail-oriented, experienced computer technician to join our fast growing
organization. In this position, you will play a key role in supporting all computer, technical, and network
implantation and usability for our organization. You will also provide initial new user setup, troubleshoot
technical problems, work with the Information Technologies team to swiftly resolve issues, and maintain
and update all current programs. This position reports directly to the Information Technology Director.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
 Provide all staff with helpdesk support for all technical issues as needed
 Provide assistance and support on computer equipment, printers, software, and other technical issues
 Troubleshoot technical issues and system errors
 Record and document issues and resolutions
 Prepare software, computer setup, and network configuration for new users and maintain current users
 Perform data backups
 Keep systems up-to-date through software and operating systems updates
 Evaluate connectivity issues, equipment, and software
 Collaborate with Information Technologies team to resolve problems
 Install and update network system improvements as needed
 Assist with the design, implementation, and ongoing support of new software and features

QUALIFICATIONS:
 Bachelor's degree or equivalent training (preferred)
 1 year of previous experience in computer science, information technology, or a related field.
 Familiarity with multiple computer languages (HTML, CSS, Python, Java Script, C++, etc.) (preferred)
 Up-to-date knowledge of new systems, information, software, and upgrades.
 Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently.
 Excellent verbal and written communication skills; excellent analytical and organizational skills.
 Ability to physically stand, bend, squat, and lift equipment as needed

 Excellent interpersonal skills, cultural competency, strong listening skills
 Patience, flexibility, self-motivated, resourceful and creative
 Strong collaborator and team player
 Written and spoken proficiency in English and Spanish
 Ability to work evenings and weekends
 Excellent time management skills

EMPLOYMENT TERMS:
Location: Kern County
Full-time, Non-Exempt Status
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance

75% of Medical Premium paid by DHF

Paid Life Insurance

401(k) with Employer Match

Accrued Paid Vacation

Internal learning and development programs

TO APPLY: Send Resume and 3 References (names and phone numbers) to Kelley Herrera, HR Manager: Humanresources@doloreshuerta.org Email subject: "IT Technician - Special Projects Applicant"

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Dolores Huerta in the News | Dolores Huerta Foundation

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In honor of #MayDay our organizers along with community members marched the streets of Fresno & Tulare standing in solidarity while commemorating the efforts and victories of Workers & Immigrants Rights around the world. May Day is not recognized as a holiday in the United States, however, we at DHF will continue to honor and celebrate it as such.

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Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association, Dolores Huerta is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century.

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Dolores Huerta: The Civil Rights Icon Who Created the Slogan “Si Se Puede” (Yes We Can)

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Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta (born April 10, 1930) is an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chavez, is a co-founder of the United Farmworkers Association, which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). Huerta helped organize the Delano grape strike in 1965 in California and was the lead negotiator in the workers' contract that was created after the strike.

Huerta has received numerous awards for her community service and advocacy for workers', immigrants', and women's rights, including the Eugene V. Debs Foundation Outstanding American Award, the United States Presidential Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in 1993.

Huerta is the originator of the phrase " Sí, se puede". As a role model to many in the Latino community, Huerta is the subject of many (Mexican or Mexican-American ballads) and murals.

In California, April 10 is Dolores Huerta Day.

Dolores Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in the mining town of Dawson, New Mexico. She is the second child and only daughter of Juan Fernández and Alicia Chávez. Juan Fernández was born in Dawson to a Mexican immigrant family and worked as a coal miner. Later, he joined the migrant labor force, and harvested beets in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. When Huerta was young, she would hear her father tell stories about union organizing. After her parents divorced when she was three years old, she seldom saw her father. He stayed in New Mexico and served in the New Mexico Legislature in 1938.

Chávez raised Huerta and her two brothers in the central California farmworker community of Stockton, California. Huerta's mother was known for her kindness and compassion towards others and was active in community affairs, numerous civic organizations, and the church. She encouraged the cultural diversity that was a natural part of Huerta's upbringing in Stockton. Alicia Chávez was a businesswoman who owned a restaurant and a 70-room hotel, where she welcomed low-wage workers and farmworker families at affordable prices and sometimes gave them free housing. Huerta was inspired by her mother to advocate for farmworkers later on in her life. In an interview, Huerta stated that "The dominant person in my life is my mother. She was a very intelligent woman and a very gentle woman". This prompted Huerta to think about civil rights. Her mother's generous actions during Dolores's childhood provided the foundation for her own non-violent, strongly spiritual stance. In the same interview she said, "When we talk about spiritual forces, I think that Hispanic women are more familiar with spiritual forces. We know what fasting is, and that it is part of the culture. We know what relationships are, and we know what sacrifice is".

