Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in Dubai
By Khadija Stewart
The following blog is part of a series written by Blue Planet Alliance Global Ambassadors about their experiences in Dubai at the UN climate conference (a.k.a. COP28) last December, where they took part in more than 20 events. Blue Planet Alliance Global Ambassadors are a cohort of international youth that was founded by Blue Planet Alliance in 2022 at the Our Oceans Conference in Palau, to honor and empower young people from the ages of 16 to 30 to help spread our global mission of transitioning to 100% renewable energy. Learn more about the program — and how to apply to be a BPA Global Ambassador here.
Thinking back on COP28, I'm still processing my emotions but overall I can confirm that I'm disappointed yet hopeful. Disappointed because the outcomes weren't ambitious enough; because I heard too many realities of climate injustice to youth, indigenous communities, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), women, and island territories, just to name a few; and because false climate solutions — such as nuclear power, the fossil-fuel industry, and deep-sea mining — were given a major spotlight as a critical way forward.
However, I can safely say my experience engaging with civil society was truly inspiring. There are so many NGOs and youth leaders fighting for climate action and spearheading innovative projects in their local communities that make it all feel worthwhile to keep speaking out and take action. The networks and communities outside of the negotiations were truly special, and although I wanted to be more engaged with the negotiations, the reality of citizens from large ocean nations is that we need action NOW! The time for slow progress, ambiguity, and indecisiveness is far gone!
For me, COP28 was a place of both personal and professional growth, overcoming my imposter syndrome and stepping into my own confident Ocean and Climate Specialist. I was given engaging platforms to share my work with Peace Boat, Blue Planet Alliance, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and EcoVybz Environmental Creatives. One of my highlights was sharing a panel with the director of BBC's “Planet Earth,” as well as sharing a panel with profound ocean experts at the Ocean Pavilion on my work fighting against deep-sea mining. Those panels awakened a confidence in me I didn't know existed and I'm truly grateful for such spaces, which allow me to continuously grow and share the hard work of all the youth worldwide.
I'm also extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend COP28, and in the future I'm looking forward to launching the Caribbean Climate Youth Perspectives Project, which aims to continuously amplify youth voices and drive climate innovation in the region, as well as my participation at the UN Ocean Decade Conference, Our Ocean Conference, and SIDS conference. Most importantly, I am extremely excited about the 2nd edition of the Deep-Sea Youth Symposium [when — and website?], where 25 Youth from Latin America and the Caribbean will gather in Jamaica to learn about the horrors of deep-sea mining and fight against greenlighting this new extractive industry. We are already in a triple planetary crisis, and now more than ever, we need all stakeholders working toward the protection of our ocean, our biodiversity, our water, our land, and our planet!
Khadija Stewart is a Blue Planet Global Ambassador based in Trinidad & Tobago.
