Young Voices for the Climate: Self-Perception of the Influence of Chilean Climate Activist Collectives

Abstract

In recent years, young people have positioned themselves as protagonists in the struggle for climate action. This article analyzes how three collectives of young climate activists in Chile self-perceive their political incidence in the public debate on climate change. The groups selected for analysis are Tremendas, Fridays for Future Chile, and EscazúAhora Chile. The three emerged between 2018 and 2020, led by young people between the ages of 15 and 18. To learn about the self-perception of the activists, members of these collectives were interviewed to find out in what way they recognize that they are influencing. The results reveal that the activists perceive themselves not only as groups of young people with a high commitment to action on climate change, but also as young people who are “taking action” to address this issue. On the other hand, these groups highlight the importance of having managed to organize their own youth-led collectives, because this allows them to have a space where they are promoters and executors of actions. In the words of the activists, this also gave them the possibility of creating a space to “give a voice to a generation of young people”.