Wikipedia

Draft:Nicholas Omonuk

  • Comment: Interviews, what Omonuk has said or written or are affiliated with him are primary sources so cannot be used to establish notability and should only be used sparingly. Sources that do not mention Omonuk are not useful. Also, all the footnotes are bunched at the bottom but they need to placed next to claims they are supporting. S0091 (talk) 20:07, 14 April 2024 (UTC)
Nicholas Omonuk
Born8th August, 1999
NationalityUgandan
CitizenshipUganda
Occupation(s)climate justice, Activist
Years active2021 to date


Nicholas Omonuk Okoit (Born 8th August, 1999) is a Ugandan Climate Justice Activist

Early Life edit

Nicholas Omonuk grew up in a rural community of Pallisa in Uganda from a pastoralist family. Nicholas’s family heavily relied on livestock as a critical source of food, labor and milk. As he grew up, his village grappled with severe droughts which not only depleted their water wells and grazing lands but also resulted in food scarcity. Alongside with his brothers, he embarked on extensive journeys with livestock in search of accessible water and grassy areas located kilometers away from their residence. Nicholas graduated with an Engineering degree from Kyambogo University.

Actions For Climate edit

In 2021, Nicholas got to know about climate change from the university. Finding out that the droughts that he faced as a teen were a result of climate change fueled his passion to fight for climate justice.

Inspired by Greta Thunberg to start his own climate movement End Fossil Occupy Uganda, Nicholas began solidarity strikes against inaction on the climate crisis. For several months Nicholas held protests both online and physically in Uganda and Europe to demand a phase-out of fossil fuels and a just transition for Africa.

In December 2022, Nicholas represented the Most Affected People and Areas (MAPA) at COP27 together with other young climate activists Vanessa Nakate, Elizabeth Wathuti and Evelyn Acham.

In April 2023, Nicholas organized a climate protest to demand for more investment in renewable energies.[1] A month later, Nicholas organized an occupation at Kyambogo University to draw students into climate action.[2][3] In June 2023, Nicholas joined other youth climate activists from Fridays For Future Austria and Global 2000 to demand ISOPLUS (An Austrian Company) to drop out of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) that at the time would displace thousands of people from their land and also encroach on wildlife and ecosystems in Uganda and Tanzania. Families would lose their land that meant alot to them in terms of providing food, shelter, cultural belonging and income. With time, Nicholas exposed the different violations the project had on people's human rights, rights of climate activists and NGOs that were against the project.[4][5][6] Nicholas also highlighted the relevance of the supply chain law in protecting communities like his from such projects.[7] Together they led a campaign at the European Forum Alpbach months later.[8] Nicholas gave a speech at a side event at the SB58 Bonn climate Conference highlighting the urgent need for climate finance in the global south.[9]

In July 2023, Nicholas gave a speech on the EU Day of commemorating climate victims urging leaders that climate action is a much better solution.[10]

In October 2023, Nicholas together with another activist called Maxwell Atuhura gave speeches in Brussels, Austria and Slovenia about corporate abuse by the EACOP in the journey to lobby for the CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)/Supply Chain Law a law in the European Union to protect vulnerable communities like his from human rights abuse and climate damage by corporations. Nicholas urged leaders, students, journalists, workers, and community members in Europe to vote for the law, emphasizing that if the law was legally binding, it would be easy for communities like those in his country that had been affected by the EACOP to hold the company that was involved in the project accountable for the damages.[11][12][13]

Nicholas also participated in different climate protests in Europe to demand for climate justice.[14][15][16] On 11th August 2023, Nicholas took part in a protest in Basel, Switzerland on climate migration with the Collective Climate Justice an NGO in Switzerland advocating for migrant rights.[17]

In December 2023, Nicholas represented the Global South at COP28 which was key in operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund and decision on the phase-out of Fossil Fuels.

Nicholas is also the co-founder of Plant For My Future an initiative that gathers youth and communities across Africa to plant trees and educate people about climate change.

Nicholas has also spoken at different podcasts and events about different intersectionalities of climate change with the perspective from the Global South including topics like migration, corporate neocolonialism, social justice and more.[18][19][20][21][22][23]

Achievements in Activism edit

During his activism, there has been alot of concerns about the project with several financial institutions and companies withdrawing from the EACOP including ISOPLUS the Austrian company. [24]

Nicholas has organized campaigns to demand for a fossil fuel phase-out and has been able to collaborate with several European NGOs and climate activist movements.[25]

In February 2024, Nicholas organized a group of climate activists from End Fossil Occupy Uganda to hold a campaign for 5 weeks to demand that insurance companies involved in projects like the EACOP and other fossil fuel projects stop insuring them. Its a month later that Probitas involved in the EACOP withdrew from it.[26]

