Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1477966
67 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T V O L . 2 Fighting Climate and Racial Justice Ashwini Selvakumaran T he growing urgency of climate change is being felt all around the world in different ways and Ashwini Selvakumaran wanted to take action. She hosted a climate activism panel called "Uncovering the CAP" with the goal of exposing a wider youth audience between the ages of 15 to 29 to different environmental approaches and ways of taking care of our earth. Featuring four climate activists who are part of Black, Indigenous, and communities of colour, "Uncovering the CAP" inspired youth and equipped them with the necessary skills to advocate for climate action. 25% of participants of the event were comprised of Indigenous youth while the remaining 75% were Black, South Asian, and other racialized youth. By emphasizing Indigenous, Black, and South Asian voices, the event aimed to widen the scope of knowledge around environmental impact while also broadening the possibility for solutions. "We wanted to host an open dialogue that not only addresses the impact of environmental racism from those who directly bear witness to it, but help fight against the traditional western approach to environmentalism that dominates current climate action," Ashwini explains. "This event was needed because we have noticed how most climate discourse events fail to consider white positionality, which often offers privileged communities more flexibility in deriving solutions. Without considering the dominant structures that are embedded throughout society and that afford privileges to white educators and students, these initiatives cannot appropriately capture the lived experiences of marginalized populations. We wanted to host an open dialogue that not only addresses the impact of environmental racism from those who directly bear witness to it... A special thank you to Youth Challenge International (YCI) for sharing the #RisingYouth grant opportunity with Ashwini to make this project possible. An Instagram post made by Brown Citizen Circle featuring Ashwini's panel.