Coming to COP28 has been an experience.

The far travel to get here was new and actually felt hard, anticipating the trip all the way there. But arriving in Dubai and seeing the city was worth it. It’s so beautiful to see the lights at night and in the daytime.

I’ve met so many people and made deep connections. I’ve been connecting with so many youth, adults and elders. Sharing wisdom with each other and wanting to know about who I am, what I do and how we can work together. I’ve been receiving business cards and sharing mine. Spending intentional time with the people I’ve met here and connecting as a delegation is my favorite part.

There’s lots of things happening here. We’ve been to panels, discussions, parties, and just gathering. We’ve all been exploring COP and the city together and getting to know each other and our work. It’s been super fun but it’s also been hard. The days can get very long walking around, navigating the area, the heat and the hard topics also being discussed.

Nevertheless, I’m enjoying my time here and I’m learning and seeing so much. This is my first COP and I’m excited to go to more in the future and connect with new people and learn all over again!

I’ve loved the experience and I’ve received and given out enough hugs for a lifetime.

I am an environmental justice and social justice activist and advocate. I am 20 years old and have been doing this work since I was 14. I grew up in North Minneapolis, a heavily environmentally impacted community. We have the highest asthma rates in the state, we are a heat island and have the highest concentration of low income black and brown people. I joined Youth N’Power 5 years ago. Since then I have learned how to do community organizing in my Community, North Minneapolis through the imperative lens of environmental justice. I care about serving my community and making intentional relationships with others. I continue to learn and grow my personal and collective knowledge around environmental justice, community organizing, and communication. At Metro Blooms, another organization I’m involved with, I do community engagement and focus on planting trees, rain gardens, and boulevard bioswales to help improve the air quality, water quality and soil quality in North and South Minneapolis.

Makayla is a Climate Generation Window Into COP delegate for COP28. To learn more, we encourage you to meet the full delegation and subscribe to the Window Into COP digest.

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Experiencing COP for the first time