Life after UWC: Aoife Fleming (Class of 2016)

We spoke with Aoife Fleming, UWCM alumna from the Class of 2016, whose journey since Maastricht has taken her from youth-led climate justice to feminist storytelling and grassroots activism.

From co-founding World’s Youth for Climate Justice with a fellow UWCM student, to publishing Vrouwen van Amsterdam and opening Fish Bowl Books, Aoife reflects on the friendships and projects that continue to connect her work to the UWC mission.

Could you briefly introduce yourself to our alumni community and tell us where life has taken you since your time at UWC Maastricht?

I am Aoife Fleming, graduated from UWCM in 2016. Since UWC, I started a youth organisation with my co-year Jule Schnakenberg, World’s Youth for Climate Justice to start the first climate case at the International Court of Justice. Last year, the world’s highest court issued a very progressive ruling, reaffirming 1.5 degrees of global warming as the legal red line and pushing governments to do more. Moving from global change for a more just world, I also see the importance of more local focus and grassroots conversations. Earlier this year, I published a book ‘Vrouwen van Amsterdam: Wandelen in de voetsporen van 100 vrouwelijke pioniers’ (tr: Women of Amsterdam), featuring 100 women activists, feminists, artists, whose lives are honored with a street name in Amsterdam. And I opened a bookshop ‘Fish Bowl Books’ featuring feminist, queer and anticolonial literature as well as activist programming.

When you think back to your time at UWC Maastricht, is there a moment or experience that still feels connected to the person you are today?

I remember meeting Jule during introduction day, and instantly admired her. We then went on to do a YSE project together where she told me about the climate crisis (this was 2014, the issue hadn’t fully entered my consciousness yet). Reading more and more about this, together with another co-year we organised the Youth Environmental Sustainability – YSE conference that has had 10 editions since. This connection and project has propelled me to continue working on the climate crisis, and over the years broadening out to center human rights and youth and children.

Your book brings visibility to 100 pioneering women whose names are part of Amsterdam’s streets but whose stories are often less known. What inspired you to tell these stories and was there one woman whose story particularly stayed with you?

There are many battles that need to be fought today, including genocide, climate and biodiversity catastrophe, and fighting for social justice. On many of these, young people are the ones speaking up and moving politicians and politics to take action. I’ve realised how important it is to have a long view of history, both to fully understand historic/systemic injustices, as well as knowing that there are many who have come before us who have managed to affect change. With my book, I highlight 100 women who were feminists, activists, artists, largely in a time when they didn’t have any economic, social, political rights themselves. We can learn from their tactics, dedication and resilience.