it's one family on a journey through recent german history. and this. darkness has fallen and it's still peaceful and have remained so for your sakes my grandchildren. the berlin wall. and starts new member 6th on d.w. . yes we want to survive on this planet if we don't say that now it will be too late as the space for over a year young people the world over have been organizing school strikes demanding

immediate action to stop climate change to tune back the star of the movement sailed across the atlantic to take her message to the u.s. but not everyone's on board let us in my opinion they should strike at the weekend not during school hours. in europe the young activists spent their summer vacation building networks discussing in formulating their shared values and core demands. 16 year old funk ahem bliss from berlin has been active in the fridays for a future movement for 6 months. school's out for the summer but she's been up since 6 o'clock. yes. let's cut her friend a meal are heading to dortmund in western germany to take part in a fridays for a future summer congress. they met on a strike. if anything.

they're on their way to the station like all the young environmental activists in the movement they make a point of never flying and only travel by bus or by train. throughout the summer climate camps are taking place all over europe including in poland the czech republic italy and germany. 1400 activists are attending the congress in dortmund. they start the day with a quick breakfast they're on a tight schedule the 1st panels and workshops are kicking off at 9 am sharp. as i'm not talking about how to ask if she could help but she disappeared with a chair well i'm not helping i don't want to forage. there are now $600.00 local

chapters of friday's for future in germany they're connected on social media but the dortmund summit is the 1st time they've all come together and met in person. it's been an organizational feat. but it was over months i suppose isn't it it's a very we've made a big effort to be as professional as possible into i think we're doing very well we all have bracelets we've set everything up. make sure that everyone knows what their job is and that they do it properly mark. says. germs aren't us. that's just us use of course a man i don't know what it's like at a professional congress but i feel we've achieved a level of professionalism that's actually very impressive. by and focused on. the congress is also about. building networks.

has met 16 year old from switzerland. the organizers have invited christophe schmidt to take part in a panel about carbon tax the chairman of the german council of economic experts he advises the german government on carbon pricing. and its name is against the new you i've just read that it was 22 degrees celsius in greenland yesterday and within just 24 hours 12000000 tons of ice melted we want to know what we can do to stop this happening to prevent temperatures from continuing to rise. and a carbon tax is one proposal that comes up again and again. as you said people are miserly and that's why pricing works you could put it like this if something's free it's not worth anything the atmosphere is used as a free dumping ground for carbon emissions there's no global cost applied to this

and that's why it's overused. believes that carbon pricing would make the german government stick to its climate targets. but with the general public accept it. friday's for future is calling on the government to introduce a $180.00 euro tax on each metric ton of c o 2 in europe per capita c o 2 emissions are $8.00 tonnes a year so everyone would have to pay $1512.00 euro's and carbon tax schmidt says that's too much. the maximum tax the public would accept it would be 40 euros per tonne. and people would also need incentives if they make environmentally friendly choices such as not driving or not flying for example they could claim a reimbursement that the main issue schmidt says is raising awareness. see this will do a lot of the statistics floating around are made up so it's important that the

issues in the background are properly understood to. quality for. the students want solutions that work and they want them now they ask a lot of questions laina is interested in the international context you. can monday so it's what's the best way of moving ahead globally with a carbon tax obviously every country has to agree on it it's no use doing nothing just sitting tight and waiting to see what other countries do about a test and the mom didn't choose if you we would already be doing a lot if we achieve the targets agreed within the e.u. that would be an important step if europe china and the u.s. were all on board by 2030 no he's huge step so we can for souter's to act it's not for us to persuade him that it's worth it. it's not. the stuff can i say this what other countries do is not the issue that we switzerland germany whatever have

a responsibility that's my. saying i'll only do it if you do it it's just childish that's muscle is and fast in this it sent us. other countries are always being used as an excuse it's the us any of this will only do it if you do it attitude gets us nowhere if that's what all countries do then all that happens is what's happening now nothing lists the fridays for future activists refused to compromise in their demands so far the movement has been a loose collection of disparate groups head of the summer congress 18 year old jaco blasio founded the organization organized future which manages the events budget of $200000.00 euros made up of participant contributions and donations and of finds it has all income no individual can be liable for an event involving $1400.00 people but if i end up we found an association so we could take out liability insurance let's go back you know it allows us to sign proper contracts. for the global

climate strike in may we were at the movements within survive the summer in germany malevolent activities all those worries were invalid but we felt we had to do something something exciting that would unify the movement and raise its profile in the media and we decided to organize a congress that brought everyone together and demonstrate a combined force of the movement to power it is a very good order of. the fridays for future movement is active in over $100.00 countries. it's also expanded into eastern european countries. 2 and poland around $700.00 young activists are taking part in a summer camp halfway between post 9 and warsaw. their special was. this is the competition. all the organizations and movements that are here phoned in just

