Tarik Fejzic, Bosnia
That morning, I drove my mother to her school and was shocked to see it standing literally in the shadow of the Željezara steelworks, a hulking Yugoslav era fossil. Her classroom windows faced its smoking chimneys. This is where climate change becomes a human rights crisis. How can a child’s right to safe and quality education be fulfilled here? The toxic air causes asthma and illness, ensuring students are often absent or unable to concentrate. Their classroom is not a sanctuary. It is on the front line of a silent battle.
This must change. We are inspired by the work of leaders like Norway’s Foreign Minister and his dedication to reports like Our Common Future, which remind us that a sustainable and just world is possible. It is a call to action to build a future where no child has to trade their health for their homework, and where every student can truly breathe and learn. This is the common future we must fight for together.