August 5, 2021
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From 26 – 30 July our 'Youth for Climate Justice' Project brought together a small group of young people to learn about climate justice and how we can help to achieve it through advocating and acting for systematic change. The aim of the project was to empower young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to advocate for climate justice. The project was facilitated by two of VSI’s young full-time ESC volunteers, Maria and Aine.
Over the course of five days, Maria and Aine led the participants through a series of interactive and informal workshops, looking at the climate crisis from a human-centred perspective, focusing on the inequalities created by climate change, nationally and globally, and recognising climate action as one part of broader action towards reducing inequalities and poverty, to create a better future for all.
Participants on Day 1: Getting to know one another!
On Day 1, we focused on getting to know the participants and giving them the opportunity to get to know one another! We introduced them to the concept of Climate Justice, how Climate Change affects people unequally and unfairly, and how activism is needed to address that inequality and injustice. For one of the activities we had participants consider the injustices of climate change and the inequalities attached to climate justice, both globally and nationally using the key questions: Who is responsible? Who is affected? Who can adapt? and Who can decide? See their Jamboards below for their contributions!
Exploring the inequalities of climate change, globally and nationally
On Day 2, we explored the inequalities of climate change more in-depth through 'Parata,' a role-play activity in which participants had to develop characters and react accordingly to different situations to highlight deeply-rooted inequities between class, race, gender and much more. Afterwards, we delved into the topic of classism and climate justice, how to make the climate justice movement more inclusive, how the Coronavirus and Climate Justice are connected and had a run-down of what Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are linked to Climate Justice. We also held a screening of the uplifting documentary, 2040, an optimistic guide to workable regenerative community projects to achieve a better future for all.
Check out the Padlet Slient Exhibition Activity where they considered and discussed (sliently!) the links between Coronavirus and Climate Justice
On Day 3, we invited participants to think more about the human-centered approach to Climate Justice by asking them to think of climate solutions that are also social justice solutions. We had them focus on gender equality, greener cities and indigeneous communities. This after was followed by a Utopia Visualisation to get the positivity, inspiration and creative juices flowing! Participants imagined what their future Utopia would look like and drew pictures of this vision. They later went into Breakout Rooms in small groups to create a Jamboard of their visualisation. See below for an example! After this, participants began working together to create a social media campaign to raise awareness of climate justice and encourage others to get involved in the movement. We invited the participants to think about what they wished they saw on social media regarding Climate Justice and how can we get more people engaged in the topic. This campaign is being shared widely by VSI on our social media channels and externally with our international and national partners and affiliates. Check out their content in our Social Media Campaign Gallery here.
One group's example future Utopia, Republic of E-Bloom!
On Day 4, participants had no workshops but were working together in small groups to create their content for our campaign!
A peek at one of our participants' posts about Climate Justice and Gender Inequality. Check it out fully here.
Day 5 was the last day and we ended on a high note by engaging the participants in a reflection of their own Climate Justice learning journey and their next steps for activism. If you want to take action and don't know where to start and want some inspiration, check out their 'Next Steps in Activism' padlet with all the resources and information needed to do so!
It was a fantastic experience that couldn't have been made possible without our wonderful participants who were a joy to have join us for the project! Thank you!
A big cheers on the last day!
The next steps for this project is to support participants to organise and facilitate their own climate justice workshop for VSI volunteers in September! Professional online facilitation training will be provided to these participants to help them deliver their workshop. To see the updates from this project, click here!
If you're interested in learning more about climate justice and don't know where to start, take a peek at our Library of Resources and Actions for inspiration: https://tinyurl.com/b9h486sx
Alternatively, if you're looking for ways to join the climate justice movement and become an activist, we have compiled a useful resource to help you do just that - see here for more information on our 'Next Steps in Activism' padlet.
We greatly appreciate the funding from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth under their Youth Climate Justice Fund 2021 for Youth Service Grant Scheme recipients for this project.
