How We Win: Organizing for Environmental and Climate Justice

Do you care deeply about issues of environmental justice and want to get connected to local organizing efforts? Do you feel panicked, paralyzed or numbed by the enormity of the climate crisis and need a dose of hope? Do you want to learn how to take strategic action that leads to real change? Or maybe you would like to listen to stories told by one of the most influential peace and justice organizers of our time?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you’ll want to know about the upcoming event “How We Win: Organizing for Environmental and Climate Justice” taking place at the Minneapolis Friends Meetinghouse on Wednesday, September 27th from 7-9 p.m. The event features nonviolent activist, professor, and movement elder George Lakey who is visiting the Twin Cities as part of his international book tour. It will be an uplifting night filled with inspiring ideas and powerful insights for how we can work together to create environmental and climate justice in our community.
From his first arrest in the Civil Rights era to his most recent during a climate justice march at the age of 83, George Lakey has committed his life to a mission of building a better world through movements for justice. Recently retired from Swarthmore College, Lakey has facilitated 1,500 workshops on five continents and led activist projects on local, national and international levels. His 10 books and many articles reflect his social research into change on community and societal levels. Lakey’s life and vast experience with nonviolent campaign organizing reminds us how to find hope in even the darkest times through strategic, joyful activism.
“One of the big things about George is his bottomless well of hope and optimism. He frankly says this is the best period for social change that he’s been alive for and feels excited about continuing with his activism at age 85,” says Betsy Raasch-Gilman, one of the event organizers.
The evening includes a special panel conversation with local environmental and climate justice organizers, Nazir Kahn and Joe Vital. Nazir Kahn will discuss the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table’s campaign to shut down the HERC Trash Burner. Joe Vital will share insights from East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s campaign around the Rooftop Depot site. George Lakey will weave in lessons learned from campaigns he’s organized and share stories from his involvement in struggles for peace, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, labor justice, and environmental and climate justice. It’s an event not to be missed!
The event is organized by local peace and justice organization, Friends for a Nonviolent World (FNVW), and is being co-sponsored by several local groups including Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL), SouthWest Alliance for Equity (SWAE), the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers (MAP), Minneapolis Friends Meeting and Twin Cities Friends Meeting.
This is a unique opportunity to connect with an incredible social movement elder whose frameworks and ideologies are foundational for activism today. American political activist, economist, and United States military analyst, Daniel Ellsberg, recently wrote, “George Lakey stands out for the sheer range of his contributions to peace and justice, especially in strategy, training, organizing, innovative actions, and teaching others.”
Lakey is visiting the Twin Cities as a part of his “Dancing with History: a life for peace and justice” book tour. Comma, a bookshop, will have copies of “Dancing with History” available for purchase at this event along with another of Lakey’s books, “How We Win!”
Check out fnvw.org/georgelakey to learn more about this and other events happening during George Lakey’s Twin Cities Book Tour.