Huerta's community activism began when she was a student at Stockton High School. Huerta was active in numerous school clubs and was a majorette and dedicated member of the Girl Scouts until the age of 18.

Dolores Huerta says a school teacher accusing her of stealing another student's work and, as a result, giving her an unfair grade, an act she considers to be rooted in racial bias. Having experienced marginalization during childhood because she was Hispanic, Huerta grew up with the belief that society needed to be changed. She attended college at the University of the Pacific's Stockton College (later to become San Joaquin Delta Community College), where she earned a provisional teaching credential. After teaching elementary school, Huerta left her job and began her lifelong crusade to correct economic injustice:

"I couldn't tolerate seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children.

Dolores Huerta in 2009

In 1955, Huerta along with Fred Ross co-founded and organized the Stockton Chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO), which fought for economic improvements for Latino/Mexican/Chicano migrant Farm workers. Due to her dedication and willingness to serve, Ross often delegated huge responsibilities to her. He knew she was capable of delivering the organization's message in Spanish and English and promoted the agenda from door to door field organizing. "As she assumed responsibilities and stance that were traditionally held by white males, Huerta encountered criticism based on both gender and ethnic stereotypes".

In 1960, Huerta co-founded the Agricultural Workers Association, which set up voter registration drives and pressed local governments for barrio improvements. In 1962, she co-founded, with César Chávez, the National Farm Workers Association, which would later become the United Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee. Huerta was the only woman to ever sit on the board of the UFW, until 2018. In 1966, she negotiated a contract between the UFWOC and Schenley Wine Company, marking the first time that farm workers were able to effectively bargain with an agricultural enterprise.

But Chavez and Huerta quickly realized that they shared a common goal of helping improve the lives and wages of farmworkers, so they co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. In 1962, after the CSO turned down Chávez's request, as their president, to organize farmworkers, Chávez and Huerta resigned from the CSO. She went to work for the National Farm Workers Association, which would later merge with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee. "Dolores's organizing skills were essential to the growth of this budding organization." The Original UFW house is located in the city of Los Angeles.

At the age of only 25, Huerta was a lobbyist in Sacramento for the Stockton Community Service Organization and trained people to do grassroots organizing.

The foundation was later changed to an affiliated agricultural workers' organization. In an interview, Huerta explained that she decided to join the organization after getting an inside look at the poverty farm workers lived in. She cited that they were being paid little to nothing, had no rights, slept on the floors, had wooden boxes as furniture and unclean water, lacked access to bathrooms, and worked from sunrise to sundown without breaks. Many of these workers would migrate to where the crops were in season, meaning their children did not have a proper education and would often work in the fields alongside their parents. She explained that many women were often sexually assaulted by the landowners but were in fear to speak up because their family needed a job. She accused landowners of expecting free labor and justifying it as "doing the farmworkers and the public a favor by giving these people a job."

In 1965, Huerta directed the UFW's national boycott during the Delano grape strike, taking the plight of the farm workers to the consumers. She led the organization of boycotts advocating for consumer rights. The boycott resulted in the entire California table grape industry signing a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the United Farm Workers in 1970.

In addition to organizing, Huerta has been active in lobbying for laws to improve the lives of farm workers. The laws that she supported included the following:

As an advocate for farmworkers' rights, Huerta has been arrested twenty-two times for participating in non-violent civil disobedience activities and strikes. She remains active in progressive causes, and serves on the boards of People for the American Way, Consumer Federation of California, and Feminist Majority Foundation.

On June 5, 1968, Huerta stood beside Robert F. Kennedy on the speaker's platform at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles as he delivered a victory statement to his political supporters shortly after winning the California Democratic presidential primary election. Only moments after the candidate finished his speech, Kennedy and five other people were wounded by gunfire inside the hotel's kitchen pantry. Kennedy died from his gunshot wounds on June 6.

In September 1988, in front of the St. Francis Hotel in Union Square, Huerta was severely beaten by San Francisco Police officer Frank Achim during a peaceful and lawful protest of the policies/platform of then-candidate for president George H. W. Bush. The baton-beating caused significant internal injuries to her torso, resulting in several broken ribs and requiring the removal of her spleen in emergency surgery. The beating was caught on videotape and broadcast widely on local television news. Later, Huerta won a large judgment against the SFPD and the City of San Francisco for the attack, the proceeds of which she used for the benefit of farm workers. As a result of this assault and the suit, the SFPD was pressured to change its crowd control policies and its process of officer discipline.

