Across the globe, climate disasters are intensifying but nowhere are the stakes higher, or the people more resilient, than in Africa. In fishing villages across the Indian Ocean, drylands stretching through the Sahel; the impacts of climate change are no longer distant threats. They are lived realities. But rather than watch in silence, Africans are rising and this September– we Draw the Line.
What Is “Draw the Line”?
“Draw the Line” is a global week of action, culminating in mass mobilizations across cities, towns and villages on the weekend of 19–21 September 2025. Rooted in Indigenous calls for justice and now championed by movements like 350 Africa.org, this campaign unites people everywhere who are done with climate injustice, fossil fuel greed and the silencing of communities most impacted.
This isn’t just about awareness. It’s about resistance. It’s about hope. It’s about building the world we deserve.
Our Resistance Didn’t Start Here — But It’s Growing
350Africa.org has long worked hand-in-hand with communities on the frontlines from resisting oil pipelines like StopEACOP, to advancing people-led, clean energy futures through REPower Afrika. These are more than campaigns. They are lifelines. They are blueprints for an Africa where energy systems are controlled by people, not polluters. Where women farmers and youth innovators are not just included but leading.
Through these and other campaigns, we’ve consistently called for climate solutions rooted in justice, equity and community ownership. Draw the Line is the next step, a moment to unite, amplify and escalate.
As Rukiya Khamis, our Africa Senior Organizer, says:
“Every solar panel installed in a remote village, every protest sign raised in Kampala or Kinshasa these are acts of resistance. Draw the Line is our chance to multiply that resistance into a movement the world can’t ignore. We are not disposable. We are not silent. This mobilization is our declaration that Africa won’t be bought, drilled, or drowned. We are drawing the line.”
Why Africa? Why Now? Why This Moment Matters
- Because the climate crisis is already here.
- Because African nations contribute least to climate change but suffer the most.
- Because the fossil fuel industry continues to target our continent for extraction and exploitation.
- Because in September, global leaders will gather at the UN General Assembly just weeks before COP30 in Brazil and they need to hear us loud and clear.
As Regina Baiden, Regional Director for 350Africa.org, puts it:
“Africa has long borne the adverse impacts of climate change, inequality, debt and extractivism. But we are also the birthplace of innovation, community, and resilience. Drawing the line is our collective declaration: we will no longer be sacrificed for someone else’s profit.”
What We’re Demanding
- End Fossil Fuels: No new coal, oil, or gas projects. Shut down existing ones fairly, while protecting communities.
- Fund the Future: Climate finance must come as grants, not loans. Cancel unjust debts. Make the rich and polluters pay.
- Protect People, Not Polluters: Kick fossil fuel interests out of politics. Let communities lead.
- Defend Democracy and Human Rights: Protect the right to protest. End repression.
- Just Transitions: Shift to community-owned renewable energy that centers African people.
This is about transforming systems , not tweaking them.
Join the Movement
This is more than a climate fight ,it’s a justice fight. It’s about our right to breathe clean air, drink safe water and decide our own futures.Draw the Line is not another conference or tweetstorm. It’s a global uprising and Africa is leading it.
As Lut Wanjiru, Africa Digital Campaigns Manager at 350.org, says:
“There’ll be no escaping the movement , be it IG reels or town halls we’re reaching Africans wherever they are. We’re not waiting for permission. We’re telling our stories, lifting our voices and drawing the line. It’s about time to we declare who decides the future. We say it’s us. Us the communities.Us the children of Africa.”
Whether you’re an artist in Accra, a student in Soweto, a farmer in Eldoret, or a grandmother in Goma – you are needed. You are powerful. And this September, you are invited to Draw the Line.
Visit https://drawtheline.world/ to join the mobilization, host an action, or amplify the message.
A quote often attributed to the late Ali Mazrui says it best:
“Africa has no need to apologize for being behind in development. Rather, it has the opportunity to leap ahead – using the wisdom of its people and the energy of its youth to shape a better path forward.”
That future starts now. This is our moment.
This is our line.
Let’s draw it together.
Written by Lut Wanjiru