Juwaria Jama and Isra Hirsi: Power of the Youth Voice

Moderated by Change Narrative’s Jothsna Harris 

Sat, Jan 28, 2 pm
American Swedish Institute
Part of the Climate Solutions Series

Youth today are growing up with the knowledge of climate change, and they are powerfully mobilizing across our globe to demand climate justice and a livable future. Join change-makers, Isra Hirsi and Juwaria Jama, leaders in the youth climate movement in Minnesota and beyond, for a powerful conversation around what this moment means to them, moderated by Change Narrative’s Jothsna Harris. 

Juwaria Jama is an 18-year-old climate justice organizer and poet from Minneapolis. She is a freshman at Emerson College majoring in Political Communication and Environmental Studies. Throughout high school she was involved in Minnesota Youth For Climate Justice, and was the State Lead for more than three years helping lead climate strikes, workshops, and educational access for environmental and climate justice. She served on the Minnesota Youth Council for four years and has spent the last two years working on local electoral campaigns. In her free time she enjoys writing and performing spoken word poetry, baking, and going on walks.

Isra Hirsi is a 19-year-old organizer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She co-founded US Youth Climate Strike in 2019 and helped organize hundreds of strikes across the country on March 15th and September 20th, 2019. In 2020, she was put on Fortune's 40 under 40 list for her work.

Change Narrative LLC exists to build capacity in the climate justice movement through the power of our stories. Founder Jothsna Harris has a decade of experience building capacity for the climate justice movement, designing award-winning climate change programs rooted in community, centering personal stories, and other values-based ways that resonate. Through a coaching practice, Jothsna has worked with thousands of people to craft compelling narratives to build climate confidence and advocate for solutions. Jothsna was formerly the Director of Special Projects and Partnerships at Climate Generation, where she co-edited the anthology book, Eyewitness: Minnesota Voices on Climate Change. She currently serves on The Great Northern Festival Board of Directors.