On 5th December 50,000 people from across the country joined The Wave demonstrations to put pressure on the Government to make the climate change talks in Copenhagen count. At least 76 Platform2 returnees joined the march, including Josh Ferraioli from York...
 
I went to Ghana with Platform2 in December last year. I lived in a community of farmers who grew maize, palm trees (for palm oil & wine), coconuts, pineapples and plantains. The community didn’t talk about climate change much because they didn’t seem to know or have access to the sort of information we do. It was obvious that if anything happened to their crops their livelihoods would be ruined.
 
I came to London to join The Wave because I don’t want the friends I made in Ghana to suffer as a result of our actions in the West. Since Platform2 I’ve been on 2 marches, I also went to Coventry in March for the national Climate Change Day of Action to protest about plans by E.ON to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent. We were asking Gordon Brown, and other world leaders, to ensure that the plight of the world’s poorest countries is central to climate change talks in Copenhagen.
 
At the Wave I felt again that I was doing something positive, there were 50,000 of us and it really felt like our voices could be heard. It was my first time in London and I’m glad this was the reason I came. I marched (in blue) with other Platform2 returnees, we were working together again, like we had been in Ghana, this time in the fight for climate justice.
 
There’s a lot of stigma attached to young people and ‘hoodies’ in the UK today but I saw loads of young people on the march (including ones wearing hoods). It’s important to show that young people also have hearts and it felt positive that so many young people were involved.
 
Without Platform2 and Gen my Volunteer Development Officer I wouldn’t have heard about The Wave. Now that I know about these things I can spread the word myself. From first hand experience I can tell people what’s happening on the other side of the world; that people are suffering while we watch television and play on computer consoles.
 
Campaigning makes me feels like I’m doing my bit… I have this poster (from Ctrl.Alt.Shift) in my room:
 
Go to Work. Follow Fashion. Watch TV. Spend Money. Look Happy. Act Normal. Repeat After Me: I AM FREE.