EJ Leaders Crushed Climate Week: Let's Continue Building Community

Dr. Ana Baptista, Tishman Environment and Design Center; Angela Mahecha, Ripe for Creative Disruption EJ Fellowship; Jesús Vázquez, Organización Boricua; Jacqueline Patterson, The Chisholm Legacy Project; Jade Begay, NDN Collective; Colette Pichon Battle, TapRoot Earth; Bineshi Albert, Climate Justice Alliance/It Takes Roots in a celebratory group picture after a successful panel for the ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LEADERS CRUSH CLIMATE WEEK: Climate Justice Movements Disrupt Business As Usual at COP27, a part of programming for #ClimateWeekNYC, New York, Sept. 22, 2022. (Photo by Tishman Environment and Design Center) --not pictured, panelist Osprey Orielle Lake, Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)

Featured Event- Environmental Justice Leaders Crush Climate Week:

Climate Justice Movements Disrupt Business As Usual at COP27

During Climate Week NYC, The Tishman Environment and Design Center and Ripe for Creative Disruption EJ Fellowship  convened EJ leaders on the road to the UNFCC Conference of Parties 27th Meeting on Climate Change (COP27),  in Egypt. 

On September 22nd as part of Climate Week NYC, we crowdsourced various Design for Disruption ideas together with audience members at the Tishman Auditorium at the New School.  These included; How might we creatively disrupt business as usual of international climate negotiations in Egypt (and elsewhere) given what we discussed and what we know of future movement visions for Climate Justice?  What is the significance? What is the evolution? What is the disruption of COP27?

This MIRO Board captured the spontaneous crowdsourced ideas such as: 

  • Replacing elected official delegates negotiating our human rights with frontline leaders

  • Make COP more accessible by having smaller regional convening 

  • Make COP undesirable for Fossil Fuel Executives to join in

  • Coordinate a collective action through social media, live streaming platforms,  and virtual rallies across the movement before, during, and after COP27

  • Create a new Global South convening space outside of the United Nations, with philanthropy

  • Have funders/philanthropy pay for grantees to attend COP

Most of the panelists and speakers have 5-10 years experience of attending COPs  and talked about the many challenges and learnings through the years.

“We believe that this climate movement is a global movement. To work on Climate within our own borders is ridiculous. At some point we have to figure out that to win, just like Jade said, global solidarity is the floor and not the ceiling… What’s funny to me about COP, but not really funny, is how inaccessible it is. First of all, if you have any mobility challenges, it is not an accessible place. Second of all, if you are from the Global South, it is not an accessible place. If you’re not part of/or connected to large corporations and nonprofits,  it is not an accessible place- which means it is not accessible. The only  global place where we talk about climate justice is not accessible to the frontlines. It makes no sense to me.” - Colette Pichon Battle, TapRoot Earth

Relationships beyond our sectors are key to developing international policies that will help us win and collectively change the material conditions that continue to harm our communities.


“We’re organizing folks along with Taproot Earth- Taproot Noire to organize people across the African diaspora so we in industrialized nations are actually advocating with our governments to make stronger commitments in the context of COP and to be really be in service to the African descendent nations, whether it’s in the Caribbean or from Sub-Saharan Africa. So, they’re really giving direction- and also we are leading from our own experiences as Black communities in our respective nations… Our throughline is connection. Our throughline has been relationship building. Our throughline has been building power and influence.” - Jacqueline Patterson, The Chisholm Legacy Project

EJ LEADERS CRUSH CLIMATE WEEK: Climate Justice Movements Disrupt Business As Usual at COP27 (Video by The Tishman Environment and Design Center)

So much gratitude to the panelists and presenters for sharing their insights and strategies. To learn more about our panelists, please check out their information below: 

COP27 Resource:

A month away from COP27, the Human Rights context in Egypt is still on high alert as civil organizations continue to be prevented from holding external civic space during the conference as is common with COPs to have a space for popular inputs.  Arrests have already begun to take place . Learn more- COP Civics Space: The Egyptian Human Rights Coalition on COP27.

Movement Partners Disrupting #ClimateWeekNYC

Multiple photos throughout #ClimateWeekNYC on MIRO. (Photos by Tishman Environment and Design Center)

Special shoutout to NJEJA for starting us early during their NJEJA 20th Anniversary: People Assembly on September 15th to September 16th.

 

We also share appreciations with all the organizations representing frontline communities across the globe that led a number of events during  #ClimateWeek on September 19th to September 25th.  (see image above for a snapshot)

Ripe for Creative Disruption Fellows and Staff were able to catch up with artists at the Dojo hosted by Creative Wildfire on September 17th, WECAN for the multiple insightful women -centered events through the week, to TapRoot Earth- TapRoot Noire for holding space in beautiful convenings for Black Climate Leaders in the movement, and Grist50 for facilitating a conversation on Indigenous knowledge and our thriving future. We are already planning the next years disruptions. #ClimateWeekNYC #EJDisruptDesign

Climate Week Video Featuring EJ Leaders

Diversifying strategies is key to solving some of the climate’s most complex problems. The EJ Fellows take on problems and solutions through collaboration as core groups of movement leaders. Burnout in Black and Black women leadership and failed economic systems are just some of the problems they are working on.  Watch for more

Taylor Thomas, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice; Teron McGrew, Emerald Cities Collaborative; Kailea Frederick, Climate Justice Organizer, NDN Collective; Jasmine Flores-Cantrell, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance; Angela Mahecha, Ripe for Creative Disruption EJ Fellowship featured for the Climate Week Feature Special at The New School, New York, Sept. 22, 2022. (Video by The New School and Tishman Environment and Design Center)

Share and join us on social media by using the hashtag: #EJDisruptDesign

Follow us at:  @tishmancenter @New School TEDC @newschooltedc

Leaders in this EJ Fellowship Feature Video:

Applications for Ripe For Creative Disruption EJ Movement Fellowship open 2024.

Standing in Solidarity with Frontline Communities

Communities across the world are grappling with the aftermath of recent climate disasters. If you'd like to support disaster relief funds for communities, please see the links below:  

For more information and other resources to share, please connect with Patricia Cortado: cortadop@newschool.edu.

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