What adults can learn from Greta
I was quite taken aback by 15 year-old Greta Thunberg’s speech on climate change this week.
We use adventure to help prepare young people for the workplace of the future, not the ones parents and teachers are experiencing. This bows to the far more important issue that Greta is taking on but listening to young Greta talking so eloquently and powerfully about her future resinated with me.
A comparison to an adult speech seemed logical…
Greta Thunberg
Key Quotes
“You are never too small to make a difference”
“To do that we have to speak clearly, no matter how uncomfortable that may be”
“You are too scared of being unpopular” (about politicians)
“You’re not mature enough to tell it like it is”
“It’s the sufferings of the many that pay for the luxury of the few”
“We can’t solve a crisis without treating it like a crisis”
“We have not come here to beg world leaders to care”
“We have come here to let you know that change is coming whether you like it or not”
Theresa May
Key Quotes
‘I believe the only way for us to respond to the vast array of challenges is to come together to defend the international order that we have worked so hard to create”
“This means reforming our United Nations and the wider international community so it can prove its worth in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.”
“…and it means those who flout the rules of our international system are held to account”
To find the comparison video I did a Google Video search for “uk politician talking about climate change” and chose a video of a similar length. HERE are the results.
Can you tell who's future will be more impacted by the outcomes?
I’ll leave it to the reader to compare and contrast the speeches.
Climate change is an issue that is off the scale in terms of importance compared to BeVenturesome’s mission. However, this speech from Greta reminded me that the world we try and prepare young people for through adventurous activities is one that will be very different to the one we are experiencing now. Let’s let them shape it and help equip them as best we can.
