A young vocal climate change activist from Samoa, Brianna Fruean, is the recipient of the Global Citizen Prize’s Citizen Award.
The award recognizes activists across the world whose efforts focus on ending extreme poverty and achieving the United Nations’ Global Goals.
Brianna is being recognized for her work leading grassroots community projects for climate justice, and her commitment to bringing small island representation and young Pacific voices to the forefront of global climate conversations.
Brianna has been a climate champion in the Pacific since the age of 11 when she became a founding member of 350.org Samoa, and 350.org’s youngest ever country coordinator.
“Through her work as the youth representative on the Pacific Climate Warriors Council of Elders, Brianna has consistently fought for the future of vulnerable Pacific island states in the face of the climate crisis,” said the organization.
At 16, Brianna also became the youngest winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award.
Last November, Brianna addressed world leaders at the UN Climate talks in Glasgow COP26.
She told them to “remember that your meeting rooms and drafting documents are not just black and white objects; to remember that, in your words, you wield the weapons that can save us or sell us out for profit and power”.
