Nyombi Morris

Nyombi Morris (born March 28, 1998) is a Ugandan environmental activist who is known for promoting and advocating for climate justice and gender equality. Morris's activism began when he asked world leaders and polluters to adopt climate change based on the devastating rains and floods in Uganda.[1] Morris is CEO of a non-profit organization he founded known as Earth Volunteers,[2] ambassador for the UNOCHA, and CNN's "Environmentalist of Tomorrow."[3][1][4][5]

Nyombi Morris
Born (1998-03-28) March 28, 1998
Kampala, Uganda
NationalityUgandan
Alma materMuteesa 1 Royal University
OccupationEnvironmental activist
Years active2019–present
Known forClimate justice
MovementSchool strike for climate
AwardsFull list

Early life

Morris grew up in Kampala, Uganda with his mother and a sister and a brother. His father left home when he was six years old. They moved to Luzira, a suburb of Kampala to be near his grandmother's home.[1]

Morris studied for a diploma in IT and Computer Science at Muteesa I Royal University in Masaka, Uganda. He received a scholarship but it wasn't enough to pay for all his fees.[1][6][7]

Activism

In November 2014, while living in Luzira, rain and floods caused by deforestation of the Bugoma Forest, destroyed his family's farm and forced them to find a new home in Kampala. This experience began his activism that caused Morris to ask world leaders and polluters to take climate change more seriously.[3][1][8] A few years later, Morris was inspired by Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate justice activist and learned about climate activism. Since then, he has joined her on school strikes.[4][9] In 2019, he became a social media manager and climate justice advocate for a non-profit called Rise Up Movement, that provides support for youth around the world to join forces and slow climate change.[1][5] In September 2019, Morris's climate activism received international attention when he was featured striking for climate change in various news outlets, including BBC, CBC, CNN, The Verge, Global Citizens, Reuters, and Earth.org.[3][10] In June 2021, CNN voted Morris "Environmentalist of Tomorrow," for his environmental causes.[5][11]

On September 12, 2020, Morris joined other activists challenging the National Forestry Authority on the sale of the Bugoma Forest, a protected tropical forest in western Uganda. He gave a television appearance about the Bugoma Forest and put pressure on the National Environment Management Authority of Uganda (NEMA).[1] After the protest, five Twitter accounts were suspended at the request of the Ugandan Government, including his.[1][12]

Strike for Climate

On March 25, 2021, Morris joined the School Strike for Climate global movement, started by Greta Thunberg, called Fridays for Future. He and his brother were arrested on the streets of Kampala by the Uganda National Police when they were protesting for climate justice. When other people started gathering, they were released but took their placards and phones.[1][6][7][13]

On October 31, 2021, Morris spoke to CBC chief political correspondent, Rosemary Barton, about the impact of climate change on his country. His message for world leaders at United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) was “To put an end to fossil fuels and make polluters pay.” The conference meets every year and is the global decision-making body set up to implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.[14][15]

In November 2021, Morris organized tree planning events and began foresting Uganda with seeds and native plants from community gardens. In a project called "Taking Climate Change to Schools," he worked with thirty schools to teach children to speak out on climate change and to understand what they can do about helping the environment. The project included a climate syllabus in schools, planting over 47,500 trees, and recycling plastic waste.[5]

Morris won the Population Matters Choice Ambassador Award in January 2022, for helping to raise awareness of population issues.[7] In July of that year, he received the Earth Champion Award for inspiring the younger generation to take action on climate change.[5]

On the Call To Earth Day, in February 2022, Morris and a group of 30 volunteers planted over 500 trees in Jinja, Uganda.[16][4] That same year, Morris earned the honor of ambassador from media organization Doha Debates at the SolvingIt26 project for making a positive difference for African nations.[17] In February 2023, he was nominated as a Social Justice Hero by Global Citizens, because "he displays the bravery needed to fight for an end climate change."[18]

Earth Volunteers

Earth Volunteers is a nonprofit organization that was established in 2020 by Morris to unite young people who are passionate about planting trees, protecting forests, and standing up for climate justice. By 2020, the group helped to plant 25,000 trees, worked with over 14 schools, and restocked four existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted.[19]

Awards

References
  1. Nyombi Morris (November 2, 2021). "Floods Plagued My Childhood. I'm Tired of World Leaders Pretending to Take Climate Action". Global Citizen. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  2. "Nyombi Morris". WUF. June 16, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  3. "Nyombi Morris Fridays For Future Uganda & Earth Volunteers, Climate Activist". World Urban Forum. Katowice, Poland. June 26, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  4. "A Climate Activist's Journey into Climate Justice Activism". Urban Better Science. October 4, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  5. "WORLD POPULATION DAY 2022: CHANGE CHAMPIONS". Population Matters. July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  6. "Nyombi Morris Uganda". Global Peace Chain. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  7. "Young voices for the planet: Meet our Choice Ambassadors". Population Matters. January 21, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  8. "Nyombi Morris". Doha Debates. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  9. Nakate, Vanessa (October 28, 2021). A bigger picture: my fight to bring a new African voice to the climate crisis. London, United Kingdom: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-3586-5450-6. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  10. Olivia Lai (August 12, 2022). "10 Young Climate Activists Leading the Way on Global Climate Action". Earth ORG. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  11. "One School, One Tree At A Time: Climate Campaigning in Uganda". Population Matters. June 8, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  12. Justine Calma (October 5, 2020). "This climate activist says he was silenced on Twitter". The Verge. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  13. Eriksson, Ann (2022). Urgent Message from a Hot Planet Navigating the Climate Crisis. Orca Book Publishers. ISBN 9781459826342. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  14. Sarah Ramsaran (October 31, 2021). "Young Ugandan climate activist pushing for international crisis team to fight climate change". CBC News. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  15. "Young Ugandan climate activist pushing for world leaders to help fight climate change". ca.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  16. "This young climate activist used his own money to plant trees in Uganda". CNN. November 10, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  17. "Uganda's Nyombi Morris Earns Honor from Media Organization Doha Debates". Watch Dog Uganda. October 1, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  18. "13 Social Justice Heroes Who Are Inspiring Global Citizens". Global Citizen. February 17, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  19. "Earth Volunteers". earthvolunteer.org. Uganda. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
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