Our Field Trip to a Climate Change Event
Our RC teachers’ and leaders’ class used a field trip to a climate change event to contradict isolation and build our resourcefulness as a team.
I’ve been supporting the Sunrise Movement—a group that is “building an army of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.” It has been central to the push for the Green New Deal.
I went to my first training two years ago, and I was forty years older than anyone else in the room. I was impressed with both the Sunrise objectives and their training of everyone to be organizers—by having them practice speaking, listening, telling inspirational personal stories, and so on. I have since volunteered to help with food setup and shopping for their events.
Five of us in our class went together to the kickoff for the Sunrise-sponsored “National Green New Deal Tour.” It was a huge contradiction to powerlessness to see over twelve hundred people streaming into the venue. Slogans were everywhere: “No More Excuses,” “Back the Deal,” “Change the Debate,” and so on. There was music and energy and brilliant speakers (the three we heard were women of color).
As RCers we were aware that we were actually “in class” during the excursion, while being challenged by doing things “in the world.” We had good sessions when we returned, as did the three class members who’d been with us via “live-streaming” on our cell phones.
We have taken an important step!
Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Reprinted from the e-mail discussion
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