Building Bridges Series: Creating Healthy Collaborations for Climate Justice
Online with special guests and follow up dialogues
This series is co-hosted by the Inner Resilience Network and the Transition US Social Justice Working Group, and is intended to lay the foundation for healthy collaborations and regenerative culture in our work around climate justice. We create space for the “messiness” of human emotions when we collaboratively awaken our shared histories, and our questions and reflections result from a clearer lens. We believe that a safe and respectful space to explore these sensitive topics together will help catalyze the connection and mutual understanding we need to truly co-create a world of social and ecological justice.
By exploring the layers within the issues around climate justice, we gain tools and practices that will assist us in reaching outside our familiar circles. In this way, we can work together in solidarity with frontline communities who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, widening economic inequality, and systemic oppression. To do this does require healing, reconciliation, and evolving our cultural understandings. We are committed to this.
We begin our new series with a warm welcome and invitation to understand the significant connection between climate change and social justice. Our intention is to open our hearts together to explore the ways our own lives are embedded in the issues, and to learn to bear witness to how others are affected in ways beyond that with which we are already familiar.
During this series, we will deepen our understanding of ourselves and others as we cultivate relationships across cultural differences. We also aspire to strengthen the “intersectional justice culture” that we need for this climate emergency. One of the core beliefs underlying this series is that we all hold an essential piece of the collective wisdom that is needed by the whole. With the intention of weaving together a more diverse, inclusive and influential movement for social change, we will explore successful models for building resilience in disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
Every event will be on a Sunday at 3pm Pacific Time and will be online using Zoom
Each Third Sunday presentation or panel will be 90 minutes, including Q&A afterwards.
Every Fourth Sunday there will be an opportunity for a follow-up “Healing Dialogue”. This will be a two hour practical exploration of agreements and tools we can all use to improve our abilities to hold space for authentic, mindful, and connected dialogue around these sensitive topics. We will mostly be exploring these in practice through a “fish-bowl” of four participants sharing a discussion about the previous week’s presentation, and is open for all to observe. There will also be some opportunity for all to engage with questions and reflections.
About the hosting organizations:
Inner Resilience Network: We connect in order to catalyze local, national and international efforts centered on building skills, resources and support systems that promote personal-relational resilience in the face of today’s multifaceted challenges and foster personal-relational growth to bring forth the human qualities needed in a life-affirming culture.
Transition US Social Justice Working Group: Our mission is to grow justice, equity and inclusion in the world, and to create the conditions for diversity to flourish in the Transition Movement. We do this by educating ourselves on social justice issues and sharing resources with the broader Transition movement, connecting and collaborating with the broader social justice movement, and implementing practical projects that incorporate justice and equity as integral aspects of building community resilience.
Online with special guests and follow up dialogues
This series is co-hosted by the Inner Resilience Network and the Transition US Social Justice Working Group, and is intended to lay the foundation for healthy collaborations and regenerative culture in our work around climate justice. We create space for the “messiness” of human emotions when we collaboratively awaken our shared histories, and our questions and reflections result from a clearer lens. We believe that a safe and respectful space to explore these sensitive topics together will help catalyze the connection and mutual understanding we need to truly co-create a world of social and ecological justice.
By exploring the layers within the issues around climate justice, we gain tools and practices that will assist us in reaching outside our familiar circles. In this way, we can work together in solidarity with frontline communities who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, widening economic inequality, and systemic oppression. To do this does require healing, reconciliation, and evolving our cultural understandings. We are committed to this.
We begin our new series with a warm welcome and invitation to understand the significant connection between climate change and social justice. Our intention is to open our hearts together to explore the ways our own lives are embedded in the issues, and to learn to bear witness to how others are affected in ways beyond that with which we are already familiar.
During this series, we will deepen our understanding of ourselves and others as we cultivate relationships across cultural differences. We also aspire to strengthen the “intersectional justice culture” that we need for this climate emergency. One of the core beliefs underlying this series is that we all hold an essential piece of the collective wisdom that is needed by the whole. With the intention of weaving together a more diverse, inclusive and influential movement for social change, we will explore successful models for building resilience in disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
Every event will be on a Sunday at 3pm Pacific Time and will be online using Zoom
Each Third Sunday presentation or panel will be 90 minutes, including Q&A afterwards.
Every Fourth Sunday there will be an opportunity for a follow-up “Healing Dialogue”. This will be a two hour practical exploration of agreements and tools we can all use to improve our abilities to hold space for authentic, mindful, and connected dialogue around these sensitive topics. We will mostly be exploring these in practice through a “fish-bowl” of four participants sharing a discussion about the previous week’s presentation, and is open for all to observe. There will also be some opportunity for all to engage with questions and reflections.
About the hosting organizations:
Inner Resilience Network: We connect in order to catalyze local, national and international efforts centered on building skills, resources and support systems that promote personal-relational resilience in the face of today’s multifaceted challenges and foster personal-relational growth to bring forth the human qualities needed in a life-affirming culture.
Transition US Social Justice Working Group: Our mission is to grow justice, equity and inclusion in the world, and to create the conditions for diversity to flourish in the Transition Movement. We do this by educating ourselves on social justice issues and sharing resources with the broader Transition movement, connecting and collaborating with the broader social justice movement, and implementing practical projects that incorporate justice and equity as integral aspects of building community resilience.
