Supporting Climate Justice Activists
I recently started an open biweekly drop-in support group for local climate justice activists. We’re calling it a “home base for climate justice activists.” Nine to twelve of us attend.
It’s been a good challenge to share what I know about RC in this setting.
The group has made strong use of “news and goods,” mini-sessions on our fears and hopes, and self-appreciation. We answer questions like, “What’s going well? What’s hard? What are your next steps? What support do you need?”
We talk a lot about what’s hard about being a climate activist. We talk about hopelessness and fear. We talk about guilt and overwork. And we laugh together. People are gradually getting the idea that it’s not about convincing each other about specific issues or solutions.
I offer bits of theory about reality and the nature of human beings. I encourage people to think about how to take care of themselves and to not do things alone. We’ve touched on racism.
Last week we talked about how every human actually wants to be engaged in climate justice work—they just may not know it yet. We talked about the harmfulness of criticism and passing judgment on ourselves and others. We talked about not blaming ourselves for being implicated in a system that is inhumane and unsustainable.
The only thing that’s been hard about the group is the feelings I’m left with after each meeting: “It wasn’t good enough.” “It was a failure.” Ha! No one else seems to think that. But I do need to keep discharging the old distress.
At a recent workshop Diane Shisk said something like, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing shoddily!” (Shoddily means poorly.) This contradicts the feeling that I have to get it “right” or “perfect.”
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders in the care of the environment
(Present Time 198, January 2020)