CJRF Summer Newsletter

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Photo credit: Action Aid
Dear Colleagues:

At CJRF, learning from new approaches, sharing lessons learned, and increasing understanding of how to truly advance climate justice are core to our mission. We believe that learning and exchange are central to a vibrant climate justice movement. 

Since 2018, CJRF has supported dozens of learning events and field-building activities that build upon grants in our portfolio. Our grantee partners have shared many valuable insights—from the need to rethink risk tolerance as funders, to embracing complexity in local systems. Our grants also include funding for partners to engage in their own learning efforts, as you can see in our spotlight on the Global Greengrants Fund below.

Recently, we held two webinars where our partners shared lessons from their experiences building power in communities on the front lines of the climate crisis. In June, we hosted a crucial conversation on the meaning of resilience in the context of climate justice. You can read more about those events below.

As we look to the second half of 2021, we are excited to host and sponsor partner-led learning exchanges on priority themes; co-create and promote blogs and briefs on key insights; and support our partners as they tell stories that motivate action within the global community. To learn more about these activities, visit our Learning and Insights page. 

We look forward to continued learning in 2021 and beyond!

All the best,

Heather and Hilary

Learning from Youth-led Climate Action
Photo credit: Global Greengrants Fund
“We are not the first generation to have realized what’s at stake, but the last one to be able to provide a tomorrow that is resilient, just, and peaceful.” Winnie Asiti coauthored this statement as a guest editor of the June 2021 issue of Alliance Magazine.

We recently interviewed Asiti to learn more about her role as an advisor of the Next Generation Climate Board for Global Greengrants Fund (GGF). She and her colleagues are reflecting on their eight years of youth grantmaking and sharing lessons for philanthropists and other funders. “Youth are part of the solution to everything, but everybody has a role,” Asiti said. “Youth live in a society with other people they need to learn from so that we can all exist in a better way and contribute to addressing the climate crisis.”

Read more about the Next Generation Climate Board.
 

Exploring Resilience in the Context of Climate Justice

As the climate changes, people and societies will need to respond more often to extreme and stressful weather, and will need to strengthen their ability to contend with frequent disruption. People often call this “climate resilience,” and the term typically carries a positive connotation. But others argue that if people are “resilient,” it makes it easy for politicians and governments to avoid dealing with inequalities and systemic problems that make people vulnerable. Others say that a focus on building “resilient systems” can enable neglect of the rights and agency of individuals.

On June 15, 2021, CJRF grantee partners convened virtually to explore these critiques – and others –  in a panel entitled “Exploring Resilience in the Context of Climate Justice.” Read some key insights from this discussion.

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It's not too late to add your voice to this important discussion. On July 20th, starting at 9 am Eastern Daylight Time, we will be hosting a Twitter Chat on this topic that is open to all.

Find out what questions we're asking and how to voice your thoughts on our blog and make sure to follow @CJRFund on Twitter to hear what resilience means to our partners.

Insights from the Field: Empowering Communities

Communities hit first by climate crises have a wealth of experience and insight to share with each other and the world. Those on the front lines are adapting in real time, often with the future of their communities and ways of life at stake.

In April and May of 2021, CJRF held two virtual learning events for partners to share insights from their experience to date. The webinars were part of CJRF’s ongoing efforts to learn and share insights from our portfolio of grants.

Read five key insights from CJRF partners and watch the full events.

Bringing Together Voices to Support Locally Led Solutions  

This year, the Community Based Adaptation Conference (CBA15) brought together more than 400 grassroots community representatives, adaptation practitioners, researchers, donors and decision makers to engage in conversations about how to best drive locally led adaptation to climate change.  As a prominent sponsor of the annual event, CJRF enabled 47 partners from 21 organizations to attend and dive deep into discussions on how to center and support communities at the front lines of climate change.

IIED’s event wrap-up blog, CBA15: Four messages ahead of COP26, underscores ideas for how decisions in the upcoming global climate talks can better support grassroots groups, including through direct access to funds and support for skills-building.

In the News


The Fight for Environmental Justice: Christiane Amanpour discusses environmental justice with Namati’s founder Vivek Maru and others.

These Women Are Transforming What Climate Leadership Looks Like: Maria Alejandra Escalante, climate and environmental justice advocacy officer at FRIDA discusses ways to nurture inclusive leadership with Katharine Wilkinson, author of All We Can Save and TIME editors Naina Bajekal and Elijah Wolfson.
 
Young feminists are our hope in the climate crisis. The time for philanthropy to step up to support them is now: Maria Alejandra Escalante, climate and environmental justice advocacy officer at FRIDA shares findings for funders from FRIDA’s work and calls for increased climate action ahead of the 26th UNFCCC Conference of Parties.
 
Supporting young people to reclaim the future: Global Greengrants Next Gen Climate Board calls for philanthropy to support bold and creative youth-led climate activism.
 
Climate-displaced people in Bangladesh raise their voices for support: Climate Home News features Young Power in Social Action (YPSA)’s comprehensive program targeting displacement that includes community organizing, advocacy, and community-driven planned relocation and resettlement.
 
New platform applies Alaska Native wisdom to the challenges of a thawing Arctic: Climate Home News covers Alaska Venture Fund (AVF)’s new online platform, the Aywaa Storyhouse to demonstrate the transformative power of Indigenous oratory, dialogue and expression and elevate the next generation of Indigenous leaders who are reclaiming cultural knowledge and advancing social justice.

Op-Ed: Why planetary survival will depend on environmental justice: Namati Founder and CEO Vivek Maru argues for cross-border collaboration for environmental rights and justice. 

Natural Protectors: Kenyan Women Step Up to Save a Forest: BOMA Project supports Samburu women in northern Kenya to sustainably manage the Kirisia forestland and report illegal activity to authorities.

Dispossessed, Again: Climate Change Hits Native Americans Especially Hard: One of Alaska Native Tribal Health Council’s communities is featured in this New York Times story on land loss due to climate change.  

Influx of intra district migrants in search of life: Moumita Sen of Helvetas shares on-the-ground stories of climate migrants in Bangladesh.
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