A climate activist’s advice on how young people can fight for change
In February 2019, Rapoport joined London’s first climate strike march, when pupils from across the UK skipped school to demand stronger action on climate change. They soon threw themselves into climate activism.
“I reached out to the original organisers and expressed my desire to be more involved,” they explain. “They welcomed me with open arms, and I quickly found myself in the midst of planning and organising subsequent climate strikes.”
In September 2019, Rapoport organised London’s largest climate strike. The next month, London’s Evening Standard named them as one of London’s most influential people of 2019. In 2022, they delivered their own TED talk addressing the climate crisis and emphasising the crucial role of young people in preserving our planet.
Reflecting on their activism, they acknowledge their parents for encouraging them to speak up about their beliefs: “I was very lucky to grow up with very political parents, with newspapers on the breakfast table and the dinner table. That has really been ingrained in my life.”
“There was a time in my life when I didn’t think that [being politically engaged] was possible,” Rapoport says, “but the more I engaged in politics, the more I found a community, the braver I became, and the more I knew I would be supported no matter what I did.”
Nowadays, Rapoport is most involved with the Make Freedom Ring Collective, which organises fundraising classical music concerts to support humanitarian aid in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. “This work is deeply meaningful to me because it combines my passion for music with my commitment to social justice,” says Rapoport.
For Rapoport, youth engagement in politics is a fundamental aspect of civic life: “Politics isn’t a privilege, it’s a part of our lives. My aspiration for the future is that young people see that because I think that is one of the strongest tools that they have.”
At the core of Rapoport’s beliefs is the idea of radical hope: “We need to believe that a better world is already possible. We must imagine that everything will be solved, otherwise the noise around us will drag us down.”
Rapoport’s vision of the future is certainly optimistic, if not utopian: “I envision a future with a robust renewable sector providing secure, well-paid jobs, extensive public infrastructure, especially in neglected rural areas, and a nationalised, affordable, or free transport system. Our healthcare needs a significant investment to rejuvenate the NHS, and our education system should place political education at its heart.”
Rapoport’s message to young people who want to get involved in activism is just to make a start: “Don’t be afraid to try something just because it might not be perfect or groundbreaking. Activism doesn’t have to be revolutionary; it can build on the work of the past.”
Feature image: Noga Levy-Rapoport. Credit: Harry Rose