Ryan Institute News

On 9 October, the University of Galway’s Ryan Institute, in collaboration with Trócaire and Galway City Council, hosted an inspiring talk for students with Rwandan eco-feminist and climate advocate, Ineza Umuhoza Grace.  

Professor Frances Fahy, Director of the Ryan Institute, opened the event, welcoming students from a wide range of disciplines. Marie-Anne Michel, Volunteer & Outreach Officer at Trócaire, outlined how Trócaire partners with communities to bring about change. Ineza Umuhoza Grace is the founder and CEO of The Green Protector, a Trócaire partner in Rwanda. The conversation was moderated by PhD researcher Tomy Ncube.  

Climate change is personal 

Ineza’s journey into climate advocacy began while watching the news. Seeing families in Rwanda displaced by extreme weather triggered a memory from her own childhood of her family home being flooded during a storm. “The ceiling disappeared, and I remember being woken up and feeling like I was drowning because of the rain,” said Ineza. Her realisation of the worsening impacts of climate change, combined with personal experience of climate-related disasters, led Ineza to study Water and Environmental Engineering at the University of Rwanda to find out what was going wrong and why.  

During her time at university, Ineza founded The Green Protector, a youth-led NGO that works with schools and communities and engages in international climate change conferences. Rather than imposing solutions, The Green Protector advocates for a participatory approach, asking people, including children, what they want and need, and designing tailored solutions. 

_{Ineza Umuhoza Grace speaking with students at University of Galway. Photo: Thierry Ahimana/Small Steps Everyday}

Advocacy, activism, and changing the narrative 

Ineza identifies as a climate advocate. Asked about the difference between climate advocacy and activism, Ineza responded that, for her, activism is about civil society expressing frustration with the system, while advocacy can channel that frustration into action by talking to decision makers. “Once you add activism and advocacy, then you can catalyse change”, explained Ineza.   

As Global Coordinator of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, Ineza uses advocacy to hold governments accountable during international climate negotiations. The coalition, initiated by a group of young people during COVID-19, has grown to involve over 1,000 youths from more than 100 countries, demanding action to address the loss and damage caused by climate change.  

Under the coalition, the Loss and Damage Youth Grant Making Council funds youth-led projects, enabling young people to move beyond blame and take action to showcase what works. She acknowledges that while young people are often given platforms to speak, too often decision-makers do not listen. She calls for leaders to “unlearn” what they know, because it is not working, and current systems are failing.  

Moving beyond tokenism to meaningful youth participation is critical to climate action, and some countries are doing better than others. In her home country, Ineza shared how her engagement with the Rwandan government felt like an equal partnership. In contrast, at international negotiations, she often felt overlooked and underestimated as a young person, particularly a young woman. She urges other countries to follow the example of Rwanda in trusting and supporting young people to represent their country at the international stage.  

Advice for young climate advocates 

Asked what advice she would offer to young people entering the climate movement, Ineza encouraged the students to trust in themselves. Warning that the path would not be easy, Ineza advised them to “get a cup of tea” as they prepare for the challenges ahead. Her key advice was to trust in their own knowledge: “Believe you know better than them and keep pushing.” She urged young people to find their unique way of contributing to climate action and to persevere with what works for them, rather than trying to be good at everything. 

Ineza also addressed the challenges of being taken seriously in international climate arenas. She recommends navigating these spaces from a place of confidence, backing up statements with data and communicating your country’s perspective and your personal experiences. She advised young people to stand their ground and stay in the room: “Just speak … Once you keep speaking and listening to others, you are able to ignite something in them – but mostly in you – because you will be able to find the few people that will actively listen to you.” 

Ineza Umuhoza Grace launched Trócaire’s The Eyes of the Storm exhibition in Dublin on 12 October 2024. The exhibition is centred on the work of climate activists around the world and there are plans to bring the exhibition to Galway. 

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