Following a lengthy recovery, Huerta took a leave of absence from the union to focus on women's rights. She traversed the country for two years on behalf of the Feminist Majority's Feminization of Power: 50/50 by the year 2000 Campaign encouraging Latinas to run for office. The campaign resulted in a significant increase in the number of women representatives elected at the local, state and federal levels. She also served as National Chair of the 21st Century Party, founded in 1992 on the principles that women make up 52% of the party's candidates and that officers must reflect the ethnic diversity of the nation.

Huerta is president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which she founded in 2002. It is a 501(c)(3) "community benefit organization that organizes at the grassroots level, engaging and developing natural leaders. DHF creates leadership opportunities for community organizing, leadership development, civic engagement, and policy advocacy in the following priority areas: health & environment, education & youth development, and economic development."

The foundation first got started when Huerta received the $100,000 Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship in 2002, which she then used to create the DHF. Her youngest daughter, Camila Chavez, is the executive director at the foundation. The primary purpose of the foundation is to weave in movements such as "women's rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, labor rights, and civil rights" into an individual thread.

The DHF has several programs. The civic engagement program focuses on the voting rights of the people. They have protested, with petitions and signatures, to revise property tax loopholes in Proposition 13. Another part of their campaigns was to encourage voters to vote at the California primary elections, and to educate voters on federal issues such as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the White House Budget. They also created a Youth VOTE Campaign, where they were able to reach 1,055 contacts and 809 young voters. The organization has "secured millions of dollars for local infrastructures such as new sewer connections, street lights, sidewalks, and gutters in Lamont and Weedpatch from 2007-2015." The DHF was one of the plaintiffs in a suit against Kern High School District, alleging that African-American and Latino students were unfairly targeted for disciplinary actions; as part of the settlement, the district provides Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports training to staff members.

Dolores Huerta currently has about 15 honorary doctorates.

On November 17, 2015, Dolores Huerta was bestowed the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest decoration a foreign national can receive from the Mexican government. Huerta was lauded for her years of service helping the Mexican community in the United States fighting for equal pay, dignity in the workplace, and fair employment practices in the farms of Northern California like Stockton, Salinas, and Delano.

Huerta received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama on May 29, 2012.

Huerta has served on the Board of Directors of Equality California.

Huerta was named one of the three most important women of the year in 1997 by magazine. She was an inaugural recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights from President Bill Clinton in 1998. That same year, Ladies' Home Journal recognized her as one of the '100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century', along with such women leaders as Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Rosa Parks, and Indira Gandhi.

Speaking at a rally in Santa Barbara, California on September 24, 2006.

She was awarded the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship in 2002. She was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from California State University, Northridge on May 29, 2002. On September 30, 2005, she became an honorary sister of Kappa Delta Chi sorority (Alpha Alpha chapter - Wichita State University). She received an honorary degree from Princeton University in recognition of her numerous achievements May 2006. She was lauded in the ceremony: "Through her insatiable hunger of justice- La Causa-and her tireless advocacy, she has devoted her life to creative, compassionate, and committed citizenship." She was co-recipient (along with Virgilio Elizondo) of the 2007 Community of Christ International Peace Award .

On May 18, 2007, she announced her endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president, and at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Huerta formally placed Clinton's name into nomination. Also in 2008, Huerta received the "Maggie" Award, highest honor of the Planned Parenthood Federation, in tribute to their founder, Margaret Sanger.

She was recognized in 2008 by United Neighborhood Centers of America with its highest individual honor, the Jane Addams Distinguished Leadership Award at its National Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. She was awarded the UCLA Medal, UCLA's highest honor, during the UCLA College of Letters and Science commencement ceremony on June 12, 2009.

In October 2010, Huerta was awarded an honorary degree by Mills College, who lauded her as "a lifetime champion of social justice whose courageous leadership garnered unprecedented national support from farmworkers, women, and underserved communities in a landmark quest for human and civil rights". The same month, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by University of the Pacific, which unveiled an official portrait of her for the Architects of Peace Project by artist Michael Collopy.

Huerta was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters by Mount Holyoke College, where she delivered the commencement address, on May 21, 2017.

Huerta was honored by California State University, Los Angeles in October 2017 with its highest honor, the Presidential Medallion.

Four elementary schools in California and one in Tulsa, Oklahoma; one school in Fort Worth, Texas; a middle school in Burbank, California, and a high school in Pueblo, Colorado, are named after Huerta. Pitzer College, in Claremont, California has a mural in front of Holden Hall dedicated to her. A middle school in the major agricultural city of Salinas, California, which has a dense population of farm workers, was named in 2014 after her. She was a speaker at the first and tenth César Chávez Convocation. In 2013, Huerta received the annual Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, given by Jefferson Awards.

