Yahoo Finance Cara Delevingne delivers powerful climate change speech calling to protect the Amazon
Cara Delevingne has delivered a powerful speech on climate change for the 2020 Younga Forum, calling for help to protect the Amazon and its indigenous people.
The model and actress highlighted the devastating impact that the combination of deforestation and Covid-19 has had on the region, and implored for "ecocide" - a term coined to describe the mass damage and destruction of nature - to be made an international crime.
“This is a moment like no other in history," she says, in our exclusive extract of her speech (watch a preview in the video above). "It's a moment where many millions of us have slowed down and millions of us are thinking more deeply about the way we live."
The 28-year-old also touches on her work with EcoResolution, which she founded with global education platform Advaya, which aims to "encourage all of us to explore how we can live in best harmony with the Earth, each other and ourselves".
She continues: "The Indigenous peoples of the Amazon already know how to live in harmony with the Earth, yet, right now they are threatened twice over. Covid-19 has spread to Indigenous communities, which are especially vulnerable to disease, and many thousands of cases have been confirmed."
"At the same time, destructive deforestation in the Amazon is increasing. These wisdom-keepers of the forest protect and defend the Amazon for all of us. It’s up to us to support them and we can do that right now by giving to the Amazon Emergency Fund. I urge you to support as generously as you can—to help provide rapid response supplies like food, medical care, emergency communications and evacuation, and help with protection and community resilience across the Amazon region.
"Beyond that, if we really want to safeguard life on Earth, we must make it illegal to destroy ecosystems like the Amazon. Mass damage and destruction of nature is called ecocide and it should be an international crime, just like genocide. That’s why I signed up to the Stop The Ecocide campaign, working with lawyers and researchers and diplomats to make ecocide a crime at the International Criminal Court.
Delevingne concludes her speech by inviting anyone listening to make an "EcoResolution" right now and sign up to support the Amazon Emergency Fund and help stop ecocide. "It’s time to change the rules so that we can truly protect people and the planet," she urges.
The forum, which connects more than 1,500 youth delegates across 100+ countries, is initiative from BridgingTheGap Ventures - a Canadian youth-led and women-led social enterprise which focuses on developing and supporting youth innovation and youth talent development.
“The Forum relates directly to our mission in both bridging opportunity gaps and providing meaningful experiences for young people to develop as leaders and contribute to inclusive innovation and sustainable development," explains BridgingTheGap founder Kelly Lovell. "We are living in a world where the voice of youth can be more powerful than ever before and we believe now is the right time to form a connecting pathway between them and the decision-makers from key bodies and organisations that have the power to lead change. In doing so, we can create unity and sustainable impact that can reverberate around the world”. As well as climate change and sustainable living, other key discussion topics include equality and inclusion; future of education and work; mental health and wellbeing; and peace and justice.
Register to watch Cara's speech in full, plus the rest of the performances and addresses, at youngaforum.com. See an exclusive preview in our video above, courtesy of Artists for Amazonia.
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