Children challenge MP on Climate Injustice

The children of Broad Haven Community School have been displaying their artistic talents and their debating skills for their local MP as part of a project looking at climate change.

As part of the ‘Letters for Creation’ project, undertaken with Broad Haven Baptist Chapel, pupils were given the chance to explain how they feel about climate injustice through artwork, rap, drama and speeches. On Friday morning, they were able to present this work to Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Mr Stephen Crabb.

The children gave Mr Crabb a tour of the exhibition in Broad Haven Chapel, explaining the artwork, their feelings about climate change and the injustices of poor countries being more affected than the wealthy.

As part of the project, the children listened to guest speaker Miara Rabearisoa who talked about how the climate crisis is affecting his home country of Madagascar, and this talk directly influenced the artwork on display.

Alongside the physical art, the children wrote and performed plays and raps to highlight injustices in the world. Class 4 also wrote stirring speeches challenging Mr Crabb to speak up in Parliament for the poorer countries affected by climate change.

Commenting at the exhibition, Mr Crabb said: “I was very impressed with the artwork that students from Broad Haven Community School have created which explore climate and environmental issues.  It was a real pleasure to be guided around the exhibition and talked through the various displays by the students.

“The children were passionate and engaged as they spoke about their artwork and it was fantastic to see such beautiful creations which all had a really important messages about the environment. The children made very powerful speeches about climate injustice and climate change and I was very inspired by their strength of feeling about this issue. I congratulate the school and Broad Haven Baptist Church for their excellent partnership work on this really important concern.”

Revd. Helen Dare, the local Baptist minister, said, “It is always a privilege to work with the children of Broad Haven School, and the Letters for Creation Project was no exception. I was impressed with the maturity of the conversations I had with the children when they were first introduced to the idea of climate justice, and the high quality of creative work they produced. They spoke with passion and clarity when they delivered speeches to adults including their MP, and I am proud to be associated with the school, not least because of the children’s desire to see change to benefit the poorest people of the world.”

Head teacher, Mr Gareth Lewis said, “I am so proud that every child in Broad Haven School took part in this important project. This learning has broadened our children’s horizons and given them a greater understanding of how our actions affect the rest of the world.

“It also demonstrates how young people in Wales can use their voices and actions to call for a fairer world for everyone. Our children are ethical and informed citizens of the world.”

Pictured is Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb with pupils from Broad Haven School at their climate injustice exhibition in Broad Haven Chapel.