WECAN and Its “Global Women’s Assembly For Climate Justice,” Rare.org and Rare’s Upcoming “Behavioral Solutions To Water Pollution” Webinar

WECAN– ‘GLOBAL WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE”

I love this, WECAN, the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, International is holding its “Global Women’s Assembly for Climate and Justice” September 25-30th this year. The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International was created to accelerate a global women’s movement for the protection and defense of the Earth’s diverse ecosystems and communities. 

Socio-politically, due to institutional patriarchy, gender inequality, racism, and suppression of rights, Women are disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental degradation, with Indigenous women, Black women, women of color, women from Global South countries, and women from low-income communities bearing an even heavier burden.

The full title of the event is ‘Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Solutions from the Frontlines and the Protection and Defense of Human Rights and Nature.’ According to the website, this is a free, 6-day, gender-diverse public forum including 20 panels, climate justice leaders, keynotes, and the arts, to take place virtually September 25-30, 2021 from 1:00pm – 5:30pm ET, East Coast USA Time in parallel to the UN General Assembly to push a climate justice agenda in the lead-up to COP 26 and beyond. Zoom interpretation in 4 languages. Live-streamed globally.

The Assembly will call for urgent action within a climate justice framework and produce an online collection of actions, policy frameworks, and solutions presented at the Assembly to be delivered to global governments, financial institutions and media outlets.

DEEPER DIVE: WECAN, WECAN Assembly Registration

WECAN, INTERNATIONAL 

In 2013, In response to the urgency of our environmental predicament and the global gridlock that continues to halt serious action on climate change, 100 women leaders and visionaries– 50 from global south and 50 from global north– converged from September 20th to 23rd, 2013 in Suffern, New York for the International Women’s Earth and Climate (IWECI) Summit. 

Out of that summit came the initial Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) Declaration. That declaration affirmed that climate change threatens HUMAN rights, women’s rights, Indigenous Rights, the Rights of Nature, and threatens sustainable social justice for all people, and calls for specific, targeted action to change humanity’s course. Also out of that summit came the founding of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, International.

Its mission is to be a solutions-based organization established to engage women worldwide in policy advocacy, on-the-ground projects, trainings, and movement building for global climate justice.

In addition to the Women’s Assembly scheduled to coincide with the convening of this year’s UN General Assembly Sept 25-30th, WECAN also supports the ‘Women for Forests’  program, which aims to support a diverse constituency of international women as they rise up to protect forests, specifically in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador and Brazil, the Itombwe Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in North America, the Tongass Rainforest of Alaska and California Redwoods.

The website also offers several webinars and trainings. Powerful stuff.

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RARE WEBINAR– “BEHAVIORIAL SOLUTIONS TO WATER POLLUTION”  

Lots of good stuff on tap this week–the WECAN Women’s Assembly, the UN’s General Assembly, and RARE’s Center for Behavior and the Environment is hosting the “Welcome to BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution,” a virtual summit, is a unique summit to explore water pollution through the lens of human behavior.

The world relies on clean water. Yet pollution threatens nearly every body of water on earth around the globe. Human behavior lies at the center of this issue, both as the problem and the solution. At BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution, we will explore the latest academic insights from behavioral science, take inspiration from the world’s leading environmentalists, be ignited by artists, athletes and storytellers, and identify best-in-class opportunities to help you apply behavioral insights to reduce water pollution.

Why does this matter to us? because polluted water decreases biodiversity, and loss of biodiversity contributes to climate change. Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution,” a virtual summit, is a unique summit to explore water pollution through the lens of human behavior, streams September 21-23. Tickets to this virtual event are $25/. however, it’s possible to request one of the free tickets being possibly being donated by another attendee.

DEEPER DIVE: RARE, BE.Hive Summit

RARE.ORG           

According to its website, Rare.org, Rare is the leading behavior change organization in the conservation world. For over 45 years and across 60 countries, Rare has motivated individuals, their communities, and their local leaders to adopt behaviors that benefit both people and nature.

The goal is to get people to shift their behaviors and practices to protect the nature that sustains their lives, livelihoods, and communities. They’re primary programs are Fish Forever–revitalizing coastal communities, Lands for Life–empowering farmers and Make It Personal–inspiring individual climate change action.

I think they’re most significant initiative is The Center for Behavior and the Environment (aka BE.Hive). It was founded on the concept that in order for us to successfully tackle climate change, overfishing and biodiversity loss, human beings must behave differently. BE.Hive turns scientific theory into practical applications and then disseminates those as best practices. An example is the Water Pollution and Behavior Change contest it sponsors.

This year BE.Hive’s Behavorial Solutions to Water Pollution virtual summit (September 21-23) features over 20 guest speakers (including Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher Brent Suter), and the two grand prize winners of the 2021 Solution Search Awards.

DEEPER DIVE: RARE, Solutions Search Awards, BE.Hive Summit