Community Takes Part in Student Led Conference on Climate Change Crisis
Students' Association in International Development (SAID) hosts 10th annual Community Movements Conference
“I think as young adults we often feel that we do not have the power or ability to create real change, but being a part of a student-run conference, especially surrounding global issues, whether it be through planning or attending, allows like-minded individuals to come together under a shared interest. It also serves as a reminder that not only do we have the power to create change, but we're also not in it alone.”
Sarah Strom, a fourth-year International Development Studies (IDS) student, experienced first-hand the power to create change as one of the organizers of the 10th annual Community Movements Conference.
Titled From Climate to Culture: The Complexity of Change, the three-day conference hosted and organized by the Students’ Association for International Development (SAID) took place February 3- 5 at Traill College and explored many aspects of climate change while bringing together a diverse group of speakers, community leaders and attendants.
Rosemary Ganley, co-founder of Jamaica Self-Help, was one of the keynote speakers and delivered an insightful talk on the human relationship between world religions and the environment. A second keynote saw Tony Weis, author of Ecological Hoofprint, explore the meat-agro-grain industrial complex and its contribution to climate change, while also examining political and economic influences in the meat industry. Between keynote speakers, attendees also heard from Dr. Elizabeth McGregor, founder of World Women’s Veterinary Association and delegate leader to the Beijing Fourth World Conference of Women, speak on the gendered effects? of climate change, and Mike Nickerson, a three-time published author and co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Cultural Evolution, who explored the foundations of sustainable living – among other incredible speakers.
“Given the changes that are happening worldwide from increasing greenhouse gas emissions, to habitant displacement, forced migration, and food disparities climate change has become one of the most pressing issues today. It’s as much a social, political and economic issue as it is an environmental issue,” explained Katrina Waters, SAID co-chair. “Our goal for this year’s conference was to explore the intersectionality of these issues and provide a space in which the varying economic, political, social and ecological aspects of the current climate crisis can be addressed.”