United Methodist Women is embarking on a
collaborative training model for climate Justice organizing for 20- to
35-year-old women living in the U.S. Through this experience, young
women will gain focus, insight and understanding through independent and
group study, learning to serve as organizers in their communities. It
is hoped that through this work, they will be leaders and will be able
to motivate the Church to address climate justice concerns in the
communities in which they serve. The program is entitled “New
Generations: Climate Justice.”
Those who apply must have some background and presence in the United
Methodist Church and be willing to work within the structures of this
community, which is committed to organizing itself to address climate
injustices. As part of the training, the young women will work with a
project manager who is herself a young woman climate advocate, as well
as with the United Methodist executive of economic and environmental
justice. The participants will also have exposure to other experts in
the field of climate justice. The foundation of this training will be an
extensive exploration of United Methodist Women’s recently published
climate justice study— Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action—and
especially an examination of the link between their faith and the work
of living into the just transitions the world needs.
Throughout the spring, they will work together by video conference
and within their communities, and, at the end of June, they will meet in
retreat in Arizona and attend our National study training. This
intensive program will prepare the members of this group to teach the
climate justice study to others throughout 2016–17 as necessary, and,
moving forward, to organize constituents and communities around the
issue of climate justice. We hope that the participants in this group
will gain confidence and an understanding of their vital role in moving
the church to do integral work on this crucial justice issue. This
month, based on referrals from a wide range of climate justice leaders
from both the United Methodist Church and communities around the United
States, we will be interviewing candidates for this opportunity. This
opportunity is free of charge. Instead, each participant will be asked
to make an investment to work in their communities of influence toward
climate justice and a commitment to the to the UMC to make themselves
available to teach during the spring of 2017. We hope the work of your
organizations, boards and agencies will benefit from these efforts and
we will be thrilled to work with you to make sure that happens!
Note the deadline: Friday, February 5, 2016.
Thank you for your work in the world!
Kathleen Stone, United Methodist Women
Office of Economic and Environmental Justice
kstone@unitedmethodistwomen.org
No comments:
Post a Comment