Resist! The toolkit by IFM-SEI

Resist! Toolkit

international falcon movement socialist educational international

Supported by the Council of Europe through the European Youth Foundation.

Resist! Toolkit Non-Formal Educational Toolkit on Climate Change with an intersectional perspective international falcon movement socialist educational international

Editing and coordination Evan Sedwick-Jell Proofreading Andrés Santiago Ruba Hilal Contributors Agnes Taylor, Pia Zevnik, Babacar Touré, Iris García, Mahfou Aidaram Papa Ndongo Iam Mbaye, Madeleine Taylor, Neriya Ben-Dor, Wilhelm Dargel, Tin Zevnik, Jorge Antonio Gómez Ramírez, Emil Schüchner, Agneyi Dileep Kumar, Samo Kavčič, Marla King, Rok Lovrin, David Persson, Simon Weingartner, Edward Brown, Loukmanou Touré, Teja Mikus, Saeed Altahami, Ariana Vanessa Salvador Montoya, and Lukas Scherer. Translators Paula Rafols, Tommaso Segantini Graphic design, illustrations and Layout Fabiana Montiel Creative common License This toolkit is licensed under a Creative commons Attribution-NonComercial-ShareAlike License. You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform the toolkit as long as you mention the source, you don’t use it for commercial purposes and if you alter, transform or build upon this document, you distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. Rue Joseph II 120 1000 Brussels, Belgium Mobile: +32499201951 Tel: +32 221 57 927 Web: www.ifm-sei.org

Supported by the Council of Europe through the European Youth Foundation.

INTRODUTION Introduction

Glossary

Activities

Educational Foundations

Educational Methods

Global Perspectives, Climate Struggles

The Problem With Technological Solutionism

Action Planning

Climate Resistance in your Area

What Does Anticapitalism mean to you

Gendered Climate?

Zines for Climate Justice!

If you didn't know, now you know!

Plastic pirates

Projects and Actions

Campaign Planning Questions

Project Ideas - Get Active, Fight The Global Climate Divide!

Think global, Act local - Act Global, Think Local

INTRODUTION I feel angry that I have been born into a society where, by no choice of my own, by no agreement, by no actual decision, I am inherently complicit in the destruction of the world. It is hard to do the right thing. You have to be militant. You have to be an activist. - Severn Cullis-Suzuki

THERE NOT IS PLANE TB

The world that we live in is both hugely interconnected and massively divided. Nothing shows this more than the impacts of climate change. While global temperatures rise, lifestyles in many countries, especially those of the global north, become increasingly unsustainable. There exists within every country on the globe a divide between rich and poor, yet also between different parts of the world a huge divide in wealth, resources, and - central for our project the disastrous effects of climate change! Climate change is a process created by the unsustainable drive to short-term profits of global capitalism. This economic system creates huge profits for certain countries, while at the same time having a devastating impact on others. 1

In 1992, at the age of 12, Severn addressed the Earth Summit in Brazil – watch the video on youtube! 4

This is what we call the global climate divide, the global process through which not just resources, but the negative impact of climate change is unevenly distributed between countries of the global north and south (these terms refer to the divide between what are often referred to as “developed”, “rich” and “western countries” and “developing”, “poor” and “third world countries”). Too often solutions to the climate crisis are posed on either an individual, or a national level: I should buy local or ride my bike, or our country should invest in renewable energy and reduce emissions. These strategies exclude collective action on the one hand, and global action on the other. IFM-SEI is a global organisation with members around the globe, and perfectly placed to go beyond the individual or national! We believe not just in the collective power of children and young people to change the world, but also to look at the structural causes of global heating and climate change. What use does not buying plastics do if global corporations continue to produce them? How does a switch to renewable energy help if the infrastructure is produced in polluting factories with poor working conditions? Therefore IFM SEI’s approach of socialist education asks the question, how can we as collective actors around the world, change the social system that is responsible for creating the climate crisis? We look at this task through the key categories of race, gender, children and class. Race does not refer to any existence of different races, but rather the oppression of people based on what are framed as “racial” differences. This difference has a long history in the colonialism of European nations and their invention of the idea that they are superior to people from other areas of the world, thus giving them the right to plunder 5

