When the young question the old
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As the green envoy chosen by Oxfam Hong Kong, Xiao Xin, 24, went to Copenhagen for the 12-day United Nations Climate Change Conference. Here is her latest blog.
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Young leader Joseph? |
He seems very small. To me he looks no more than ten. He had to stand on a chair so that we could see him.
In a slow, quiet voice Joseph said "We don't have enough food; we need much more. Before when we stood on the school roof we could see snow on the top of the mountain but not any more. There used to be a river near my house. I want to ask the old people at the meeting what the future will be like for young people."
A person in the audience whispered "he's so smart!"
Tomorrow, it will be my turn to ask questions of the "old people" like Bekele Geleta、John Holmes, Mary Robinson, Josette Sheeran and Jet Li.
That will be at a forum called "Leaders of today, Leaders of tomorrow：a dialogue on climate," organized by UNICEF and the Red Cross.
Xiao Xin will be attending as a representative of Chinese young people. "I will tell them the story of Gansu corn, about the Oxfam "I DO" campaign, about what I saw on the spot in Gansu Province and the voices of the people there. All those famous people are going to hear the real voice of China."
I will also have an opportunity to ask questions. I will have to think about them carefully…
During a chat over tea, I asked Xiao Xin what she had been doing about climate change, "We got a group together to plant seeds, we already have 34 people… and in the future more people will join," she said. Her confidence was inspiring.
This young leader, with her many questions will no doubt surprise the big names at the meeting!
(Translated by Jessica Zhang)
