Climate Justice Youth Summit

September 20-21, 2019 in New York City

OUR People, OUR Hoods, OUR Power!

UPROSE hosted the 7th Climate Justice Youth Summit on September 20-12, 2019 in NYC. The summit kicked off with the #FrontlineClimateStrike, a powerful march in Brooklyn (click here for photos from Day 1), highlighting the impacts of climate change on Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The summit is the largest climate justice gathering of young people of color in the country. It focused on ways to operationalize Just Transitions. This framework, birthed by the climate justice movement, examines ways to move us out of an extractive economy to a regenerative one that respects our people, our bodies, our land and our future (click here for photos from Day 2). Given the scope of the climate crisis and our current political climate this is more necessary now than ever.

As the generation that will be most impacted climate change it is necessary that young people lead on these issues because they affect us the most. That is why this summit is important.

We are fighting, not only for our survival, but to change a system that has been sustained off the backs of the working class and particularly people of color for hundreds of years. The grassroots are growing and will not sit idly by while this administration ignores one of the greatest threats to our survival. Now is the time to power up, because It’s OUR people, OUR hoods, and OUR power!

Black & Brown youth living in midst of enviromntl burdens have been fighting for environmental & climate justice for years!The 7th Climate Justice Youth Summit begins Friday honoring those whose ancestors have endured existential threats & are preparing for this one #CJYS2019 pic.twitter.com/05tmdPP1OL
— UPROSE (@UPROSE) September 18, 2019

Learning Circles

Food Sovereignty: Community Owned Land and Food

What does Justice look like when we look at our diets? How can we ensure accessible, healthy and community centered diets as we look towards a Just Transition?

Art and Resistance or The Art of Justice

This workshop brings light to the ways that art can be used in a movement space, the power of art to influence our mindset and the different ways art has been used as a political tool in the past.

Building Community Cooperatives

Teaches us how we can create cooperatives locally using a plethora of skills, support from community organizations, local businesses and community members to further advance the Climate Justice movement and the implementation of a Just Transition.

Just Transition/Puerto Rico: Modeling a Just Recovery

This workshop explains how we move from an Extractive Economy to a Regenerative Economy that is Just for all members of a community. We will also look into what a Just Recovery looks like in Puerto Rico, 2 years after Hurricane Maria.

Policing, Prisons and People of Color

This workshop evaluates the effects of policing in communities of color. We will take a deep look into Prison Reform and the Fight against Prisons; and the role policing, prisons and militarism plays in fueling the economy we live in today.

Migration and Climate Change

This Learning circle works to acknowledge intersectionality in immigration, speak about displacement, and how is gentrification is being driven by deportation and over policing in majority Brown/P.O.C. neighborhoods.

Philanthropy and Activism

This workshop will show young people the ways in which we can use fundraising efforts and charity to build financial backing for our movement.

Healing Justice: Our bodies, Our Resilience

Big Question: How do we care for our bodies and our minds when doing activist work?

How do we make sure we are treating ourselves and our communities justly?
How do we practice self-care? Collective care?

Disassembling Patriarchy and Shifting to a Feminist (Queer) Economy

Why is it important for us to move away from a Patriarchal society and mind-set?
Why is it important for us to shift to a Feminist Economy, and what does that look like?

The Jemez Principles In Action

What do the Jemez Principles Looks like in Practice?

Climate Justice + Intergenerational Frontline Leadership (UPROSE)

Why is Intergenerational Frontline Leadership important
What does Intergenerational Frontline Leadership look like in the Climate Justice movement?

Click here for photos from Day 1 of the Climate Justice Youth Summit.

Click here for photos from Day 2.

Poster art by Chelsea Turner, who has joined the UPROSE team as a Youth Organizer. She is using her artistic abilities to shed light on the massive impact that Hurricane Maria has had on thousands of Puerto Ricans.

Frontline Climate Strike

The Direct Action component of the summit, the #FrontlineClimateStrike, took place on Friday September 20, 2019 and was dedicated to Puerto Rico. September 20th marked the two year anniversary of Hurricane Maria‘s landfall in Puerto Rico and the injection of disaster capitalist schemes to profit off the misery and destruction.

Hundreds marched and held a rally to highlight the massive impact that climate change has had on Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico, Grenada and the Bahamas – countries that contribute very little to climate change, but are experiencing the brunt of the crisis.

Click here for photos from the Frontline Climate Strike.