a short space of time. we've got extinction rebellion which now exists all over europe is what it was the. a school strike which i belong to and for future poland these guys with come for climate action arguments the event. of a. 17 year old antonio. goes to school in warsaw he's been organizing the school strikes in the polish capital for nearly a year and poland the issue of climate change doesn't get much attention. i did juggle for you at school. i learnt a bit about the climate i would works and how it's changing. so there's not much discussion and the polish media. also did french at school and i

read articles in french in english and in spanish. i only learnt about the terrible state of the climate from the foreign media. poland's populist right wing government only recently knowledge that human activity is a key driver of climate change. only 15 members of the polish chapter of friday's for future are attending the camp many are put off by the fact the event is being closely monitored by police. she said the phone number of the. latest that i was on early morning juicy and it was really funny is the best time because the cops come along at 5 so. they look to the left to the right and drive past you in this really the monstrous of way. the place is crawling with them. so i know what we're going to do tomorrow. it's going to be arctic mist on the resemblance of a chest. the activists are planning

a protest tomorrow the demonstration has been officially registered with the authorities but another secret protest is also scheduled. cameras aren't allowed at this meeting. the police are out in full force when the protesters start gathering the next day. you know to point out. that they're heading for the town of coney an hour's drive away it's close to an open pit lignite mine. and again i think that out that. there's lots of coal mining in poland. this here is the worst kind. lignite mining. it's highly toxic but it's. the other problem is that many mines in poland until up to take it and emits

a lot of pollutants over there is the mine. 84 percent of poland's electricity comes from fossil fuels such as cold and late night and just 14 percent from renewable energies in comparison 50 percent of electricity in germany is generated from fossil fuels 33 percent from renewable energies and 12 percent from nuclear power in france only 10 percent is derived from fossil fuels 18 percent from renewable energies and 72 percent from nuclear energy. yes got to that very good oh oh oh oh i just got to that's not going to oh oh oh that is go after that they're going to have 00000200 activists are taking part in the demonstration you're calling. many reporters are also here.

tony and his friends with fridays for future are among the protesters. the police don't intervene. that that yes. i'm. not sure that. that's the protesters approach the mine the tensions rise. the police are worried that the activists will try to break through the police barrier. of the striking of the chief read this for future along. the ground rule for fridays for future in poland is that all or activities are legal. this was even in terms of civil disobedience we stick to what's legal. question is what we believe that way we'll

have the biggest reach and the best chances of actually changing things in poland yes this. whole movement shares this principle that those. we don't break the rules. then those on the ship and. their official demonstration stops outside the mine. on the other side the illegal one organized by the camp for climate action and extinction rebellion breaks through the police lines. in poland and elsewhere the activists are far from sure that they can really bring about change. a lot of the missing ending and move away you feel powerless but when you look over there and see how many people have gathered then you realize we might be in with a chance so it's we're trying to get like them but all these great people have come together but of course when you look at this vast area of protests can feel in significance what's astounding just absolute bullshit on that.

back in dortmund it's friday strike day. the 1400 activists who come to dortmund from all over germany have divided up into groups. they don't want to disrupt public transport. i. i. thought i was. the german wing of the movement has very specific demands the activists want germany to phase out coal by 2030 and to have made a 100 percent switch to renewable energy by 2035. i think that is

a i. do not i want to start by saying i'm here even though it's school holidays and to be honest i wouldn't mind taking a vacation. but we can't afford to waste time even though the politicians have all taken vacations. by the. i was the they do. if the demonstrations had been held on saturdays or sundays no one would have paid them any attention there would have just been a bunch of kids demonstrating in germany or wherever and no t.v. station would have bothered reporting it otherwise but because they're missing school people are paying attention that's how it works that somebody. there's a lot i was was. i i.

as soon as the demonstrations over lena and john luka head to the station. dana is spending the summer into railing from one climate camp to another. the next is in lozano. later helped organize it. and some think you know about the school strikes he's at school. so are we but i don't live there on fridays aren't they i'm not against them but in my opinion the strike should be held at the weekend and not during school hours school is important let's face it. that's what this is how that. school is used as leverage against us we're striking to demand something be done

that's i mean this out of sight but if you don't go to school you're messing up your future going to school is also doing something for your future. you know does that future we supposedly won't have if we don't go to school is threatened anyway by climate change. nonsense this country it's not nonsense and you look at the scientific studies you'll realize pretty quickly that it's not nonsense commissionaire this country must hear this and how will you be able to get any qualifications if you don't go to school. in this in 2 hours on a friday isn't the big deal about your absences will be noted on your report card i don't care you don't care that doesn't matter it doesn't matter if you're absences are noted on your report card sorry i can't talk about this and all the chips this is 1st and came back bends and i think i feel like i've learned so much from the climate strikes about organizing and fans about science and chaffed and i was