Europe adopted the CSDDD/Supply Chain Law.[27]

References edit

  1. ^ Mulondo, Lawrence. "Govts asked to invest in renewable enrgies to mitigate cllimate change". New Vision. Vision Group Uganda. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  2. ^ Steve, Hanley. "Student-Led "End Fossil-Occupy!" Protests Shut Down Schools in Europe". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  3. ^ Asege, Godiver. "University Students drawn into climate change action". Vision Group Uganda. Vision Grouo. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Climate impacts soon included in due diligence?". Breaking Latest News. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  5. ^ Salioski, Šemsa. "EU-Lieferkettengesetz: Klimaauswirkungen bald in Sorgfaltspflicht berücksichtigt?". Trending Toipcs EU. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  6. ^ LA REDAZIONE, MARIAFEDERICA. "Fermiamo l'oleodotto EACOP". Sardegna Reporter. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  7. ^ "NGOs demand more climate commitments in EU supply chain law". Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  8. ^ Holler, Doris (25 August 2023). "Keine Bühne für fossile Geldgeber am Forum Alpbach". Oeko News Austria. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative (Connected Advocacy): Global Youth Coalition". UNFCCC.
  10. ^ "Dear EU, commemorating climate victims is good but action is better". African Arguments. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  11. ^ Focus (26 October 2023). "Ustrahovanje in pritiski na aktiviste". SI21. SI21. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  12. ^ Philippa, Nuttall. "Why CSDDD negotiations are a matter of life and death". Sustainable Views. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  13. ^ János, Allenbach-Ammann. "Ugandan activists call on EU to move forward on due diligence law". EURATIV. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  14. ^ Winroither, Eva. "#4: Ein Streit übers Fliegen und ein Afrikaner, der den Klimawandel am eigenen Leib erlebt". Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  15. ^ Bongartz, Richard. "Demos anlässlich des Klimastreiks". General Anzieger. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  16. ^ Kassis, Abir. "Around 2,000 people demonstrate at the climate strike in Bonn". General Anzeiger. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  17. ^ Mona Martin, Maria-Elisa Schrade, Maximilian Jacobi (11 August 2023). ""Removed from the ropes by force "- climate action at the Dreirosenbruckke ended". Bzbasel. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  18. ^ Howitt, Richard. "Frankly Speaking - A Podcast on Responsible Business". Apple Podcasts. Frank Bold. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  19. ^ Songue, Rufine. "Fluchtursache Klimakrise: Zeit für Anerkennung". Sound Cloud. SuednordFunk. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  20. ^ "El Último Invierno del Gas en Europa". 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Klimaaktivist Nicholas Omonuk: "Viele Afrikaner verkaufen ihr Land und fliehen nach Europa"". Nestral. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  22. ^ "»So wurde ich zum Klimaaktivisten« Nicholas Omonuk von End Fossil Occupy Uganda". Radio Dreyeckland. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  23. ^ Niemetz, Nora (9 September 2023). "Im Weltempfänger anlässlich des weltweiten Klimastreiks am 15.9.23 ein Interview mit einem Klimaaktivisten aus Uganda. Außerdem Infos zu biometrischer Überwachung und die aktuelle Lage in Israel". Radio Fro.
  24. ^ Holler, Doris. "Huge success: Austrian company pulls out of oil pipeline project after protests". Oeko News Austria. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  25. ^ Rosane, Olivia. "Hundreds of Students Launch May of Occupations to End Fossil Fuels". Common Dreams.
  26. ^ MATOVU, MUHAMADI. "Climate activists pressure insurers to divest from fossil fuels, embrace renewables". Nile Post. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  27. ^ GUIBERT, Christelle. "Europe adopts an ambitious "duty of vigilance", except for the financial sector". West France.

External Links edit

  1. Official LinkedIn Account
  3. Official X Account
  5. Official Instagram Account
  7. Africa@COP28: Interview with Nicholas Omonuk Okoit, Climate Activist, Uganda
  9. Stoppt EACOP! Stoppt TotalEnergies! feat. Nicholas Omonuk
  10. BÜNDNIS UM LETZTE GENERATION PLANT PROTEST GEGEN DEN BAU VON ERDÖLPIPELINE IN UGANDA UND TANSANIA
  11. Klimaaktivist Nicholas Omonuk: ,,Viele Afrikaner verkaufen ihr Land und fliehen nach Europa
  12. EVENT Unpacking the CSDDD: responsibility, climate and justice by the European Coalition for Corporate Justice
  13. Event with the Evangelisches Forum Bonn
  14. EU podjetja pod lupo: prisluhnimo ugandskim aktivistom
  15. Open Letter to approve the CSDDD by Frontline Defenders
  16. Interview with the Nowegian Forum for Development and Environment
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