Cohort II Fellow Maxine Burkett, co-founder of Institute for Climate and Peace (ICP) and law professor, shares that 2021 is a critical year to equip decision makers at all scales with the tools needed to respond to the climate crisis and build social cohesion through locally-based and culturally-appropriate responses.
Photo courtesy Institute for Climate & Peace
Contributed by Maxine Burkett, Cohort II
Climate and peace are integrated collaborative fields helping to advance a just and sustainable peace for thriving, cohesive communities. When rights are accepted, neighbors enjoy good relations, information flows freely, and resources are more equitably distributed—all indicators of positive peace—exponentially fewer people suffer the effects of disaster or pandemic. ICP is a climate justice organization that advances positive peace to build equity and climate-resiliency for communities most affected by climate change.
Earth Day asks the world to come together for Three Days of Climate Action to activate this year’s theme, Restore the Earth. ICP remains rooted in indigenous and regenerative practices in our approach; accordingly, this April, ICP calls for collective action: Kūkulu Ka Wana‘ao to "Restore the Light" to island-based solutions found in Oceania.
Within Hawaiʻi and the greater Pacific region, there exists relatively little climate change work that effectively centers the human experience, and none outside of ICP that operates at the intersection of climate change and positive peacebuilding. We see an urgent need to change this and to catalyze a body of climate change work that centers justice and activates ground-up climate resilience and positive peace strategies. This is why ICP is doubling down on our efforts to grow our work. You can support ICP’s mission by donating, attend a workshop to become a climate-responsive leader, and letting us know how your passion restores light through your work. Engage at www.climateandpeace.org and @ClimateAndPeace.
Blue Planet led the campaign to make Hawai‘i the first state in the nation with a 100% renewable energy law. Jeff Mikulina, Cohort VI Fellow and Blue Planet's executive director talks about how they are changing the conversation around energy.