Castlemaine teen and climate change activist Harriet O’Shea Carre has won the prestigious The Bridge Create Change Award at the 2020 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards.
The Create Change Award acknowledges and celebrates the commitment young people make in achieving or participating in positive activities that empower change locally, nationally and/or internationally.
The 15-year-old won the award from a strong field of young achievers. The winners were announced on Friday evening during an online awards presentation, hosted by 7NEWS presenter Mike Amor.
Harriet is a fervent human rights and climate change advocate. Seeing it as her moral duty, Harriet co-initiated the #schoolsstrike4climate movement in Australia to demand real climate action from political, corporate and social leaders.
Harriet, with co-founders Milou Albrecht and Callum Neilson-Bridgefoot, led students at Castlemaine in September 2018 to strike outside local politicians’ offices and demand fast and big systematic policy change to create a better future. The trio also led local students to strikes in Melbourne.
Harriet is also a co-winner of the Bob Brown Foundation 2019 Young Environment of the Year Award and the Mount Alexander Shire Youth Leadership Award in Environment, and was honoured to represent Australia at the United Nations Youth Climate Summit in New York.
Harriet said she was very excited to win the latest award.
The teen said the #schoolstrike4climate movement aimed to highlight the need for action and speak up for those already being impacted by effects of climate change.
“I am in a very fortunate position to have the education, technology and support of my family and friends to be able to have a voice and call for action. Many of those that are being impacted by climate change do not and ironically those that have the power to make changes – big business – are going to be the least and last effected by the impacts of climate change,” Harriet said.
“We are inclusive of all people, because our aim is to ensure the safety of our entire planet including everyone and everything on it,” she said.
The activist said covid had made campaigning a challenge.
“We have continued to work online and we are holding an event in Castlemaine this Friday September 25 where we are creating an art installation and inviting community members to add a yellow flower or two while they are passing to do their shopping etc. We wanted to continue our action in a way that was safe and wouldn’t put anyone at risk at this time and we hope people will participate and show their support for action on climate change,” Harriet said.
Local residents will find the art installation between Victory Park and Maxi IGA.
