Climate Action South Tyrol is launching the project "Climate Action Works! – Climate Justice", a series of 3 teach-ins taking place from April to June 2024. The aim is to increase awareness about climate and social justice issues, fostering critical thinking through encounters and discussions with activists from the “Global South”.
In many parts of the world, local communities are already grappling with the increasing impacts of climate change, implementing socio-ecological transformation responses that prioritize equity, human rights, and shifting away from extractivist models. In a world where the richest 1% emit more CO₂ than the poorest 66%, where G20 countries are responsible for 80% of global emissions, where only 57 companies are responsible for 80% of emissions and where biodiversity loss disproportionately affects farmers, indigenous communities, and poor families, issues of social justice, intergenerational and transnational solidarity, and redistributive action are overdue and essential to address the climate crisis worldwide.
The project aims at highlighting climate action and transformative practices pursued by frontline communities in the “Global South”, demonstrating that around the globe bold action is taken by activists who face much more adverse circumstances as compared to activists living in industrialized nations. Thus this project also aims at stimulating a debate about decolonization and climate justice.
Schedule for the 3 teach-ins:
Wednesday, April 24th, 6:30-8:00 PM: Teach-in I – Yasunidos, Ecuador
Wednesday, May 15th, 2:30-4:00 PM: Teach-in II – Mensa Kwami Tsedze, Senegal
Wednesday, June 12th, 2:30-4:00 PM: Teach-in III – Daryl Leyesa, Philippines
A brief introduction to the speakers:
Yasunidos, Ecuador: A social movement formed to oppose controversial oil drilling in the Yasuní National Park; in 2023, a referendum promoted by Yasunidos halted the project and paved the way for the protection of one of the world's most biodiverse areas.
Mensa Kwami Tsedze, Senegal: Director for Africa at Earth Guardians, an international nonprofit environmental organization empowering youth with resources and training to develop projects and campaigns against racism, colonialism, and for environmental and climate protection.
Daryl Leyesa, Philippines: An activist with the peasant organization PARAGOS and the National Rural Women's Coalition of the Philippines (PKKK). These organizations are engaged in fighting land grabbing, defending collective rights of women, rural, indigenous, and fishing communities, and advocating for agrarian reform aiming at fair land redistribution and implementation of agroecological farming models.
The teach-ins will be conducted in English.
The project is supported by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano's Department of German Culture, Office for Continuing Education, and by the Global Campus Online (GloCO) Project organized by the UNESCO Chair at the University of Klagenfurt.
