Decolonizing Climate Justice: Voices from the Global South and Beyond
- African Cultural Foundation
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 11
From the 3. October - 5. October the African Cultural Foundation Vienna, organized a Climate Series called "Decolonize our Climate in Vienna. In cooperation with the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC) at Depot Wien, a diverse group of thinkers, activists, and educators came together for an evening that challenged, inspired, and redefined what climate justice truly means. The event brought forward powerful voices from Africa, the Pacific, and Europe. The Panel on the 6th of October was followed by a series of Climatefocused Workshops and a Filmscreening at Admiralkino in coopertion with the Grüne Bildungswerkstatt.
Photo (Minitta Kandelbauer) : Lucia Muriel
Seeing People and Their Humanity
Pato Kelesitse set the tone of the discussion with a simple but profound reminder: “See people and their humanity — and respect it.” Her message was clear — we must stop separating environmental protection from the people most affected by ecological breakdown.
Climate solutions, she argued, cannot be built on human rights violations. They must integrate democracy, employment, feminism, food security, and solidarity. Only by addressing these interconnected realities can we protect both people and the planet.
Pato also exposed the racial and colonial biases embedded in global climate expertise: on a list of 1,000 climate experts published a few years ago, all five representing Africa were white. “We’ve decided that the standard of expertise is white and male,” she said.
Photo (Minitta Kandelbauer): Pato Kelesitse on screen, Neomie Zenk-Agyei and Dr. Miriam Mona Mukalazi (VIDC)
Learning from the Global South
Noemie Agyei highlighted how movements from the Pacific are reshaping global climate dialogue. She supports the Pacific Student Initiative on Climate Change, a youth-led effort from Vanuatu that successfully called on the United Nations General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on state responsibility for climate harm.
Photo (Minitta Kandelbauer) : Participants at Saturday"s Workshop on Food & Climate
Noemie explained that colonialism was never criminalized — leaving the world without the legal tools to fully address its ongoing impact. For her, climate justice must confront this gap head-on. She reminded the audience that 88% of the world’s population lives in the Global South — where climate activism is not an abstract ideal but a struggle for survival. “The climate movement is not cute,” she said. “For many, it’s about defending their land, their communities, their right to live.” By linking capitalism, patriarchy, and racism, activists in the Global South are showing that climate justice is inseparable from human rights.
Challenging Whiteness and Privilege in the Climate Movement & Reclaiming Black Narratives and Empowerment
Lucia Muriel brought the discussion closer to home, examining the structures of the German and European climate movements. She observed that these movements have largely been shaped by white, middle-class actors — leaving BiPoC voices on the margins.
Through her work, Lucia strives to connect BiPoC activists and broaden the movement’s consciousness. “There is no climate justice without social justice,” she emphasized. By gathering testimonies from the diaspora, her group uncovered a shared truth: exclusion is not accidental — it is structural. She also called attention to white saviorism, which often allows privileged activists to position themselves as heroes rather than partners in global solidarity.
Adaora Ofoedu’s contribution centered on racial awareness and empowerment within Austria’s Black community. Working with children and women, she helps them recognize and celebrate their heritage while confronting the legacies of colonialism that persist in European institutions.
She pays tribute to Black and Indigenous activists such as Wangari Maathai, Vanessa Nakate, and Berta Cáceres, whose courage and sacrifice have paved the way for new generations. Her racial awareness trainings help European organizations understand that the inequalities they observe abroad are rooted in Europe’s own colonial past.
Challenging Whiteness and Privilege in the Climate Movement & Reclaiming Black Narratives and Empowerment
Led by Lucía Muriel and Téclaire Ngo-Tam and in cooperation with die Grünebildungswerkstatt, the sessions invited participants to critically reflect on global inequalities, privilege, and power structures shaping the climate crisis. Through interactive exercises, historical reflection, and practical examples — from the politics of food production to the visibility of activists from the Global South.
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