Huerta also gave the keynote address at the Berkeley Law Class of 2018 graduation ceremony.

In July 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB 2455, by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, designating April 10 each year as Dolores Huerta Day. In March 2019, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a measure also designating April 10 each year as Dolores Huerta Day.

The intersection of East 1st and Chicago streets in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights is named Dolores Huerta Square. In Fort Worth, Texas, a portion of State Highway 183 is named in honor of Huerta.

Asteroid 6849 Doloreshuerta, discovered by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in 1979, was named in her honor. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on August 27, 2019 ().

Huerta received the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in 2020.

In March 2021, the Governing Board of the Burbank Unified School District in Burbank voted to rename its David Starr Jordan Middle School as the Dolores Huerta Middle School. Yale University awarded Huerta an Honorary Doctor of Laws in May 2021. In August 2021, a brand new middle school in San Jose was dedicated in Huerta's honor.

In October 2022, the Research Center for the Americas at the University of California, Santa Cruz was renamed the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas in honor of her work in social justice, whose legacy has influenced the center's work and values.

Huerta also received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from University of Southern California, the highest honor conferred by the university, in May 2023.

Huerta is one of the subjects of the Sylvia Morales film A Crushing Love (2009), the sequel to Chicana (1979).

She is portrayed by actress/activist Rosario Dawson in Diego Luna's César Chávez (2014).

She is the focus of a 2017 documentary called .

A middle school in Las Cruces, New Mexico is named after her, called La Academia Dolores Huerta. The school specializes in bilingual studies, Latin dance and folk music.

Huerta appears with César Chávez in the graphic memoir Tata Rambo La Voz de M.A.Y.O, by Henry Barajas, Bernardo Brice and Gonzo[citation needed ]

Women's rights

Dolores Huerta speaking at a campaign rally with former President Bill Clinton at Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona.

Huerta championed women's rights in feminist campaigns during her time off from union work. She also fought for ethnic diversity in her campaigns.

Huerta was an honorary co-chair of the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as president.

Dolores, a new documentary about Huerta, talks a lot about her feminist approach to activism. She defines a feminist person as someone "who supports a woman's reproductive rights, who supports a woman's right to an abortion, who supports LGBT rights, who supports workers and labor unions, somebody who cares about the environment, who cares about civil rights and equality and equity in terms of our economic system." Huerta goes on, in the documentary, to explain how she understands why many people think "feminism is for white women" and that is because middle-class women initially organized it. However, her stance is to show that women of color can be at the front of civil rights, labor, and feminist movements. When looking to the future of activism, Huerta believes that education is the way to go, stating: "We've got to include, from pre-K, the contributions of people of color in our schools today." She says this is the only way to erase the ignorance we have in the world right now.

Dolores Huerta and Gloria Steinem championed intersectionality in activism. In the 60's, when Huerta traveled to New York City for the Boycott of California Table Grapes, she was focused on bringing women to the fight. Said Huerta: "My mind was focused on getting those women at those conventions to support the farmworkers,". At the convention, Gloria Steinem voiced her support for Huerta's cause, which prompted Huerta to lend her support for the feminist movement. Huerta believes herself to be a "born again feminist". By consciously incorporating feminism into her fight for workers' rights, Huerta had more of an impact on how female workers were treated. Additionally, Steinem expanded the feminist movement to include issues surrounding race and feminism to show it was no longer a movement just for white women.

In the 1970s, Huerta's positions on women's rights were often moderated by the UFW's messaging strategy, which involved portraying its workers as what Ana Raquel Minion describes as "idealized figure[s] of the physically disciplined resident/ laborer deserving of rights." As a result, the union encouraged abstinence, discouraged homosexuality, and restricted the distribution of birth control to laborers. Huerta joined in criticizing workers for their perceived promiscuity; while she did not personally support the use of birth control, she kept this opinion to herself out of respect for other women's choices.

In 2014, Dolores Huerta organized people in Colorado to vote against Amendment 67, which would have extended the definition of "person" and "child" in the Colorado Criminal Code and the Colorado Wrongful Death Act to include "unborn human beings", which could have restricted reproductive rights.

Huerta spent three decades advocating for safer working conditions with the UFW. A key part of her platform was reducing use of harmful pesticides. As her movement grew more feminist in nature, this became more important as such pesticides cause pregnancy complications such as: decreased fertilitity, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and developmental abnormalities.

Huerta married Ralph Head in college after her graduation in 1948. During their marriage, they had two daughters, Celeste and Lori.

After divorcing Head, she married Ventura Huerta, with whom she bore five children. Their son Emilio Jesus Huerta entered politics and ran for Congress. Her second marriage ended in divorce as well, in part because of the significant amount of time that she spent away from the family while campaigning and organizing.