Feb 16th Topic: Why Climate Justice?
This is the warm-up for this series, with members of the Transition US Social Justice Working Group sharing their stories about making the connection between climate change and social justice. Together we will explore how the frontlines of change are intimately connected with both climate change and social justice.
The questions we will be asking are: Why does the climate change conversation need to include the social justice conversation? How are these two very important areas of focused activism related? How do they affect each other and how does doing something about one lead to the other?
We share in respect and deep listening. We want to find caring and safe ways to hold a space that is known to be difficult and messy, but deeply inspiring and galvanizing as well.
Some of the questions we will be asking are:
This is the warm-up for this series, with members of the Transition US Social Justice Working Group sharing their stories about making the connection between climate change and social justice. Together we will explore how the frontlines of change are intimately connected with both climate change and social justice.
The questions we will be asking are: Why does the climate change conversation need to include the social justice conversation? How are these two very important areas of focused activism related? How do they affect each other and how does doing something about one lead to the other?
We share in respect and deep listening. We want to find caring and safe ways to hold a space that is known to be difficult and messy, but deeply inspiring and galvanizing as well.
Some of the questions we will be asking are:
- What is the nexus between climate change and social justice?
- How is colonialism related to climate change?
- Is the Environmental Movement capable of correcting past wrongs?
Feb 23rd Healing Dialogue: “Why Climate Justice?”
Galen Meyers will host and facilitate a “fish-bowl” of four volunteers practicing a mindful, connected, and authentic discussion about the topic discussed in the previous week’s presentation, “Why Climate Justice?”. There will be some opportunity for all to engage with questions and reflections.
Register in advance: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/u5QtfumoqD0q4UcY2p03bXRqRkC-utg0Mg
Galen Meyers will host and facilitate a “fish-bowl” of four volunteers practicing a mindful, connected, and authentic discussion about the topic discussed in the previous week’s presentation, “Why Climate Justice?”. There will be some opportunity for all to engage with questions and reflections.
Register in advance: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/u5QtfumoqD0q4UcY2p03bXRqRkC-utg0Mg
Building Bridges Team:
Jul Bystrova co-founder of the Inner Resilience Network and Director of the Era of Care project, which works with frontline communities. She has a 25 year history of community activism and a private practice in trauma-informed mind-body healing work. She is an Interfaith Minister and holds a graduate degree in Interdisciplinary research and a focus on how to bridge perspectives in Science and Spirituality. She is a poet, and writes and teaches about cultural healing, social justice and psycho-spiritual topics. She also serves on the Transition US Collaborative Design Council and is a member of the Social Justice Working Group. She is dedicated to bringing awareness and actions towards greater social justice and wellness in the Transition community.
Galen Meyers: Galen Meyers is a passionate social change practitioner focused on the holistic approach of regenerative culture growth. Galen has a background in math, physics, and biology and he is an avid lifelong learner in many fields of study, including permaculture, complexity science, and the emerging field of cultural evolution. He is trained as a group facilitator through both of the organizations “Institute of Cultural Affairs” and “Prosocial”. He is also a certified yoga and meditation instructor. Galen is co-founder of Common Ground Networks, and he serves on the Inner Resilience Network and the Collaborative Design Council for Transition US.
Ayako Nagano: Ayako Nagano serves on the Board of Transition Berkeley, and on the steering committees for the Green Leadership Trust, a coalition of green non-profit board members of color promoting equity and inclusion within the environmental movement. Ayako serves on the Social Justice Working Group for Transition US, and was recently appointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
Marissa Moemmarts (info in process)
Jul Bystrova co-founder of the Inner Resilience Network and Director of the Era of Care project, which works with frontline communities. She has a 25 year history of community activism and a private practice in trauma-informed mind-body healing work. She is an Interfaith Minister and holds a graduate degree in Interdisciplinary research and a focus on how to bridge perspectives in Science and Spirituality. She is a poet, and writes and teaches about cultural healing, social justice and psycho-spiritual topics. She also serves on the Transition US Collaborative Design Council and is a member of the Social Justice Working Group. She is dedicated to bringing awareness and actions towards greater social justice and wellness in the Transition community.
Galen Meyers: Galen Meyers is a passionate social change practitioner focused on the holistic approach of regenerative culture growth. Galen has a background in math, physics, and biology and he is an avid lifelong learner in many fields of study, including permaculture, complexity science, and the emerging field of cultural evolution. He is trained as a group facilitator through both of the organizations “Institute of Cultural Affairs” and “Prosocial”. He is also a certified yoga and meditation instructor. Galen is co-founder of Common Ground Networks, and he serves on the Inner Resilience Network and the Collaborative Design Council for Transition US.
Ayako Nagano: Ayako Nagano serves on the Board of Transition Berkeley, and on the steering committees for the Green Leadership Trust, a coalition of green non-profit board members of color promoting equity and inclusion within the environmental movement. Ayako serves on the Social Justice Working Group for Transition US, and was recently appointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
Marissa Moemmarts (info in process)
