Three weeks ago, 26-year-old Elizabeth Wathuti took to the stage at the largest climate conference in history. At her side was the bold red of the British host nation’s Union Jack; behind her, a screen was blocked out in UN blue; and on her jacket and beaded bracelet were emblazoned the red, black and green stripes of the Kenyan flag. The combined weight of these colours and symbols spoke to the immensity of the global negotiation ahead – but it was to each individual’s conscience that Wathuti made her address.
“I have asked myself, over and over, what words might move you,” the Kenyan activist told delegates, her eyes searching the room to meet those of each assembled. “And then I realised that making my four minutes count does not rest solely on me: my truth will only land if you have the grace to fully listen; my story will only move you if you can open up your hearts.”
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