Later, Huerta had a romantic relationship with Richard Chavez, the brother of César Chávez. Huerta and Chávez never married, but the couple had four children during their relationship. Richard Chávez died on July 27, 2011.

The Dolores Huerta Papers are a part of the United Farm Workers Collections at the Walter P. Reuther Library. There is also significant material related to Huerta in the Cesar Chávez Papers at the Reuther Library.

Amsler, T. R. (Summer 2007). "'Si, Se Puede': Hayward teachers gain concessions and a valuable ally". Rethinking Schools, 21(4), 11.

Felner, J. (Jan/Feb 1998). "Dolores Huerta". Ms, 8(4), 48-49.

Harris, Gloria G.; Hannah S. Cohen (2012). "Chapter 4. Reformers and Activists - Dolores Huerta: Co-Founder of United Farm Workers of America". Women Trailblazers of California: Pioneers to the Present. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 60-74 [71-74]. ISBN 978-1609496753.

Huerta, D. (Spring 2007). "One more child left behind". Ms, 17(2), 79.

Perez, F (1996). Dolores Huerta. Austin, TX: Raintree.

Rose, M. (2004). "Dolores Huerta: The United Farm Workers Union". In Arnesen, E (Ed.). Human tradition in American labor history. (pp. 211-229). Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources Inc.

Rosenburg, R. (Editor & Director) (1996). Women of hope [Videocassette]. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities.

Schiff, K. G. (2005). Lighting the way: Nine women who changed modern America. New York: Hyperion.

Telles, R & Tejada-Flores, R. (Directors) (1997). Fight in the fields [videocassette]. San Francisco: Paradigm Productions.

Vogel, N. (September 7, 2005). "Legislature OKs gay marriage; Assembly action sends the bill to the governor, who has signaled that he will veto the measure". Los Angeles Times, p. A1.

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Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta (born April 10, 1930) is an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chavez, is a co-founder of the United Farmworkers Association, which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers (UFW).

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Dolores Huerta is the fearless labor activist who coined the positive protest slogan 'si se puede'

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The teen fighting to protect Canada's water — meet Autumn Peltier

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Water protector Autumn Peltier speaks at UN

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North American Association for Environmental Education

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NAAEE's influence stretches across North America and around the world, with members in more than 30 countries. NAAEE and its 56 state, provincial, and regional Affiliate organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico have more than 20K members across business, government, higher education, formal and nonformal education, early childhood education, science education and STEM, and other sectors of society.
NAAEE Celebrates 50 Years

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About | North American Association for Environmental Education

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NAAEE's influence stretches across North America and around the world, with members in more than 30 countries. NAAEE and its 56 state, provincial, and regional Affiliate organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico have more than 20K members across business, government, higher education, formal and nonformal education, early childhood education, science education and STEM, and other sectors of society.

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Early Life and Education

Autumn Peltier was born and raised on the shores of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes, the world's largest freshwater supply. She has attended school in Ottawa, where she lives with her mother and two sisters, Naomi and Ciara.

At the age of eight, Peltier attended a ceremony at Serpent River First Nation in Ontario with her mother, Stephanie, that, in part, inspired her future work as a water protector. At Serpent River, Peltier saw signs that warned of "toxic" drinking water. Contaminated water on reserves in Canada - caused by a variety of factors including pollution and pipeline leaks - has been an ongoing problem. During a 2019 Women of Influence interview, Autumn recalled the experience and how it affected her: "My mom explained to me that the community had been on a boiled-water advisory for over 10 years. I was shocked." ( See also Social Conditions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Peltier learned about the importance of clean water and respecting the environment from her mother and great-aunt Josephine Mandamin. Mandamin was known as the "water walker" because of her years working as the Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner until her death in 2019. Peltier discussed how she has been inspired to take on the responsibility of clean-water advocacy in an interview that year with the magazine, ETFO Voice:

My aunt and mom have been teaching me about the importance of clean drinking water and how to protect the environment since I was a little girl.... I advocate for water because we all came from water and water is literally the only reason we are here today and living on this earth.

Activism

Autumn Peltier has fought for the right of people to drink clean water, whether on reserves in Canada or in the developing world. In 2016, at the annual winter meeting of the Assembly of First Nations, then-12-year-old Autumn displayed great courage in criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's clean-water policies in a face-to-face meeting: "I am very unhappy with the choices you've made." Trudeau replied, "I understand that. I will protect the water."

