At today’s opening ceremony of COP26, millennial speakers joined world leaders like Boris Johnson and Meghan Markle as they praised a poet and an activist.
Today in Glasgow, environmental activists from Brazil, Samoa, Kenya and Samoa addressed world leader Joe Biden and Boris Johnson. They discussed indigenous rights and problems facing nations around the world, including droughts in Kenya.
The British model-turned-poet was one of the speakers Yrsa Dley-Ward, who said to delegates that “nothing will ever be saved without your help.” It is important that you start with the facts. This is your invitation for you to lead with light’.
The poet, who previously wrote for Beyonce, was then followed by a smallpiper gave world leaders a very Scottish welcome to the COP26 crunch climate change summit as they gathered amid warnings over taking urgent action to limit global warming.
Native Gaelic speaker Brìghde Chaimbeul, who is from Sleat on the Isle of Skye, entertained politicians and Royal Family members at the Scottish Event Campus with her own arrangement of the traditional melodies An Léimras and Harris Dance.
FEMAIL takes a look at the other activists today…
Yrsa War d, 36, is a model-turned poet who joined Boris Johnson and other world leaders today on stage at the opening ceremony for COP26. She presented a poem
MODEL TURNED POET WHO WROTE BEYONCE
Model-turned-poet Yrsa Dley-War36 Boris Johnson joined Boris Johnson today and other world leaders at the opening ceremony of COP26, where she presented a poem.
It began with her saying, “Nothing will ever be saved without your help.” It is important that you start with the facts. This is your invitation for light to shine.”
After her first poetry collection Bone was critically acclaimed, the ‘Instagram poet” gained fame in 2014.
After her first poetry collection Bone was critically acclaimed, the ‘Instagram poet” gained fame in 2014.
In 2018, she wrote a gritty memoir about her meteoric rise as a high-class escort and to the toast of the literary community. She dazzlingly enthralled critics with her candid admissions on her struggles with mental illness, suicide attempts, ‘torrid” affairs with married men, and taking on sex to pay the bills.
Critics praised Yrsa who also landed acting jobs in shows such as Shameless and lap dancing. She refused to shy away form dark episodes in her own life, including being paid as the dominatrix for an older man and experiencing racism as a child.
Speaking about the nature of her escort work, she previously told the Guardian: ‘Two months ago, you had a boyfriend who is a millionaire.
“In that situation you are safe, eating caviar, and drinking champagne. Other situations are less safe and more consensual.
‘It’s a fact for so many women working in the entertainment industry, and we’re told not talk about it.
Critics praised Yrsa for landing acting and lap dancing jobs in shows like Shameless. They also praised her willingness to face dark episodes in her life. From being paid to be the dominatrix to an older male to experiencing racism as a girl, to being paid to act in that role.
Her fans include Beyoncé. Yrsa – who has Jamaican and Nigerian ancestry – is credited on seminal visual album Black is King as well as The Lion King: The Gift – the soundtrack to the 2019 remake of the Lion King.
She grew up between Chorley, Lancashire – with her strict Seventh-day Adventist grandparents – and in London with her mother Marcia.
Marcia explained to Yrsa that the man she grew-up believing was her father wasn’t her biological father when she was growing up. A Coronation Street episode with a similar storyline had inspired her.
In 2007, her mother died, which caused her to spiral into depression. After her mother’s death in 2007, she moved to South Africa and lived there for three years. There she discovered her love of poetry.
INDIGENOUS ACTIVIST SUING BRAZILLIAN GOVERNMENT
Txai Suruí, 24, from Brazil joined world leaders today in Glasgow where she warned: ‘Today, the climate is warming, the animals are disappearing, the rivers are dying and our plants don’t flower like they did before. The Earth is speaking. She tells us that we have no more time.’.
The indigenous activist, who lives in Rondonia in the Amazon, is the daughter of Neidinha Surui, one of the country’s leading campaigners for the Paiter suri people.
After studying law she went on to work with Kanindé – Associação de Defesa Etnoambiental (Ethno-environmental Defense Association) to protect indigenous communities’ rights and territory.
Txai Suruí , 24, from Brazil joined world leaders today in Glasgow where she warned: ‘Today, the climate is warming, the animals are disappearing, the rivers are dying and our plants don’t flower like they did before. The Earth is speaking. She tells us that we have no more time.’
Txai Surui speaking at COP26. As a result of her – and her mother’s – work her family have been threatened and they are under police protection
She then founded the young people’s movement and is one of six activists suing the Brazilian government for altering its 2005 carbon baseline to meet carbon reduction goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement.
As a result of her – and her mother’s – work her family have been threatened and they are under police protection.
Speaking to the Independent last year, she said she fears how coronavirus could ravage indigenous communities and that she wanted people to listen to indigenous communities more.
‘Preserving the Amazon is to preserve human existence itself,’ she said.
‘Preserving indigenous peoples’ rights is to preserve the animals, [the] medicinal plants. My message for everyone is to listen to what indigenous communities have to say, and support their cause, and protect their homes. Everything is linked, so to protect the forest and indigenous communities is to protect the world’s future.’
KENYAN ACTIVIST WHO WAS PRAISED BY MEGHAN AND HARRY
Elizabeth Wathuti, 26, from Kenya also spoke at COP26 today, telling world leaders to ‘open your hearts’ to those already feeling the effects of climate change.
She spoke of a drought in her home country which mean many are going without food.
‘As I sit comfortably here in this conference centre in Glasgow, over two million of my fellow Kenyans are facing climate-related starvation,’ she said.
‘In this past year, both of our rainy seasons have failed, and scientists say that it may be another 12 months before the waters return again.’
Elizabeth Wathuti, 26, from Kenya also spoke at COP26 today, telling world leaders to ‘open your hearts’ to those already feeling the effects of climate change
Wathuti, who today urged leaders to take the necessary action to tackle climate change, has previously appeared in Vogue, after being name checked by fellow activist Vanessa Nakate.
Wathuti, who today urged leaders to take the necessary action to tackle climate change, has previously appeared in Vogue, after being name checked by fellow activist Vanessa Nakate.
In 2019 she was featured on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Instagram page foor her work in environmental conservation, with the royal couple writing she is: ‘making incredible progress since starting the community-based initiative”
They also praised her efforts to ‘focus on climate change, deforestation, and pollution’ as she trained more than 10,000 students in environmental awareness through her initiative.
She wrote to Alok Sharma (chair of COP26) last year, urging him to take immediate action against the harassment and killing of environmental defenders.