A Dynamite Day of Advocacy Training

On February 10th, the Calgary Climate Hub was proud to co-host a riveting day of talks and panels on climate advocacy training. This event was the Calgary leg of Prairies Climate Advocacy training series, planned and hosted by Climate Reality Project Canada’s organizer team.

To begin the day, Chetna Khandelwal took the reins as our fabulous moderator, guiding us through a panel titled “Building a Diverse Climate Movement in the Prairies.” Hearing from folks like Tomi Ajele from Plastic-Free YYC, Subashini Thangadurai, Larissa Crawford from Future Ancestors, and Walter Andreeff from the Indigenous Advisory Circle Climate Reality Project Canada was like a breath of fresh air. Finally, voices too often drowned out in the mainstream were front and center, illuminating the hurdles marginalized communities face in the climate fight.

The panelists didn’t hold back, spotlighting the extra hoops People of Color and Indigenous activists have to jump through just to be taken seriously. One zinger that stuck: privileged folks need to start doing their homework instead of leaning on others to do the heavy lifting.

 

 

Later in the day, Sara Adams from the Climate Justice Organizing Hub led a workshop on navigating interpersonal conflict within advocacy groups. We explored the “Brave Spaces” concept, where honesty and constructive criticism flow freely, unlike the confines of traditional “Safe Spaces.” Dr. Joe Vipond took the stage next with his workshop on “Applying COP28 Outcomes and Local Communities,” turning learning into a game with a quiz-style exploration of COP28 facts. 

 

 

Wrapping up the day was an Alberta Strategies roundtable, where Angela McIntyre moderated a discussion between local climate-focused organizations. Molli Bennet, Thana Boonlert, Gerald Wheatley, Carolyn Horwood, and Andrea Visser shared insights on everything from engaging winter sports enthusiasts to the importance of collaboration in the fight against climate change.

 

 

Reflecting on this whirlwind of a day, it’s clear that the Calgary Climate Hub knows how to throw an event that's both informative and downright fun. If this sounds like your cup of tea, join our newsletter for a heads-up on future events. 

Written by Victoria Veldhoen