This young mother’s poem about her vanishing country stunned the world’s leaders

[n2doc]

Daniel A. Medina

?w=940

Of the dozens of speeches by world leaders, advocates, and movie stars at the UN climate summit on Tuesday, none garnered as strong a reaction as that of the poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner.

The 26-year-old from the Marshall Islands, a tiny Pacific nation, recited a poem she wrote for her 7-month-old daughter. To a hushed audience, she told of a homeland under grave threat from a rising ocean: “We look at our children and wonder how they will know themselves or their culture, should they lose our islands.”

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http://qz.com/270909/this-young-mothers-poem-about-her-vanishing-country-stunned-the-worlds-leaders/

[Glimmer of Hope]

1. Sad and beautiful!

[demmiblue]

2. That was beautiful. Exquisite.

Thank you for that find.

KR&B

[rhett o rick]

3. k&r. Thanks for posting. nm

[A Little Weird]

4. Great poem

I hope it will inspire world leaders to take action.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

5. Frustrating that beauty and sadness have no effect on denialists

Their devotion to dirty energy and money outweighs humanity and the planet.

[Lenomsky]

6. Beautiful and sad ...

nobody gives a fcuk tho as it's a spec in the ocean - worry about New York or London innit!

Sad but true nobody gives a fcuk. Hat's off to NY March on Monday which I didn't see on TV curiously.

[Fred Sanders]

13. I think many more give a fuck than those that do not.

[Lenomsky]

16. I conceed my extreme generalisation ...

Those that know about world events sure but so many simply don't (and thus don't give a fcuk) and our political masters pay lip service but generally don't GAF either.

[Fred Sanders]

19. Africa and Asia folk, I believe, do care much more than Americans. They live on the planet also.

[ReRe]

7. Young Mother's Poem at UN

Thanks, n2doc for this OP. Marking to come back later this PM to view.

[cantbeserious]

8. Thank You For Sharing

eom

[mahannah]

9. Nice poem, but the “world leaders” are tone deaf.

[Uncle Joe]

10. That was powerful.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.

[Terra Alta]

11. but will it stun them enough to take action?

Sadly, I'm afraid not. I'm afraid nations like the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, and others will cease to exist within a century and it is something that could have been prevented.

Thanks for sharing this with us. Very powerful poem.

[Fred Sanders]

12. Incredible woman, incredible family, and a vital message.

[mountain grammy]

14. Beautiful and powerful, the voice of the people!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

15. "No one is going to devour you, baby..."

Very moving - she had that audience spellbound. Anyone know where her poem may appear in print? It needs to get to certain (ahem) legislators en masse.

Thank you for posting. The hugest K&R.

[Chellee]

17. Here you go.

http://treealerts.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Kathy-Jetnil-Kijiner-Poem-Dear-Matefele-Peinam-for-UN-Climate-Summit-opening-ceremony.pdf

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Well done.

[Octafish]

20. The art of letters.

To whoever invented the alphabet:

Thank you.

PS: Thank you, too, Doc Nitro!