I'd really like for you to watch this video before you read what I have to say about this event for an unbiased perspective! What kinds of feelings are you left with?
I heard about this action, as they call it here, a few minutes before it was set to start. I eagerly ran over to the location, totally pumped and ready to protest with some fellow U.S. youth! The group was still formulating their plan, so I raced over and asked what they were doing. I was told, "an action." Oh really.... I thought to myself, but I ignored the short response and asked what the action was for. The girl told me it was to voice Obama's lack of leadership at the conference. Now if you know me, you would know that I am an Obama administration supporter. However, I figured I could put aside the fact that I disagreed with their little statement to some regard (we all know that this whole fiscal cliff business is taking first priority at home at the moment), and take a stand for the environment.
I stood around for a few minutes, waiting to hear the game plan and start protesting! Unfortunately they seemed pretty disorganized, and when they starting arguing with each other over scribbling out a word of their "script," I peaced out of there. That's not my kind of group. I took a watchful position with the few media crews there and waited to see how this all was going to play out.
So, as you saw from the video, what played out was not the meaningful protest I had expected. I was extremely disappointed and left feeling uninspired. Was this seriously the best the U.S. youth could do? Just yesterday, two young people from Algeria and Libya were deported for their acts of protest in the main hall against the lack of progress at the COP. These U.S. youth (although I do appreciate the initial motivation behind the action) seemed to be hiding in a corner of one of the hallways. Even more depressing was the lack of interest from people passing by the group. My main critique is the lack of conviction in the youth's speech, but their body language was also that of indifference and non-commitment to their cause. There was no attempt to include other people in their protest, and the lack of involvement from anyone outside of the group quickly dissoved the tension that I initially felt in the air.
After some time to think about this event, I have decided that this disappointing action shows a lot about the U.S. We seem to be unmotivated and uninvolved internationally, and do not possess the spirit that the other countries here obviously have. I was just at a talk by the Costa Rican delegates, who have announced (and whole heartedly believe) that their country will be "carbon-neutral" in 9 years' time. Where is that ambition in the U.S.? Are we capable of being that ambitious and optimistic about anything? I am personally sick of the negativity, doubt, and lack of commitment I have been seeing.
I stood around for a few minutes, waiting to hear the game plan and start protesting! Unfortunately they seemed pretty disorganized, and when they starting arguing with each other over scribbling out a word of their "script," I peaced out of there. That's not my kind of group. I took a watchful position with the few media crews there and waited to see how this all was going to play out.
So, as you saw from the video, what played out was not the meaningful protest I had expected. I was extremely disappointed and left feeling uninspired. Was this seriously the best the U.S. youth could do? Just yesterday, two young people from Algeria and Libya were deported for their acts of protest in the main hall against the lack of progress at the COP. These U.S. youth (although I do appreciate the initial motivation behind the action) seemed to be hiding in a corner of one of the hallways. Even more depressing was the lack of interest from people passing by the group. My main critique is the lack of conviction in the youth's speech, but their body language was also that of indifference and non-commitment to their cause. There was no attempt to include other people in their protest, and the lack of involvement from anyone outside of the group quickly dissoved the tension that I initially felt in the air.
After some time to think about this event, I have decided that this disappointing action shows a lot about the U.S. We seem to be unmotivated and uninvolved internationally, and do not possess the spirit that the other countries here obviously have. I was just at a talk by the Costa Rican delegates, who have announced (and whole heartedly believe) that their country will be "carbon-neutral" in 9 years' time. Where is that ambition in the U.S.? Are we capable of being that ambitious and optimistic about anything? I am personally sick of the negativity, doubt, and lack of commitment I have been seeing.
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