Nisreen Elsaim

{{Short description|Sudanese youth climate activist}}{{Infobox person

| name = Nisreen Elsaim

| image = Nisreen Al Sayeem.jpg

| caption = Nisreen Elsaim in 2022

| native_name = نسرين الصائم

| native_name_lang = arb

| birth_place = Sudan

| citizenship =

| education =

| alma_mater = University of Khartoum, Sudan

| occupation = Climate activist

| years_active = 2012-present

| movement = Sudan Youth for Climate Change

}}

Nisreen Elsaim (Arabic: نسرين الصائم; born 1993 or 1994) is a Sudanese climate activist and climate negotiator.{{Cite web|last=Blazhevska|first=Vesna|title=Young leaders tapped to invigorate UN's climate action plans, hold leaders to account|url=https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2020/07/young-leaders-tapped-to-invigorate-uns-climate-action-plans-hold-leaders-to-account/|access-date=2020-08-27|website=United Nations Sustainable Development|language=en-US}}

Personal life

Elsaim was born in Sudan and was raised in Khartoum. As a child, Elsaim interacted with nature frequently, often playing on the riverbanks of the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which meet in Khartoum.{{Cite web |last=Elsaim |first=Nisreen |title=I Am A Climate Diplomat and Here Is Why I Think The Climate Emergency Needs Scientific Solutions |url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/i-am-a-climate-diplomat-and-here-is-why-i-think-th/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Global Citizen |language=en}}

Elsaim holds a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in renewable energy technology from the University of Khartoum.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=JWH Initiative|url=http://www.jwhinitiative.org/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-27|website=JWHinitiative}}

She participated in the Sudanese revolution in 2018 and 2019.{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-10-20 |title='Climate change should be prioritized in Sudan', Nisreen Elsaim urges ahead of COP27 |url=https://www.africanews.com/2022/10/20/climate-change-should-be-prioritized-in-sudan-nisreen-elsaim-urges-ahead-of-cop27// |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=AfricaNews |language=en}}

A month after the Sudanese civil war began in April 2023, Elsaim and her family, including her husband and nine-month-old son, had to flee Sudan for their safety.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-15 |title=At UN climate talks, some see wars complicating negotiators' task |url=https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/environment-news/at-un-climate-talks-some-see-wars-complicating-negotiators-task-9813166 |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Pique Newsmagazine |language=en |agency=Associated Press}} Her brother-in-law, who stayed behind, died shortly after.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-18 |title=‘Climate change won’t wait until the war is over’ {{!}} akzente |url=https://akzente.giz.de/en/interview_nisreen_elsaim |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=akzente.giz.de |language=en}} She has since returned to the country briefly, but not to Khartoum.{{Cite web |last=Rehse-Knauf |first=Luca |date=2024-11-07 |title=An activist in Sudan engaged in climate, peace and security |url=https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/environment/climate-change-peace-security-nisreen-elsaim |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=www.deutschland.de |language=en}}

Since the onset of the Sudanese civil war, she has lived in London, Paris, Florence,{{Cite web |last=Nilsson-Julien |first=Estelle |title=Meet the young climate activists who fled war and death threats |url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/21/meet-the-young-climate-activists-who-fled-war-and-death-threats |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Euro News}} and Berlin.

Career

In 2012, due to protests during her first year at the University of Khartoum, the government shut down the school for three and a half months. During this time away from classes, Elsaim became interested in science diplomacy and began volunteering at the Sudanese Environment Conservation Society.{{Cite web |last=Shipton |first=Emily |date=2023 |title=Sudanese climate activist Nisreen Elsaim: a voice for the world's young people |url=https://www.ciwem.org/the-environment/a-voice-for-the-worlds-young-people-nisreen-elsaim |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=CIWEM |language=en}}

In 2016, she founded the Sudan Youth Organisation for Climate Change (SYOCC). She remained its Chair until 2021.{{Cite web |title=Nisreen Elsaim |url=https://www.weforum.org/people/nisreen-elsaim/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240511084523/https://www.weforum.org/people/nisreen-elsaim/ |archive-date=2024-05-11 |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=World Economic Forum |language=en}}

By 2018, she was involved with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, and was working as a junior negotiator with the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN).

In 2019, she attended the Abu Dhabi Youth Voices conference. After the conference, she was invited to co-organize the 2019 United Nations Youth Climate Summit.{{Cite web|title=#YouthParticipation: Nisreen Elsaim, on her journey to becoming a UN Youth Climate|url=https://www.fes-connect.org/people/youthparticipation-nisreen-elsaim-on-her-journey-to-becoming-a-un-youth-climate/|access-date=2020-08-27|website=www.fes-connect.org|language=en}}

She was the Chair of the United Nations' first Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change from 2020 to 2022, organized by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, after a nomination by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.{{Cite web|title=Sudanese Appointed Chairperson Of UN Advisory Group{{!}} Sudanow Magazine|url=http://sudanow-magazine.net/page.php?Id=1114|access-date=2020-08-27|website=sudanow-magazine.net}}{{Cite web |last=Nations |first=United |title=The Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change - 2020 |url=https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action/youth-advisory-group-2020 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=United Nations |language=en}} Speaking on the experience in 2023, she noted that although she felt the advisory group "changed the culture around youth engagement," she also found it frustrating "to follow UN protocols rather than work as independent activists".

She awarded a fellowship at the Robert Bosch Academy in Germany until November 2024.

Awards

2023 Young Activists Summit{{Cite web |last=Incari |first=Sarah |date=2023-11-27 |title=Awards for 5 young activists in presence of Prince Albert II |url=https://www.monaco-tribune.com/en/2023/11/awards-for-5-young-activists-in-presence-of-prince-albert-ii/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Monaco Tribune |language=en-US}}
June 2024 Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize finalist; organized by the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Democracy and Culture Foundation.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-08-01 |title=The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize 2024 Finalists! |url=https://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/news/the-kofi-annan-nextgen-democracy-prize-2024-finalists/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Kofi Annan Foundation |language=en-GB}}