On 4th and 5th September, Katy, our National Coordinator, Jane, our Lead Ambassador, and Helen, our Project Lead in Cardiff, went to Rooted Resistance, Collective Power, a two-day movement-building summit for groups working at the intersection of climate, migrant and racial justice.

The summit was organised by the Climate and Migrant Justice Organising Group, a collective of climate, migrant and racial justice organisations brought together by the Climate Justice Coalition. It brought representatives from across the country together to connect, organise and share what they are learning.

Katy reflected afterwards that it was:

“A powerful weekend of building connections and being inspired by all the work happening at the intersection of climate and migrant justice across the UK.

I left the summit feeling like the most urgent work is at this intersection, and the most important part of that work is to centre and amplify the voices of lived-experience peers. It’s exciting to take that into the Skills Exchange Programme that we’re currently developing.

Inspiring examples of work were shared, from ancient proverbs to work happening right now in different corners of the globe. What stayed with me was the timelessness and universality of working to improve nature. There were reflections on how different cultures understand their connection to the land, on how we belong to the land and not the other way around. All of this was echoed in the various grounding exercises held across the weekend.

How do you forge a connection to the land in a country, a city, you didn’t choose to live in, but that circumstances have led you to?

At one point a participant noted that each of us are all doing our work separately, be it in migrant justice or campaigning against fossil fuels. We’re all doing our little bits, but when you zoom out you realise that between us we’re an entire ecosystem.

One example shared by Earth Refuge was Hemsby. Here in the UK we’re already experiencing displacement caused by the climate. Many around the world, including people seeking asylum and refugees in the UK, have been displaced by climate. It’s a shared issue that we face, and only a shared response can be effective.”