Addressing the Climate Emergency, with Janet Kabue
I had the privilege of attending a Climate Emergency Workshop, on Zoom, for Quebec and Ontario, Canada. It was led by a Black female Kikuyu-speaking RC leader, Janet Kabue [Area Reference Person for Nairobi, Kenya, and Apprentice International Commonality Reference Person for Care of the Environment].
Evencia Emilus, a Haitian-born Black female, translated into French Janet’s words about racism and how much the climate crisis continues to affect many communities of colour.
Janet talked about the seriousness of the climate emergency, calling it “humanity’s greatest problem.” She said, “We cannot solve the climate emergency without ending racism, other oppressions, genocide, capitalism, and economic instability.” She said that it’s difficult to tackle these big issues but that the feelings attached are rooted in our early distresses. We must work on our feelings of hopelessness and discouragement. And she reminded us that discouragement is always old.
Janet spoke with confidence and certainty. She said that the more we get together, the more we can solve the crisis, and that we have the tools of RC and can bring our flexible intelligence to the problem. “We can discharge, take action, adjust strategies, and head back to hopefulness.”
It has been difficult to put my attention to the climate crisis, but I was inspired by Janet as she said, “Do something.” Thank you for the inspiration, Janet. I will keep you posted on my attempts.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Climate Emergency Workshop was powerful and determining for me. It gave me wings, and several weeks later they still carry me. Being with Janet on the screen interpreting, being a spokesperson for her wisdom, had a beautiful, positive influence on me. It appeased many of my feelings of agitation and restlessness. I felt that the ground could be solid under my feet. It was as if Janet’s presence made me legitimate.
The workshop was a beautiful thing that happened in my life. It was good to feel that life can also bring me beautiful things. I was inspired to continue reclaiming more connections with nature. I also had to become aware of and work on my assumptions about what life is like for a person in Kenya.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
We had an African leader for the Climate Emergency Workshop. She was nothing like the North American leaders I usually experience. She was not loud, entertaining, or passionate. She was calm. She shared her experience as a person from a frontline community. That was a big contradiction to the white-supremacy culture I live in. It created a space in which I could appreciate the Chinese culture I am from. It is different from white culture. It is full of life, and I need to learn to appreciate and utilize it. I am thankful for the rediscovery.
I had a chance to reclaim my connection with my ancestors. One of China’s original philosophies is Taoism. It teaches that humans and animals should live in harmony or balance with the ways of the universe. Given the exploitation of people and the environment by the current system, we need to ask ourselves, “Are we still in harmony with the universe?”
Chinese civilization, like many other civilizations, started with farming. Our ancestors knew that our survival and thriving depended on our cooperation with each other and the natural elements like water, sun, and soil. Ancient poems, such as “Compassion for Peasants,” “The Moon Over the West River,” and “Song of the Parting Son” have recorded the beautiful relationships among humans and the connections between humans and nature. They bring me to tears, because they contradict the brokenness in my relationships. They also remind me that our current situation is not the natural state of human beings.
Chinese translation, by the author, of the above: 中文翻译出于以上的作者:
这次参加地区环境会议，我们的领导者是一位来自非洲肯尼亚的女性，Janet。她的领导风格和我习惯了的北美领导的风格很不一样。Janet 声音没有很大，没有很娱乐，甚至没有显得很有激情。然而她显得很平和，她分享了她生活在环境工作第一线的经历。对于一个我这样一个生活在白人文化主导的社会里， Janet的出现给了我一次机会去重新审视种族主义，尤其是欣赏我自己成长的中国文化。中国文化和白人文化是很不同的，但他充满了生命力。我很感恩我对我自己母文化的再发现。
这次的环境会议也给了我一次机会去和我的祖先重新建立关系。生活在白人文化主导的社会，这个关系是被忽略的。在中华文明的起始阶段，就产生了一个哲学流派叫道家。道家提倡道法自然，与自然和谐相处。“道”是宇宙万物的本源，是世界的最高真理。当我们看到世界范围内资源分配的不均，贫富的分化，环境和生态的破坏， 我们是否该问自己”我们人类在和自己和自然和谐共存吗？这种不平衡又会给我们人类带来什么后果？”
中国的文明像世界上很多文明一样是从农耕文明开始的。我们的祖先明白我们的生存取决于我们人类彼此的合作和自然界的供应。农作物的生长需要良好的气候。 在古代的诗词里记录了很多人和人，人和自然的美好关系，比如《悯农》，《西江月》，《游子吟》，等等。读这些诗，我时常会流泪，因为诗词的美好提醒我现在破碎的关系不是人类存在的自然和谐状态。
Canada
It was good to be together at the Climate Emergency Workshop led by Janet Kabue. It was an enriching experience. I had so many feelings and thoughts. I left the workshop feeling reaffirmed, inspired, and hopeful.