and enslave them. This has laid the foundations for modern racism and practices of exploiting the natural resources of the global south and its populations. Gender, the ways in which we are taught to be men and women in society, is key in this sense, as women are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. More often living in poverty and responsible for global food production in agriculture, women are particularly hard hit by drought and resource shortages. Exclusion of women from decision making structures in all countries of the world also means they have less control over fighting climate change. Children are similarly excluded, and often put in situations whereby climate change infringes upon their rights. Whether it is the children of families who have become climate refugees through flooding or conflicts created by water shortages, or children in heavily industrialized areas poisoned by lead in the water or high levels of air pollution, the climate crisis impacts children and youth worldwide, robbing them of their right to a safe and happy childhood. Class is an effect of capitalism, dividing people within societies and worldwide into groups differing in income, the ownership of factories and companies, and the amount of power they hold to insulate themselves from crises. Capitalism puts profits above a good life for all, and in doing so, creates the climate crisis by seeing nature as a resource to be exploited and not something that we rely on to survive and must respect. Private ownership means that profits only go to small groups of people, while the vast majority have to work for wages to survive. Class affects the global climate divide as it often makes it appear like different interests are opposed; for example those of herders and farmers, or those of coal miners and renewable energy workers. Our perspective sees the need for a society not divided by class, where human needs and not profits are the basis for organizing society, and resources are justly distributed globally. 6

The project ‘Resist the Global Climate Divide’ unites these perspective, bringing together young activists from around the world to create change in their local communities while connecting their actions to a global struggle. The following toolkit contains projects and activities authored and inspired by their projects with groups and organisations across four continents from the last year. We hope it will energize you and give you tools to work towards this same aim in your own ways.

Our answer to the global climate divide is international solidarity!

Glossary:

Proﬁt-motive: A central law of capitalism. Capital (money invested to make more money) relies on profit, which relies on companies expanding and growing. The profit motive does not relate to human wellbeing. Capitalism: A system based on private ownership of the means of production by a small class of owners and wage-labour for everyone else. It is a system driven by profit, which means goods produced are commodities, that is to say they are produced in the first instance to be sold and only to be used after this. Capitalism is the economic system currently dominant worldwide. Climate crisis: The ongoing crisis of global heating, pollution and human produced negative change to ecosystems worldwide. Climate justice: A view on fighting climate change that sees the necessity of it being a worldwide struggle, one that particularly recognizes the larger impact of the climate crisis on countries of the global south 7

Climate refugees: Groups of people made homeless or forced from their homes due to disasters caused by climate change or conflicts that have resource shortages at their root. Class: A division of people based on the ownership of the means of production, income and power under capitalism. Colonialism – The practice of exploitation, plunder and genocide carried out by European countries in Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. A historic foundation of racism and perpetuated through neo-colonial global relations of power and resource distribution Decolonization: A perspective combatting the global order resulting from colonialism. This means not just an end to the exploitation of the global south by the north, but also support for southern and BIPOC struggles and knowledge, as alternatives to dominant Western practices. Fridays for Future: A global movement of striking school children founded in 2018. Gender: The ways we are taught to be ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ within society. Global North: Those countries primarily in the north which dominate economic and political global relations to the detriment of those countries in the global south. Global South: See global north Greenwashing: The practice of companies implementing ‘green’ policies such as carbon offsetting to appear ‘woke’ and avoid further criticism. Intersectionality: The combination of different oppression in a systemic sense. This is not so much an addition of different identities (for example Black, woman, disabled), as the reality that they are always all present at once, and must be conside 8

red in the way oppression functions and on out activism. Racial justice: The challenge to racism and racist social structures that have been historically created and maintained. The equal treatment of all. Social-ecological transformation: A way of thinking about climate activism that sees the necessity to change not only the emissions of our societies, but also generally how our societies work as a whole, as the two are intricately connected. This perspective sees climate change as an outcome of the capitalist profit-motive, and therefore proposes to alter its laws to protect the environment.

