From being arrested at protests more than five times to standing up to world leaders at the United Nations, 22-year-old Greta Thunberg’s bravery is unmatched.
Throughout her entire battle for climate change, Thunberg has always stayed true to her principles. What began as a battle against climate change became a full-scale revolution against society’s most influential leaders.
One of Thunberg’s main goals in her activism is to fight for all humans to have basic human rights, regardless of their background or political affiliation. Thunberg’s involvement in war in the past has usually been to deliver aid to the civilians of the conflicts. It is undeniable that many other women have had a very strong influence in the 21st century, but I believe that Thunberg’s influence stands out from others.
Given that her activism began at a young age, Thunberg became a symbol of youth activism and paved the way for other young activists to feel supported. Xiye Bastida is a young activist who has shared how Thunberg has inspired her, displaying Thunberg’s influence on youth activism. In a blog post, Bastida shared that, “Greta is an amazing, pure-hearted individual who, just like me, wants you to listen to the science, and address the impending climate crisis.”
While inspiration is not the same thing as influence, I believe that it still plays a big role in determining whether or not someone has influence. Among TIME magazine’s list of “The 100 Most Significant Figures in History,” Sigmund Freud is ranked #44. Sigmund Freud’s influence can be seen in many modern-day spaces, as he is seen as a staple for psychological and philosophical theories. His theories have inspired people to do research and theorize in similar ways to him.
Part of influence is sparking a change in other people, whether it is positive or negative. Similar to Freud, Thunberg’s activism and bravery substantiate the fact that many things are achievable with consistent effort. Her work as an activist has expanded movements for climate change, peace in conflicts and human rights.
It’s no secret that Thunberg has critics, too. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has made comments about Thunberg, such as “(Greta Thunberg)’s a troublemaker. She has an anger management problem. I think she should see a doctor.” Thunberg currently resides in Sweden, and her activism has still caused backlash from the president of a country entirely different from her current country of residence.
Trump’s comments followed Thunberg’s involvement in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a mission to deliver aid to the civilians of Gaza by breaking the Israeli blockade with over 40 vessels from 44 different countries. Due to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, humanitarian missions have been thwarted by Israeli authorities several times. For example, in 2024, the head of the UNRWA reported that “Israeli authorities are still preventing humanitarian missions from reaching areas of northern Gaza with critical supplies, including medicine and food for people under siege.” Because of Israel’s previous attempts to prevent aid from reaching Gaza, the Global Sumud Flotilla was an effort to finally give Gazans the critical items they need, such as food, water, and medical supplies. Unfortunately, the Flotilla’s mission to deliver aid was a failure due to interceptions and attacks by the Israeli Defense Forces.
The effort of the Global Sumud Flotilla unfortunately resulted in some arrests and deportations, one of which was Thunberg, bringing a lot of attention to both her and the Flotilla. In Thunberg’s personal account of her arrest, she reported the horrific things that she was subjected to while she was detained, such as sleeping in cells infested with bed bugs and being deprived of food and water. Thunberg’s resilience throughout the conflict is one of the many things about her that I find to be naturally influential. Thunberg was prosecuted and punished for fighting for innocent people who cannot defend themselves, and she still continued her fight to deliver aid.
Thunberg’s bravery is visible through both this conflict and many other conflicts as she stays true to her purpose regardless of threats and backlash from powerful people. Modernly, many young people in my generation do not have the bravery to speak out and fight for what they believe in. Thunberg’s activism started at 15, an age when most people could not imagine starting such an impactful movement. I think that Thunberg’s willingness to sacrifice parts of her childhood and experience as a young woman to use her voice and stand up for what is right is what makes her so much different than others.