I’m the assistant in my RC class, and the morning after the workshop I sent my teacher an e-mail with some thoughts about our class. I had never done that before. I also felt compelled to edit my personal land acknowledgement—basing my edits on Janet’s powerful words, and feedback I’d received from an Indigenous woman in my workshop support group. And I thought about doing mini-sessions on racism again.
I shared with my friends outside of RC that I’d attended a workshop on the climate emergency. I described what we had learned as terrifying but said that in the end I’d felt hopeful. I received several responses, and a friend wants to know more.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Janet Kabue, from Kenya, a climate frontline community, led a workshop on the climate emergency for Canada. Canada is a big contributor to fossil fuel emissions. Canadian mining companies damage the climate and the rest of the environment in many locations in the global South, including Africa.
Janet’s leading the workshop seemed to me an act of great courage, as our RC Community is mostly of European heritage. If Janet could do that, surely I can lead on the climate among my own people!
We heard about the impact of the climate emergency and environmental injustice from a person whose community and family have been directly affected “worst and first.” That inspired me to continue the work. I also better understand the need to work in consultation with Indigenous people and frontline communities and amplify their voices, which have been silenced by racism, colonization, and inequity.
Janet’s statement “Hopelessness is not a natural way of being” led me to a new understanding of the impact of my early hopelessness. To prevent the hopelessness from creeping back up, I must continually make opportunities to discharge about the climate emergency and fight for a hopeful perspective.
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
It was great to have Janet Kabue leading our workshop on the climate emergency. On Friday evening, we white people met together to work on racism. Then Janet led everyone on Saturday and Sunday.
My highlights were being reminded about the dire situation of climate change, keeping hope, and learning about the disproportionate effects of climate change on People of the Global Majority and poor people.
Labeling a person an “illegal alien” takes away their humanity. People are moving from their homelands because of oppression and exploitation (which include the effects of climate change).
Janet answered some personal questions about herself, like why stopping climate change means so much to her. Personal stories always make the climate crisis more real and resolving it more urgent.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
While discharging in a mini-session, I remembered something that had come to me years ago in the darkness of a new moon (a time for planting seeds of intention): “I just need to hope/believe/trust that there are scientists/others out there whom I’m not aware of yet who are working on projects that will help us out of the climate crisis.” This statement has been a good contradiction to my feelings of overwhelm and despair.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I attended the workshop on the climate emergency. What a gift! My highlights are as follows:
- Janet’s relaxed approach and tone, coupled with precisely laid-out details of the challenges before us as a human race
- A joyous half hour in which Janet answered questions about herself and her involvement in climate activism and told stories from her life—for example, about a local dried-up river, its consequences for her family and community, and the success of growing an avocado in those circumstances
- How Janet gave the white people a sense of belonging with her in the challenges that lie ahead; a sense of unity across many differences and oppressions; an understanding that yes, we and our ancestors are responsible for what has happened, and yes, discharging and working together toward a common goal is the human way forward
- Working together toward ending the climate crisis and all oppressions
- Hearing how the transformation of society will put an end to how humans have been separated and gotten “lost”
- The high expectations of us all and the hopeful vision of an achievable future
Thank you, Janet.
North Hatley, Quebec, Canada
Reprinted from the e-mail discussion list for RC Community members
(Present Time 205, October 2021)