Activities Educational Foundations When we plan educational processes, it is important to think about how we structure them. There is a flow from one step to the next, in which different parts of the experiential learning cycle should be addressed. This means simply, we learn by making concrete experiences in the world, reflecting on and analysing them, and thinking about various types of knowledge that help us understand them. Learning by doing. IFM SEI places socialist education at the heart of its work, that is to say, educational processes that (as well as centring experience) ask the question of how society can be organised to create human happiness and global equality. We centre our organisational and political values in these processes, seeing them underrepresented in formal education and the public sphere. Over the page is a flow chart to help you plan educational activities such as workshops and seminars. It has different examples of activities, all with the same parts, simply, an introduction/beginning, a middle phase, and an end phase of reflection/evaluation. Think about these phases when planning. You need to set the scene about why a certain topic is important. Then people need to feel a connection to it. 10

Afterwards there is an opportunity for learning more about it. And finally people should reflect on their knowledge and apply what they learned. This can work in different ways to the classic workshop (rows 1-2), such as the examples of the simulation game (row 3) or the project/action (row 4). Remember, the best learning spaces are those where people feel comfortable and have fun, but also feel challenged and are able to discuss freely. This is at the core of socialist education as a practice to organize for social change.

Educational Methods

Global Perspectives, Climate Struggles Topics: intersectionality, climate justice Age: 10+ Group size: 10 - 40 Duration: 2 hours

Materials: Access to the internet or resources for research, world map

Introduction: This activity is adapted from a map produced by the German organisations PowerShift and the Environment Institute Munich. Its aim is to look at the many different climate struggles around the globe and to consider and discuss their interconnectedness.

Step by step instructions: 1. Begin with a brainstorming about which climate struggles

people are aware of in plenary. As people call them out, place notes on the world map relating to their location. - Ask the question about what constitutes a climate movement? Are struggles for equality or against police violence also linked to climate activism for example? (15 mins)

2. Divide the group into smaller groups of around 3-5. Then ask each group to take 3 climate struggles to work on, either those from the brainstorming, or those provided in Annexe 1 12

3. The groups should now research these movements and come up with answers to the questions:

- Who makes up this movement? - What are the central issues?

- What types of action and resistance do they employ? - What is the global dimension?

- What is the connection to capitalism? (If you will not have internet access at your activity you can pre-prepare some short information on the groups using information directly from their websites or wikipedia and news articles) (1 hour)

4. Now present the struggles one by one, taking time for any

contributions and questions from the group. Place the movements onto the map as they are presented. Using tape or string, ask people what connections there are between different struggles and mark this on the map with lines connecting them. End on the question of what this interconnectedness means for climate activism? (45 mins)

Online adaptation This activity is adapted from a map produced by the German organisations PowerShift and the Environment Institute Munich. Its aim is to look at the many different climate struggles around the globe and to consider and discuss their interconnectedness.

Tips and variations

- This activity could also be done with global climate emergencies. - This activity can fit well with other activities focused on the global climate divide, such as ‘If you didn’t know, now you know!’ 13

Annex I: Examples of roles

Northern Forest Defense: A campaign in Northern Istanbul against the destruction of forests for the construction of a new airport. Seruni: An organisation spanning Indonesia and Malaysia, resisting the destruction of tropical forests and led by indigenous women. Small Farmers Movement: This movement in India is fighting for their rights against the domination of global agriculture by large corporations, though it exists in many places where traditional farming methods come into conflict with the capitalist profit-motive. Fridays for Future: This is a global movement of school pupil strikes, though the consequences are very different in different countries for missing school. The movement exists in Kenya, China, Sweden, Afghanistan, Uganda, Russia and many more places! Anti-Oil Protest: Oil is a key resource for Nigeria’s economy but also wreaks environmental havoc in the Niger Delta region. More than 30 million people are affected by this and protest the destruction through occupations or taking Shell oil company to the international court in The Hague. The indigenous Ogoni group are especially present in the mobilizations. Alarm Phones Through wars, conflicts, droughts and water crises, people are forced to flee. The EU border-regime violently prevents migration. The ‘Alarm Phones’ tries to ensure the safety of those undertaking the often dangerous desert and sea migration routes (Sahara, Mediterranean), by giving them the possibility to contact a number run by activists who will take action to make sure they are not lost at sea or in the desert. Torres Strait Islanders: The Torres Strait Islands formally belong to Australia and lie only a few meters above sea-level. To defend their communities and way of life, they have taken Australia to court for its destructive climate policies. 14

