Carmen Capriles, a climate activist from Bolivia and member of the Artivist Network, made a bold statement at COP28 by donning a fiery robe with a five-meter-long train depicting a forest in flames. 

The eye-catching outfit aims to draw attention from delegates, observers, and negotiators at the UN Climate Summit, urging them to act decisively and urgently to protect the environment.

Artivist Network’s Decade-Long Advocacy for Climate Justice:

The Artivist Network, a collective of activists using art for climate justice, has been organizing creative actions at UN Climate Conferences for a decade. 

Focused on climate justice, the group aims to provoke deep, structural, and intersectional change. They call for immediate action to halt environmental degradation and secure a sustainable future.

Silent Protest Highlights Intersection of Climate and Human Rights:

During COP28, creative climate activists silently protested, placing several pairs of children’s shoes on the ground. 

The symbolic display emphasized that climate justice cannot be achieved without safeguarding human rights. 

The activists draw attention to the tragic fact that over 6,000 of the 15,000+ casualties in Gaza, resulting from continuous Israeli bombings, were children.

Artivist Network’s Role in Shaping Climate Discourse:

Beyond eye-catching attire and silent protests, the Artivist Network is crucial in designing and decorating the Civil Society Climate Justice hub at COP28. 

The hub serves as a collaborative space for civil society members to brainstorm, create, organize, and strategize their movement.

It reinforces the collective responsibility to address climate issues, human rights, food security, equitable distribution of climate funds, and protection of Indigenous peoples’ ancestral lands.