so her argument doesn't work for me yeah finished i don't mind yeah yeah i feel the claim it's. drugs have taught me loads of life skills. more than a lens and 12 years of school since most young children which doesn't. and those on $400.00 young environmental activists are attending the smile for future conference their aim is to lay out their demands in a formal fridays for a future declaration. a message for governments and political institutions. the congress is being held in the university of blows on. may not is in a work group with students from 6 countries with their formulating the movement's strategic goals these will be included in the declaration here i think that's in your career

a show that we need to have how we were in the coverage right so we're talking about 2 different things because you're talking about having broken group identity and a declaration and i don't agree on that. so it's to create 3 sentences or promotional so that's a product i could refer to the book to but then to do that's one of the options we could also do is create to go so what international structure documents i want i don't. just exist but there are delegations from 38 countries. from the outset the movement has had the support of respected climate experts one of them is john pascal fun. vice chair of the intergovernmental panel on climate change from 2008 to 2015. thank you we have many things in common. begin scientists

a big. change which presented. it's a. special report this morning and goodness look. these young people are very well informed on the climate crisis more so than political decision makers and the general public and it came as a surprise to me my marriage at the climate change conference in qatar and i could see she was able to give very detailed answers to scientific questions no politician can do that she's or read the literature of the faith a lot a lot of young people are familiar with the i.p.c.c. reports. thank you for what you always done thank you for what you are doing i would like to thank great. teacher. i know she's not that leader. she doesn't want to be

a leader but she longs to strike and she still spies every moments at the international one that's friday's future has become almost gratitude back to the star of the fridays for future movement is also here she sits with the other participants. all the movement is nonhierarchical and democratic and every vote counts equally in the. right lane that presents the results of her work group. in a declaration dare more our values and principles that you mad so that but we bought that book live on ted other people know about it said. the participants are seeking consensus on all the decisions of the 1st vote is on the introduction to the declaration of the poem the collapse of our society

ecosystems is in the horizon is really. what happens in the next month and years this is the future of humankind are going to lead to extinction is a possible outcome a dream of this clear asian. those who agree wave their hands. o. position. i'm just saying that we improve this if we are able to make some just grace and changes and that's what we want to do just don't get angry and. i don't think anybody's. but of course the word you can be changed in the whole the can be changed and you move probably change still is there

is strong opposition against this proposal. good it was a. thank you. the next day the students demonstrating lows on. the school strikes polarize opinion. which may well be why they've succeeded in sparking debate about climate protection in many countries. plain as younger sister and her mother are also taking part today. that is so that we felt that i felt the south. and. so to have a movement where is global perspectives just done together and serves me best known

we're standing with. you not to you think you'll see you feel safe and it does a lot herself she's very independent she doesn't always give us a choice and that's when the discussion starts and they're not always polite or constructive. or sometimes i think the climate strikes have the last word and i don't think that can be difficult and that in the more the more of these keep this . couple of times i've called her teacher and asked since you isn't really all right as far as her schooling is concerned the flock bluebells. he told me he let me know if it started to become an issue to. be a new i think. this person that is active the guys i'd like to keep doing this is much as possible it has priority over school. in this womb. you know if in fact that you're running out

of time. if it's a time to me we need to see a reduction in emissions by 2020. i am. i'm september 20th and berlin. global strike today. is in a hurry. i say i don't. miss him so i have to go back on stage and prepare what i'm going to say a minute or so much time and i think. this student movement also has crossed generational support. them and said yes we've been complaining for years that young people are a political but now driving change we need the courage and ambition mood and the i'm beats you want to do you don't like that and so you know.

romero. 23 year old student louise annoyed about the best known activist in the german fridays for future movement is one of the co organizers of the demonstration in berlin. yes we're here and we're loud because you're stealing our future. yes yes. like all the young activists here luisa has devoted her summer holiday to the movement. yes i've got that yes yes the best man at the world is changing rapidly we're witnessing things shift all the time not just the climate but also questions of justice about what we can expect from economic systems in

democracies and then just see that it goes hand in hand with the huge push for emancipation but the climate justice movement is giving rise to all this must be built. yes max listen to me today we've made history 270000 people demonstrated in berlin today. we throw the record in germany this is the biggest protest in german history. i definitely need to just say yes my son's a 100 and that is over and i want to see politicians taking action have to face time when i think about my future on this planet i can't not do something to stand up when i can't let my future go down the drain and i can't let that happen says he cases. around the world over 4000000 people took to the streets and the movement is growing these young activists will soon be eligible to vote and can't afford to

ignore them. or your concept discovered with the ballot. after $100.00 it is the ideals of the body and more relevant today than they were a. 100 years ago visionary shaped. the people understood design as a way of shaping society. about half a man that's cassella her. with ideas for our future somehow

a part of. our documentary starts november 14th w. . this gives the w. news live from berlin tonight the week when they tore down that wall. and started marking 30 years since the fall of the berlin wall and the beginning of german reunification we'll get the details from our correspondent live at berlin's alexander. also coming up tonight a human rights watchdog accuses u.s.

backed special forces in afghanistan of committing war crimes and other atrocities during their operations it's calling.