Ecodefense: Is a Russian organisation fighting coal mining in Russia, in which the 2nd largest global reserve is located. They organise against the destruction of villages, pollution and destruction of ecosystems in the affected regions. Anti-Fracking: There are huge field of fracking towers in the desert region of Vaca Muerta between Argentina and Chile. The indigenous Mapuche people have been historically dispossessed but organise resistance against the ongoing destruction. Amazon Rainforest: From the beginning of colonization and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest there has been resistance, often led by indigenous women. The forests are destroyed for resources and for industrial farming processes such as soya and cattle. Anti-Pipeline Movement: The lives of Indigenous Americans have been destroyed and marginalized ever since the colonization of North America by Europeans. These peoples are now in the front line of the struggles against pipeline projects that pass through their lands and threaten water sources, ecosystems and their ways of life. Examples in the USA and Canada are the Dakota Access Pipeline, Line 3, Keystone XL or the Transmountain Pipeline. Ende Gelände: IThis German movement mobilizes against the exceptionally destructive brown coal extraction, particularly prevalent in the country. Through large actions the group uses direct actions to slow and stop production in the country's many open cast mines and processing plants. Resist: A global climate project of the IFM-SEI, this project brings together children and young people to fight against climate change in their local areas and globally.

The Problem With Technological Solutionism Topics: Capitalism, global inequality, gender Age: 10+ Group size: 8-20 Duration: 1.5 hours

Preparation: Role play descriptions

Step by step instructions: 1. Begin with a brainstorming about which climate struggles

2. Divide the group into smaller groups of around 3-5. Then ask each group to take 3 climate struggles to work on, either those from the brainstorming, or those provided in Annexe 1 16

3. Have the groups play their scenarios, and discuss after each one. Use questions for the discussion such as:

- What are the problems of technological solutionism?

- Are technological intervention and social intervention opposites? - What happens with new technologies under capita lism? - What is the global perspective?

- Why do people often support technological solutionism? At the very end of the session, do a quick de-rolling exercise (such as everyone ‘shaking off’ their roles in the circle) to get people out of character.

Online adaptation This can be prepared using breakout rooms and sending the descriptions to the different chats.

Tips and variations

- You can add various roles to the scenarios to fit the topics you are working on - It is good to precede this exercise with a theatre game, creative exercise or energizer to get everyone in the mood for roleplaying

Annex 1 : Participants should spend around 20 minutes discussing the roles and preparing arguments for their particular roles or discussing how they feel about the issues from within the roles. If there are more people than roles, those not playing, can assist in preparing, or roles can be added suggested by the group. 17

3. Have the groups play their scenarios, and discuss after each one. Use questions for the discussion such as:

- What are the problems of technological solutionism?

- Are technological intervention and social intervention opposites? - What happens with new technologies under capita lism? - What is the global perspective?

- Why do people often support technological solutio nism? At the very end of the session, do a quick de-rolling exercise (such as everyone ‘shaking off’ their roles in the circle) to get people out of character.

Online adaptation This can be prepared using breakout rooms and sending the descriptions to the different chats.

Tips and variations

(1) Roundtable discussion for uses of technology:

The group should choose a particular technological advancement that might help combat climate change (e.g. renewable energy, green new deal, electric cars) The roleplay is a meeting of different parties discussing how to use these technologies. The roles are: - Scientist: you are trying to think about what is most effective in combatting climate change - Government: you are thinking about what is best for the national interest (you might want to have participants playing a country of the global north and south) - Corporation: the technological advance should create profit for your company, and also ensure profits in the future to come. - Citizens: You are concerned about your day to day lives: cost of living, effects of climate change and stability. (Again, you may wish to have groups from North and South here) - Children: You are particularly concerned about the future and the situation of children and young people. (Again, you may wish to have groups from North and South here) (2) Debate, technology versus social-ecological transformation: This roleplay is a simple debate between those arguing for technology or social change as the solution. The third group is made up of “the people” who ask questions and must decide in the end. The roles are:

