Harare, Zimbabwe – June 2025
In a bold and timely move, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) convened its National Executive Council (NEC) on May 10 in Harare for a transformative training program aimed at deepening youth-led advocacy on climate action and governance accountability. The training, held under the themes “Climate Action and Participatory Democracy” and “Governance Issues on Accountability and Transparency”, marks a critical step in linking environmental justice with democratic engagement in Zimbabwe.
Facilitated by Natalie Gwatirisa of Global Impact Initiative and Ntandoyenkosi Dumani from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung-Zimbabwe, the session equipped NEC members with practical tools to confront two of Zimbabwe’s most urgent and interlinked crises: a worsening climate emergency and entrenched corruption.
Participants were challenged to reframe climate change not as a distant or elite concern, but as a grassroots issue with direct impacts on education, livelihoods, and community health. “Climate democracy,” a key concept explored during the session, underscores the need to embed environmental issues into everyday political discourse and ensure citizen participation in climate decision-making.
On governance, ZINASU members explored the mechanics of accountability—dissecting systemic, grand, and petty corruption—and learned to leverage tools like the Freedom of Information Act and budget tracking to hold leaders accountable. Recognizing that repression and fear continue to silence critical voices, the training emphasized non-violent strategies and coalition-building to amplify student activism.
The NEC resolved to prioritize governance reforms as a foundation for broader climate advocacy, citing systemic corruption as a major barrier to sustainable development. Youth-led education campaigns, manifesto tracking, and climate-finance advocacy are among the strategies ZINASU will deploy in the coming months.
This initiative signals a growing wave of student-led, issue-based organizing in Zimbabwe. In an environment where civic space is under threat, ZINASU’s commitment to informed, strategic activism offers a blueprint for meaningful, peaceful engagement.
As one participant remarked, “We can’t demand a just climate transition without demanding justice in how we’re governed.”
ZINASU’s next chapter will focus on decentralizing advocacy, scaling youth training across provinces, and amplifying voices often excluded from national conversations—proving that students are not just leaders of tomorrow, but of today.
