Draft:Rida Rashid

Rida Rashid

Born	23 March 2003 Bahawalnagar, Punjab, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Occupation(s)	Activist, Storyteller, Public Speaker
Organization(s)	Survivors Narrative, Impact Pakistan
Years Active	2012-present
Website	www.ridarashid.com

Rida Rashid (born 23 March 2003) is a Pakistani activist, storyteller, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and executive director of Survivors' Narrative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the stories of people and communities most affected by the climate crisis. Rida also leads IMPACT Pakistan, a nonprofit focused on rehabilitating and building resilience in climate-affected communities. She has served as a youth climate advisor to Pakistan’s former prime minister. The name Rida is pronounced as "Ridaa" or "Reeda" and means contentment and approval of highest power in Arabic.

Personal Life

Rida Rashid was born in Bahawalnagar, Pakistan, and raised in her village during her early years. Later, she and her family moved to Islamabad. Rida holds only Pakistani citizenship. She attended The Science School for secondary education and completed her A-levels at Lahore Grammar School.

Activism

Early Beginnings

Rida’s activism began when her village in Punjab faced devastating floods when she was eight years old, leading to the loss of crops, the lifeline of her community. Her first project was a winter drive where she collected 5000 PKR and donated it to her community, which was affected by the 2010 floods.

Impact Pakistan

In 2012, Rida co-founded IMPACT Pakistan with her brother to raise awareness about climate change. Initially, the organization held cycling rallies that led to the construction of cycling tracks in Islamabad. The organization also carried out a tree plantation drive across the province of Punjab in 2019. IMPACT also joined hands with Happilac and Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad to carry out plantation alongside the [Road]. Today, IMPACT Pakistan focuses on rehabilitating and building resilience in climate-affected communities.

Advocacy and Consultations

Rida’s advocacy efforts include consultations with the United Nations and other NGOs such as CARE and Save The Children, and collaborations with local and global youth groups. She has also served as a youth climate advisor to Pakistan's former prime minister.

Climate Justice Advocacy

Rida Rashid's activism emphasizes climate justice, advocating for policies that address the climate crisis with a particular emphasis on the needs of the Global South. Her advocacy highlights issues of climate justice, loss and damage funding, and the accountability of developed countries for their role in the climate crisis. She is critical of fossil fuel reliance and emphasizes addressing the root causes of climate change. Rida believes that better government structures, functional justice systems, accountability, and the supremacy of justice are crucial for communities to adapt to climate change. She argues that social issues are interconnected and that a focus on internal justice is essential for countries in the Global South to effectively adapt to climate change. Her participation in climate solidarity marches and protests in Pakistan, where she calls for the government to declare a climate and smog emergency, indicates her belief in strong governmental intervention and regulation to protect the environment. Additionally, her emphasis on protecting indigenous lands and waters suggests a commitment to social and environmental justice. To illustrate her beliefs, Rida often shares a story from her childhood: when floods devastated her village, her uncle did not wait for government or international aid but used his savings, originally intended for his daughter's wedding, to rebuild their home. This story inspired the creation of Survivors' Narrative, with the aim of highlighting the human side of the climate crisis through personal stories.

Survivors' Narrative

Survivors' Narrative is a youth-led platform, founded by Rida Rashid, which highlights the narratives of struggle, strength, resilience, and adaptation in the face of the climate crisis. It aims to bring attention to the overlooked stories of communities and individuals in the Global South who are most affected by the crisis, transforming them into catalysts for global understanding and collective action. It also serves as a hub offering climate change literature translated into South Asian languages, alongside firsthand footage of climate-related disasters.

Press and Recognition

Rida's work has been profiled by major media outlets such as Bloomberg, BBC, CNN, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Pakistan State Television, NDTV, Tribune, and DAWN. She has authored opinion pieces for various publications and spoken at platforms worldwide, including TED, COP27, COP8, the United Nations, and institutions such as the University of Virginia, University of Pennsylvania, Oxford, and IIT.

Political Beliefs

Rida Rashid has expressed support for climate policies and sustainable development, advocating for governmental intervention to protect the environment. She believes in the importance of accountability and functional justice systems for effective climate adaptation. Her activism focuses on social and environmental justice, emphasizing the protection of indigenous lands and waters. In the 2024 Pakistani general elections, Rida voted for the first time and publicly expressed her support for the former prime minister, Imran Khan.