Statement delivered by Ms. Nakeeyat Dramani, Climate Vulnerable Forum Youth Ambassador, Republic of Ghana
V20 MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE X
16 April 2023
Ms. Nakeeyat Dramani, Climate Vulnerable Forum Youth Ambassador, Republic of Republic of Ghana
We were bequited with a beautiful world from the beginning
And it was a great sight to behold.
A great sight replete with brooks, greenery, great mountains, this was foretold.
From antiquity
These were bequited to us.
From
Tsetsekofoamoah
From
Ogyamugyanpantrudo
The Foliage, flora and fauna,
Breathe taken nature meant for our existence and not for our termination.
Oh! The trees are now murmuring, the forest is shedding tears
What might be the problem?
The problem is the gluttonous nature of the caretaker
Human kind.
You are Human kind
But you are not kind to your planet.
The one who was asked to take dominion is chewing his own tongue.
‘Se itwa wo takyerema we aa nna nwe nam biara’
To wit: if you chew your own tongue as meat, then you have not eaten any meat.
The caretaker is meting out injustice to wipe out the forest with rage.
As if the caretaker will fade away today.
Forgetting about generations yet unborn tomorrow.
Mangroves are being filled with sand and concrete, to pave way for habitation of humans.
Oh! People of the planet, why are you doing this?
For a course of action is now
When will you learn the truth from within that trees will set us free?
When will you learn the truth that trees will absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year?
When will we learn the truth from within that trees absorb dangerous gases every year?
And when will we learn the truth from within that trees also serve as carbon sinks.
Let me avert my mind onto a beautiful painting by a colleague child from the Marshall Islands, called Robanty Anien.
He said it’s a story about climate change
When his island faces climate change effects, plants and vegetation are being ruined
And when the sea level rises, all the homes in his small islands are being wiped away.
The oceans are crying,
Our oceans are crying and and roaring with rage
What is wrong with her that is making her so melancholic?
Please, she is crying for her babies.
She is crying for her belly is being poisoned with plastics.
Her babies are all crying,
I mean the fishes, the beautiful pearls and the coral reefs are all being destroyed for no fault of theirs.
This symbol that I’m going to show you now is called the Akoben symbol.
It represents a call to action,
So please, when I say
Agooo
Respond
Ameee
“Agooo”
“Agooo”
This is a call to action.
Please let us come together as one people.
This brings me to another beautiful adinkra symbol called the Aya.
It represents resourcefulness and endurance.
I Nakeeyat Dramani Sam
Unveil to you, how our forebears talk about adaptability.
The Denkyem symbol,
It represents adaptability.
So, for a liveable climate: Net – zero commitments must be backed by credible actions.
Duty bearers,
Please, I have to tell you
It is not too late.
Please, pay for the loss and damages,
For our call to action is now.
Thank you.
[END]