by Curlan Campbell
- 195in365 is a youth-led global environmental initiative advocating for global action on issues related to climate change
- Example of sea level rise is at Tibeau Cemetery in Carriacou, where graves are disappearing due to wave action
- Hoschtialek expected to raise several issues surrounding climate justice for SIDS
Jovana Hoschtialek, a climate activist from Grenada, is making a global impact by advocating for climate justice, fuelled solely by her love for her small island nation. The 18-year-old teacher from The St George’s Institute is also the founder of 195in365 — a youth-led global environmental initiative that advocates for global action on issues related to climate change.
She is scheduled to address delegates at the 166th Regular Session of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) on Wednesday, 24 April 2024. The event will take place at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) at Cave Hill, Barbados. The event which commenced with an opening ceremony on Monday, marks the beginning of a week of activities aimed at establishing a dialogue between the court and the international community regarding human rights and the climate crisis.
Hoschtialek, who was an attendee at COP27 in November 2022, was granted the opportunity to address the court and is optimistic that her address will echo the dire state of climate change and its negative effects on small islands like Grenada. A perfect example of sea level rise is at Tibeau Cemetery in Carriacou, where graves are disappearing due to wave action. “There are graves currently washed away by the tides that are rising. No one wants to ever experience that. You want to go and be able to pay tribute to the people that came before you, but knowing that it’s not there anymore, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.
She also lamented that the Carenage is also susceptible to sea level rise. “In Grenada, we use the Carenage a lot, and during high tide, the water starts to come in. And as the tide keeps rising and rising soon, we’re not going to be able to use the Carenage anymore because we can’t mitigate against that.”
The 166th Session takes the form of a Public Hearing in the matter of the request for an Advisory Opinion on the climate emergency and human rights that has been put to the court. This Advisory Opinion is one of the most participatory international judicial processes in the world related to climate change. As part of the session, the panel will hear directly from young climate activists and these public hearings of IACtHR’s are being conducted outside of its headquarters in Costa Rica to witness first-hand the realities faced by the regions most affected by the topic at hand.
Hoschtialek spoke with NOW Grenada about her expectations coming out of the event and the litany of issues that small island developing states experience as a direct result of climate change, despite contributing very little to global carbon emissions. She highlighted that Grenada, like many other developing states in the region, continues to be adversely affected by climate change despite contributing less than 1% to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In comparison, rich G20 countries are responsible for 80% of total GHG emissions.
She shared her motivation for getting involved in climate justice activism. “I love this little paradise that we have and I don’t want to see it ruin,” she said. “I want my kids and my potential grandkids to be able to experience the things I have seen and I’ve done. I went diving just the other day. While there is currently a lot of coral bleaching, it is still very beautiful, and I want them to be able to go and experience that, which is why I’m so heavily involved in sustaining the climate.”
Hoschtialek is expected to raise several issues surrounding climate justice for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which include rising sea levels, carbon emissions and water scarcity, among others.
