Climate Justice Academy: Session II

Date: 18-21 April 2024 (arrival early afternoon on 18 April, departure 21 April late afternoon)

Location: Slovenia (exact venue to be announced)

ENAR is organising a Climate Justice Academy that will bring together anti-racism activists to develop their capacity to campaign and advocate for racial justice in climate action. We will come together and learn and build solidarity. We want to create a space to strengthen our knowledge of the impacts of the climate crisis and focus on responses and community mobilising around this issue.

We will gather as a group during 3 separate events (sessions) between November 2023 and June 2024 to unpack manifestations of racism in climate impact, strategize community organising, explore the intersections between eco anxiety and mental health and build new economic models that leave no one behind.

Through these sessions, we would like to:

• Raise awareness about the climate crisis, its causes and impacts, emphasising the principles of climate justice and interconnectedness of social and environmental issues.
• Provide training, knowledge and skills to individuals and communities to enhance their understanding of climate breakdown, and tools available for communities to respond, enabling them to actively contribute to climate action.
• Empower marginalised communities to engage in decision-making processes related to climate action, ensuring their voices are heard and their perspectives are taken into account.
• Foster a network of climate justice advocates who can effectively engage with policymakers, advocate for just and equitable climate policies and influence decision-making at local, national, and European levels.
• Provide tools for wellbeing for racialised climate activists that can be implemented to prevent burnout, cultivate resilience, and promote self-care.

Topics explored at the Climate Justice Academy:



Session I: Exploring manifestations of climate crisis on racialised groups (November 2023)

Session II: Racialised mental health in climate action (April 2024)

Session III: Creating our own economies (June 2024)

Session II of the Climate Justice Academy focuses on racialised mental health in climate action. 

Racialised people have been historically uprooted from their land as it was exploited for the wealth of a few through colonisation and slavery. These events continue to have consequences on access to green spaces and, more broadly, on the relationship between nature and marginalised groups.

Being an activist is challenging. It requires deeply caring for an issue to the point of seeking political and social change. We know that this can be quite tiring and negatively impact our mental health. The heightened concerns about the climate emergency can lead to psychological disorders.

At the same time, working on climate action requires navigating a white-dominated space. For racialised people, this experience can result in trauma that impacts their capacity to work: from microaggressions, not being heard, or facing hate speech and discrimination. These actions can have far-reaching consequences on one's psyche.

 Read more about the topics of the three session in the open call (see: Documents pages).

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Registration

This is an open call for the Session II of the Climate Justice Academy" that will focus on the intersection between the consequences of structural racism, racial trauma and eco-anxiety, and how to centre ancestral traditions, knowledge and relation with nature.

All ENAR member organisations are welcomed to apply, please however note that to ensure the continuity of the project and fostering of knowledge building, the priority will be given to the participants that have already attended the Session I in November in Lisbon. 

Share with your network and register till 29 February 2024. Please get in touch with pia@enar-eu.org with any questions. 

There is no participation fee for the event. 

Although we welcome all applications, we especially encourage young anti-racist activists to join us.

Read more in the open call about the registration process and logistical arrangements.

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Code of Conduct

By registering to this meeting, you confirm your agreement with ENAR's code of conduct at ENAR meetings and events.

You can download the full document HERE​.