The public "scolding" of the prime minister by such a young activist gained Peltier international media attention. Autumn shared her urgent message about water at the United Nations (UN) in New York. She spoke before the UN General Assembly for the launch of the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development in 2018, and then again before the UN Global Landscapes Forum in 2019.

Since 2015, the Canadian government has lifted 88 long-term drinking advisories, as they work toward cleaning contaminated water on reserves. However, as of February 2020, 61 long-term drinking water advisories remained in effect. The federal government acknowledged in December 2020 that its goal to get rid of the problem by March 2021 will not be met, though efforts to eradicate boil-water advisories continue.

It's The Secret Life of Canada's first shout out to a living youth leader! Meet Anishnabe-kwe Autumn Peltier. Greatly influenced by her great aunt Josephine Mandamin, Autumn has been using her voice to advocate for water rights since she was 8 years old. Today, The Secret Life of Canada learns a little more about this phenomenal water warrior and International Children's Peace Prize nominee.
Note: The Secret Life of Canada is hosted and written by Falen Johnson and Leah Simone Bowen and is a CBC original podcast independent of The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner

With the passing of her great-aunt Josephine Mandamin in February 2019, Autumn Peltier was appointed Chief Water Commissioner, the new "water walker" of her people. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare admitted that it was an easy choice: "Autumn has extensive nibi giikendaaswin (water knowledge). She has been bringing global attention to the water issues in our country for a few years now."

Recognition

Autumn Peltier has made positive contributions as a water-rights protector. Maclean's magazine recognized the young activist in December 2019, naming Peltier one of Canada's "20 people to watch in 2020." Peltier's name topped the list of notables, including politicians Catherine McKenna and Chrystia Freeland. The Maclean's article noted, "As youth-led climate strikes continue globally, Peltier's voice will undoubtedly be one of the most crucial."

Peltier's environmental efforts have been recognized globally as well. She was nominated for the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The award, sponsored by the international organization KidsRights, is given annually to "a child who fights courageously for children's rights." Peltier was also named a "Science Defender" by the Union of Concerned Scientists in 2019.

In 2021, Peltier was awarded the 2021 RevolutionHer Community Vision Youth Award for her work as the Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner. The award recognizes youth between 13-18 years old, operating as volunteers, philanthropists, or entrepreneurs. The candidates are active community members that are passionate about leading initiatives to better future generations.

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Autumn Peltier, Anishinaabe water-rights advocate, Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner (born 27 September 2004 in Wiikwemikoong Unceded Territory, Man...

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2021 Youth Nature Inspiration Award—Autumn Peltier

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Autumn Peltier on the fight for clean drinking water in Canada's Indigenous communities

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In 2016, at age 12, Autumn Peltier came face-to-face with Justin Trudeau and, in front of hundreds of people in a conference hall in Gatineau, Que., she challenged his environmental record, extracting a promise from the Prime Minister that he would "protect the water."

Peltier, who turns 18 next year, has since emerged as a powerful voice in the climate movement, appearing on the international stage next to the likes of Greta Thunberg and, at home, continuing to keep the pressure on Trudeau. She is also the chief water commissioner for Anishinabek Nation in Ontario. I spoke with her about her ongoing frustrations, and what she expects to see happen in what will be a critical year in environmentalism.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

You've spoken before about attending a ceremony at Serpent River First Nation when you were eight, and noticing signage about toxic water, and how that led you to become interested in water activism. Can you tell me more about what inspired you?

I was raised in a traditional lifestyle, being taught my ways, my teachings, who I was as an Indigenous person, an Indigenous woman. The ceremony was the eye-opener for the work that I do. And my Auntie Josephine [Mandamin] was too: before she passed away two years ago, she told me to keep on doing the work. Carrying on her legacy is one of the most important things to me.

Your aunt was a well-known activist, known as "Grandmother Water Walker." What's the best advice she ever gave you?

It's actually what she told me the day before she passed away. And it was, "People are going to try to stop you, but you just have to keep on doing the work and keep on loving the water." And she was right. It was her saying that that helped me realize that I can't let people get to me.

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What kinds of things are people doing?

I get a lot of negative comments, negative feedback. It's a lot more than I thought I would get, because the work that I do is for a good reason, and you wouldn't generally think that people would be against this or try to bring me down. Like, "She's just a kid, what can she do?" Or "Why does what she says matter?"

Young people bring up your name as someone they admire. How does it feel to know that you're a role model to so many of your peers, and to younger kids too?

I speak to a lot of little kids in Grade 1 and kindergarten. They'll come up to me and say, "I look up to you, I'm so proud of you," and just hearing a little person say that is honestly so inspiring to me. I look at it as I'm a mentor to all these little kids. What kind of mentor would I be if I was to give up and let people get to me? So I have to be strong and show them this is how you do it.

