‘They don’t like us in the global movement’: The experiences of youth activists at the periphery of worldwide Fridays for Future

Abstract

While global movements are often lauded for the ability to unite action worldwide, this study foregrounds the hindrances and conflicts that may emerge between a global movement and its local chapters – particularly those at the periphery – that may even evolve into disconnection. To investigate such tensions, we focus on two national chapters of the youth climate action movement Fridays for Future, whose members perceive themselves as being on the periphery of the global movement: Israel and Turkey. The study builds on 41 semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 Israeli and Turkish youth activists, aged 12–23. Our analysis of the interviews reveals that transnational connections may face difficulties when navigating different local conditions and differing movement priorities. Youth activists may choose to favor a commitment to local priorities over weak transnational ties – particularly when faced with interpersonal tensions. Thus, in contrast to the focus in much of the connective action literature on how digital technologies afford transnational connections, our research emphasizes the human aspect of connective and disconnective action. We show that, due to the weak ties they are built on, transnational movements may not always be able to withstand the ideological and political tensions that arise from the different lived experiences of their members.