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The Greta Effect: a timeline of Thunberg's activism leading to her being on the Madleen
The Greta Effect: Greta Thunberg
Image: Supplied
"We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people.'
This famous quote, by activist Greta Thunberg at the Youth4Climate summit in Milan, Italy in 2021, best sums up her activism.
Most recently Thunberg grew internationa attention when she and others set sail on a vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza as a protest against Israel's war on Gaza and its reported blockade of aid. .
Yesterday, in a video she had pre-recorded said she and fellow activists have been kidnapped while aboard the Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 toward Gaza.
@skynews
Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists ♬ original sound - Sky News
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Activists say Israeli forces have allegeldy intercepted the yacht trying to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. Thunberg and a French lawmaker are among 12 people aboard the vessel.
Meanwhile The Israel Foreign Ministry, on X, today dubbed the yacht "the selfie yacht of celebrities" and said they are all safe on the way to Israel where they wil be sent back home.
One of the world's most notable climate activists, Thunberg first gained worldwide attention in 2018 when she started organising various protests outside the Swedish Parliament calling for stronger climate action.
A dated photo of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressing plenary of UN climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid.
Image: Picture: Paul White/AP
Her efforts quickly transformed into a global movement named Fridays for Future, and inspired numerous other youths to join the cause and raise their voices.
Thunberg, born in 2003 and 25 this year, is well known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change.
A timeline of Greta's activism:
@najisarsour1
Activist Greta Thunburg explains why she and her crewmates on the Madleen Freedom Flotilla are willing to go this far to break the siege on Gaza. Israel has decided not to allow the Madeleine, which is sailing from Italy to the Gaza Strip with 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board, to approach or dock in Gaza. The ship is expected to arrive in the area in four to five days. ♬ original sound - Najisars
Born in Stockholm in 2003, Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint.
At age 15 in 2018: Vowed to remain out of school until after a Swedish election to attempt to influence the outcome. She protested outside the Swedish parliament where she called for stronger action on climate change by holding up a Skolstrejk för klimatet (School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers.
After the election, Thunberg said she would continue school striking for the climate every Friday until Sweden was in compliance with the Paris climate agreement.
She became a global icon of a new generation of activists.
Also in 2018 Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference and after that weekly climate strike protests took place on Fridays around the world.
In 2019, coordinated multi-city protests involved over a million students each.
She also famously attended the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit by taking a carbon-free yacht from England to New York. "How dare you"are her famous words to world leaders who she said were indifferent and inactive to the climate crisis.
In 2023 she graduated from high school and she continued to gain international attention with her protest tactics have become increasingly assertive
She defied lawful orders to disperse, which have led to arrests, convictions, and an acquittal.
Her activism also include other causes, supporting Ukraine,Palestine,Armeniaand Western Sahara in their respective conflicts.
Thunberg's rise to world fame made her a leader in the climate activist community even though she faced heavy criticism. Her influence on the world stage has been described as the Greta effect and she has received numerous honours and awards and was also Time magazine's youngest person the year in 2019.
Part of her being on the Madleen was to bring attention to the Gaza situation with her Greta Effect.
