Protests and social media posts: Dutch youth claiming their citizenship in the climate crisis
Summary
Inspired by Greta Thunberg, millions of students took to the streets in 2019. In the Netherlands, school strikes were also taking place, with students and youth filling the streets in Amsterdam and the Hague. With the deadline for the Paris Climate Accord coming up and the 1.5 degrees increase from the IPCC rapport closer than ever, the pressure is on for the climate movement. This thesis explores how Dutch youth use both online and offline climate activism to claim their citizenship and make a claim for their right to their future. With many still below voting age, they feel unheard by the government and decide to take to streets in an attempt to influence politics and have a say in their future, which is threatened by the climate crisis. Using Isin’s acts of citizenship, the concrete actions of the young climate activists are explored. In an era which is ever more connected through the internet, this thesis focuses on what impact the internet has on activism and if there will be a ‘Digital Revolution’ in climate activism. Whereas the internet proves useful for spreading the climate movement narrative and organizing protests; offline activism will probably not be replaced by online activism only. Rather, the two work in tandem, strengthening each other.