This is the second edition of the Young Feminists for Climate Justice Storytelling project: a collection of stories, poems and illustrations in multiple languages, using multiple media, from young feminist activists in climate justice in the Global South, reflecting on the role that self and collective care plays in our movements.
Fascism is rising all over the world, and with it the tides of the oceans. Environmental disasters are creating more climate refugees, massive migrations, endangerment of natural resources and indigenous communities, traditions and knowledge. As the planet continues to become warmer, efforts to find alternatives are more urgent than ever.
Young feminists in the Global South are on the frontlines resisting some of the world’s most destructive forces: defending their territories from corporate extractivism, organising locally to take meaningful climate action in their communities, and raising awareness about the connection of self, body and land. However, when young feminists organise online and offline, they are silenced by stigma from their communities and families. They face harassment, surveillance, and sometimes violent repression. The exhaustion of organising in this political context can lead to burnout, mental illness and many more issues in activists´ lives.
To this chaos, we respond with caring for ourselves and each other. We respond with love. The following zine is an offering. It is a space for healing.
To heal, we must start at the root, in the colonial legacy and deep seated pain that has been left behind for generations. The stories in this zine therefore travel through personal tales of activists struggling with self care, migration and gender violence, culminating in spirited resistance and resilience care practices for and by communities. Through practical answers and hard questions, we are slowly doing the daily work of defending and fighting for life and our planet without draining our sources of power.
This collection of stories is a collective effort of the Young Feminist for Climate Justice Network and FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund with the support of Sierra Club.
With care and solidarity,
The editorial team at Rooted in Care