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Hi John,

We’re sorry for a mistake we made in our newsletter last month. We asked you to vote on your favourite narrative for our new campaign, but a tech issue prevented you from seeing the options. 🤦‍♀️ But you should have received an email before that, which also gave you the chance to vote. Sorry for any confusion!

💡 Solutions journalism story of the month:

Find out how Amsterdam is leading the way to reduce flooding, increase biodiversity, and cool the city with its ‘Smart’ Blue-Green Roofs.

🤔 How would you spend your country's climate funds?

From clean and affordable energy and regenerative farming to re-designing greener cities and sustainable water management, every country needs the tools to respond to the global climate crisis.

If you were in charge of the United States' climate change funds, what's one thing you would use it for?

💥 Your activist quick hits

❓How do people catch malaria? Take our quiz and test your knowledge now to find out.

🎧 Listen to five passionate activists from Nigeria and Kenya talk about the impact climate change is having on their lives and the potential Africa has to lead the green economic revolution the world needs. 

💵 The World Bank was set up to reduce poverty, but its outdated system is making it slow and inefficient. Send a postcard to the bank’s new president to demand the changes we need for people and the planet.

📣 Follow Greta’s lead on 15 September and join the global climate strike! Find out how to take action in the streets or online.

💧 By 2030, global demand for freshwater is expected to outstrip supply by 40%. The Zero Water Waste Challenge is looking for innovative solutions to invest in.

People changing the World: Lilia Touil

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Lilia Touil, I am 23 years old and I live in Paris. I’m a law student specialising in international and European law. 

I campaign on the issues I feel most strongly about, like education, extreme poverty, social justice, racism, and discrimination.

Through my studies, I’ve gained an understanding of why these problems exist and how to combat them from a legal perspective. My work as a ONE activist gives me practical and enriching experience through campaigning online, raising awareness, and meeting decision-makers.

Have you ever felt discouraged from being an activist? How did you persevere? 

We each get involved in activism for our own reasons. It’s normal to feel unmotivated and powerless sometimes when we don’t see immediate results. It’s important to remember why you decided to get involved and that every action you take is a step towards something better.

I want to become an international lawyer, so I know that my experience can only help me to achieve my goal and have greater impact.

What's one thing you've learned that might help someone new to activism?

I’ve been involved with ONE for a few years now. One thing that’s stayed with me is the conviction that our voices count and that every action we take is worthwhile.

We often hear that we're not going to change the world, but I can assure you that my experience has changed me. It’s through helping others that I’ve actually learned more about myself and the progress I’ve made.

Change starts at the individual level, and it’s the sum of voices and actions that leads to the greatest change. So we need to trust our intuition and dare to speak out in unjust situations.

 What is your favourite activism-inspired quote?

My favorite quote, and probably the one that underpins my commitment to education, is Nelson Mandela's famous statement: “education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

For me, knowledge is power. Access to knowledge allows you to change the course of life, starting with your own. Having access to education means having the choice to lead the life you want. This change on an individual level leads to wider success within communities and beyond.

As a 'factivist', what is one fact that you wish more people knew?

As an activist, it’s important to stay well-informed and this is one of the important aspects of our work with ONE.

Each young person who joins is not necessarily an expert on the issues ONE campaigns on, but we are trained to improve our knowledge on these issues.

One fact that springs to mind is that African countries are the most affected by the consequences of global warming, but are responsible for producing only 4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. 

This injustice reinforces the need for countries most responsible for causing climate change to take responsibility. We must support the most climate-vulnerable countries to be able to respond to the climate crisis.

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