RELATED: Mark Messier on leadership, trust and magic mushrooms

What kinds of questions do they have for you?

I get questions like, "Are you Moana?" Or "Do you have magic powers to heal the water?" [laughs]

With an adult audience, especially with people in power, do you feel like they brush you off because of your age?

I do already feel looked down upon. Being a young person, and being a young Indigenous female, I do feel a lot of intimidation, especially at big meetings where there are big politicians and it's a room full of all these big white men. It's really intimidating.

Have you talked to other young activists about how to deal with that pressure?

I think where I experienced that the most was probably the World Economic Forum, because all the youth were put into a group. And we all spent every day together and would actually talk about, 'Okay, well, I'm kind of uncomfortable here.' We all have the same mindset when it comes to how we deal with it. It's just remembering why we're doing what we're doing, and always ignoring the negative comments.

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When it comes to remembering why you're doing this, what are the things you think about?

My ancestors survived racism, oppression and residential schools. You still see how resilient and strong a lot of Indigenous people are. Our culture is still here. We're all still here. My ancestors survived and I will be an ancestor one day. I just need to be one of those strong ancestors too in my head.

I want to ask you about when you confronted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau five years ago at an Assembly of First Nations event. Do you think people were surprised to hear a 12-year-old calling him out like that?

Actually, nobody expected that, even my mom. That day, I was told not to say anything to him. I was told to just walk up, give him the gift and then walk away. You don't say anything.

That was my opportunity to say something to the literal Prime Minister of Canada. Like, who gets the chance to actually share their thoughts with him? So I took the opportunity. I gave him a piece of my mind.

Who was it that was telling you not to talk to him?

It was the people that were organizing the event that day.

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Do you feel like your message got through to him?

I don't know if it was that message, but I'm sure he's aware of my work. Because even at the World Economic Forum, the headlines for the European magazines and newspapers were that I called out the Canadian federal government. So that work was definitely recognized and noticed.

He made a big promise to me, which was: "I will protect the water." I was 12 at the time, I am 17 years old now, and I'm still holding him accountable to that promise.

Do you believe that he cares about that?

I feel like he could care more. I know [his government] did make a commitment to resolve all boil water advisories in Canada by March of 2021, and of course that didn't happen. To promise to resolve a big issue like that within a certain amount of time and [not do it], and there are still communities that can't drink their water after over 25 years, how are we supposed to trust the government? How are we supposed to believe him? I feel he pretends to care.

Is there something he could do right now, today, to give you more confidence that he does care?

I think instead of making promises or just speaking about it, taking action and actually doing something. And address the issue instead of travelling all over the world.

What did you think, by the way, about his trip to Tofino on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

It was pretty disappointing. How are you going to be the Prime Minister of Canada and be taking a vacation on a day like that? And you claim to care about these types of things? It was very upsetting.

Tell me a bit more about what you're paying attention to right now, the problems that are not being addressed but should be.

I mainly focus on boil water advisories in First Nations communities, or lack of clean drinking water, and that's, I guess, really my main worry right now. We're in a pandemic and we're told that we need to wash our hands and sanitize, but some communities don't have access to those simple things. How is a community that has no clean running water supposed to wash their hands every day? How are they supposed to do simple sanitizing? That's what doesn't make sense.

Do you think that if the government would just put more money and attention toward boil water advisories they would be a thing of the past? Is it a matter of political will?

That's always their excuse, that they don't have the funding or the resources to do that. But just think about how fast it would be resolved and fixed if there was to be a drinking water issue in an area like Toronto or Ottawa, how fast they would call that a state of emergency and how fast they would fix that.

But a First Nations community of 200, 300, 400 people can go without clean drinking water for over 30 years, where they literally have to bathe their babies in bottled water, cook and clean with bottled water, wash themselves with bottled water.

The pandemic did teach us how quickly money and resources can be mobilized when there's an emergency. That must be frustrating to think about.

Yeah, it is.

Some words to live by

Autumn Peltier wants you to be mindful of how much water you use, and to support First Nations with their advocacy. She also wants you to read and listen. Here are her suggestions: (Click through this gallery)

Looking ahead to the year 2022, what do you want to see happen?

No more broken promises. More communication, more working together and collaborating and listening and letting people have a say, not just politicians and people in big power. Less discrimination. More cultural sensitivity. And, of course, ending boil water advisories, or at least minimizing them, or finding a solution for it.

On discrimination and cultural sensitivity, what do you think would be a sign that things are getting better?

