Bold ideas that solve the world’s energy needs.

Change Through Organizing and Activism

​SPEAKERS:
Annamaria Leon, Co-Founder, Permaculture Chicago Teaching Institute
Christopher Walsh, Hub Coordinator, Sunrise Movement Chicago
Ashley Young, Lead Youth Organizer (Florida), Alliance for Climate Education

Sweeping societal change often starts from the ground up, with activists promoting proof-of-concept change that can be made within their own communities to combat seemingly insurmountable issues like the climate crisis.

The panelists spoke about change-making through community engagement, campaigning and youth education. The discussion covered topics ranging from the importance of high-quality education to racial justice. The panelists offered insights on how climate action should be inclusive in order to be truly effective. By the end of the session, each speaker had left a deep impression on the fellows by talking about their lived experiences and the impact of their respective organizations.

A key point from the session addressed the issue of the so-called “backfire effect,” which describes how people might resist sustainable behavioral change if the proposed measures contradict their views.

​Session summary by SISE fellows Shreeya Gautam and Jasmine Xie

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Watch the full video of the session here.

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