I guess when I stop hearing stereotypes, it will have gotten better. It's crazy to think that even in Ottawa, where diversity is so common and there are so many different people, different colours, different races, it's crazy to think that people are still using stereotypes in 2021.

You're disappointed in the Prime Minister, but do you feel like politicians from other parties have anything better to offer?

I think my only hope with other politicians is just my opinion being heard more. I have really good support in the NDP. The [Ontario MPP] for Algoma-Manitoulin, his name's Michael Mantha and he's one of my biggest supporters.

You've talked in the past about going into politics and trying to become one of the decision-makers, like the minister of environment. But we've seen Indigenous women recently leaving the federal Parliament-people like NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq-saying that it's a toxic place and that it's really difficult to get anything done. Has that affected the way you think about your own future?

I know that it is a pretty toxic field. Seeing Mumilaaq talk about her experience, it kind of makes me scared of going into it. That's why I might focus my career path more toward Indigenous politics. I don't know.

But you still see politics as the best way to get things done?

I do. Because you know the people that I'm trying to get the attention of right now are politicians and people in power. Because they're the people that make change.

What would have to change for you to feel less intimidated about trying to get elected?

No matter where you go, you're going to be discriminated against. That's what I face, that's what I experience. Even just going to school you get stereotyped.

What kinds of things have you experienced at school?

When I first moved to Ottawa about three years ago, they would ask me, "What's your ethnicity? Where are you from?" And I would get negative comments like, "Okay, well, are your parents drug addicts? Are your parents alcoholics? Are you poor? Do you live in a tepee?" It's just, like, no.

Do you think those stereotypes are getting less common?

Honestly, I don't really have hope for it changing too much, and it's something that I'm okay with dealing with for the rest of my life if I have to. Because I know several Indigenous people who are doctors, lawyers, successful politicians-and even my grandma, she's a professor at the University of Alberta. I know that not all Indigenous people, not all First Nations people are drug addicts or alcoholics and it's a stereotype because of intergenerational trauma from residential schools. People don't understand why some people are on those paths.

You've said before that you worry you'll get to be 70 or 80 years old and will have spent your life advocating for change, but that nothing will have been done. Are you still worried about that?

Although I have seen change within the years that I have been advocating, it is not as much as I would like to see. And it's not a lot. It's something, but it's not a lot. And it kind of makes me lose hope thinking about whether anything will have changed by the time I'm 70 or 80. It's scary, but that's how I look at it.

This interview appears in print in the January 2022 issue of Maclean's magazine. Subscribe to the monthly print magazine here.

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Autumn Peltier on youth activism, challenging Trudeau, and a future in politics

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In 2016, at age 12, Autumn Peltier came face-to-face with Justin Trudeau and, in front of hundreds of people in a conference hall in Gatineau, Que., she challenged his environmental record, extracting a promise from the Prime Minister that he would "protect the water."

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Safe Water for First Nations

Nothing is more important than clean water.

Yet at any given time there are drinking water advisories in dozens of First Nations communities across Canada. The lack of clean, safe drinking water in First Nations is one of the greatest violations of the UN-recognized human rights to water and sanitation.

While there has been progress in recent years, there are still 28 long term drinking water advisories on reserves including some that have been in place for more than 25 years. There is also a deficit in funding for the maintenance and operation of drinking water systems on reserves, which the Parliamentary Budget Officer identified as amounting to $138 million per year.

Instead, the Liberal government has been promoting public-private partnerships (P3s) as a solution. History has shown that P3s not only cost more, but they also lead to the privatization of water and a loss of community control and jobs. P3s are not the answer to the drinking water crisis in First Nations.

The Council of Canadians fights for safe, clean water for everyone. We support Indigenous peoples' right to self-government and self-determination. Greater control by and for First Nations over water is a basic step toward reconciliation, a requirement of  the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and a necessary precondition to ending drinking water advisories in First Nations for good.

20+ years

Some of the advisories date as far back as 1995 - like Neskantaga First Nation.

July 2010

In 2010, the United Nations declared water and sanitation human rights, acknowledging they are essential to the realization of all other rights.

5,000

A single drinking water advisory can mean as many at 5,000 people lack access to safe, clean drinking water.

73%

73 per cent of First Nations' water systems are at high or medium risk of contamination.

Long-term drinking water advisories with public systems on reserves
First Nation Reserves with long-term drinking water advisories

View the Water Drops photo gallery
Sources:

Alternative Federal Budget, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, February 2019, policyalternatives.ca

Glass half empty? David Suzuki Foundation and Council of Canadians, February 2017

Indigenous Services Canada, Government of Canada, canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada.html

Read more analysis

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There are still 28 long term drinking water advisories on reserves including some that have been in place for more than 25 years.

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