- Technological solutionists: you believe in science and can see clearly how different technological advances will combat the worst extremes of climate change, all around the world. Technology is a neutral instrument that can help maintain stability in different societies by removing the negative effects of climate change that create structural tensions. 19

- Activists for social change: you believe the way the world is dominated by capitalist competition will always mean that nature is under threat, because short-term profits are prioritized over people’s wellbeing. Technology can help, but under the current system it is always unevenly distributed and focused towards creating more profits, meaning that you believe in a general restructuring of the way our societies work to reduce competition and increase a focus on people’s wellbeing. - The people: you are worried about climate change and what it will mean for the future. You are interested in solutions that will secure a safe future for you and your friends. For this reason you have come to the debate to listen to the different arguments and decide what might be the best way to go about this. (3) Chatshow · technology and equality

This roleplay sees the guests discussing how certain technological advancements have aﬀected equality, and what the sideeﬀects have been. The roles are: - Chatshow host: your role is to introduce the show and ask the guests the various questions.

- Guests: these can be anyone you like, politicians, celebrities, yourselves. Try to discuss in such a way to address different arguments. Examples:

- The invention of many labour saving device for housework such as washing machines and dishwashers were said by some to help liberate women as they make this feminized domestic work easier. Was this the case?

- When production methods increase to make things faster, it might seem that this means people must work less, has this happened? - Global food production today is easily enough to feed everyone on the planet, yet still millions go hungry, what are the reasons for this? - Can renewable energy alone stop climate change?

Action Planning Topics: Climate resistance

Age: 8+ Group size: 4-30 Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Materials: Paper

Pens

Introduction: This activity invites people to use creative and fun ideas to to solve problems and create political campaigns. It is good for groups that are beginning to think about concrete actions.

Step by step instructions: 1. First have everybody write down 3 separate things on 3 diffe-

rent coloured pieces of paper: (1) A place

(2) A problem (3) An object

Encourage to participants to be as creative and silly as they like!

2. Then divide the group into small groups of around 3-5

3. Each group gets one of each category, and has just 3 minu-

tes to come up with a way if solving or thematising the problem they have, in the place, with the object.

4. Play another 2-4 rounds

5. End this phase with a discussion about people’s experiences of such actions and creative ideas, whether the exercise was difficult for them, and if any of the solutions might provide useful real-life inspiration (40 mins)

6. The next phase then sees the groups working on a concrete

political campaign/intervention on the topics you’ve been working on.

7. The groups present their ideas, and the educators facilitate a

discussion about the practicality of the actions

Online adaptation Use a tool to gather people’s contributions or people can send them to a facilitator in a private chat who then distributes them to the groups.

Tips and variations

- If you would like to focus more on practical planning, you can ask participants to name places, problems and objects from their real lives

Climate Resistance in your Area

Topics: Climate Change, Anticapitalism

Age: from 12 years old Group size: 5-20 people Duration: 3 hours

Preparation needed: Map of the town/city/area. You can use one already made or draw one with the group. r ote falken w i e n k limaspazier g a n g 2021

3. 4.

500m

Introduction: Getting to know your area and investigate local initiatives that propose alternatives to fight climate change, find places with a history that is linked to Climate Change or that are affected by it. This is a great way to motivate young people in taking action for climate! 24

This workshop idea was originally developed in Vienna, Austria, by Emil Schüchner, Lukas Scherer and Simon Weingartner from Kinderfreunde/ Die Falken as part of Resist! The Global Climate Divide, a project supported by the European Youth Foundation and the Council of Europe.

Step by step instructions: 1. Energizer and/or getting to know each other. 2. Introduction. Introduce the topic to your group and explain

what the purpose of the activity is: We will create a map of our city/town/area with examples of projects and initiatives that fight Climate Change and/or places with a link to climate change.

3. Research time. In groups, participants will have time to research the examples. Depending on your context, this could happen on the internet, walking around, interviewing neighbours, etc.

4. Presentation and map creation. Now it’s time to present the

work done and put it all together in a Map.

5. Debriefing. Reflect on the activity with the group. Some possible questions are:

- How was the process? How was the research? And the presentation?

- Was it interesting to research? Did you learn something new? - Was it hard to find examples in your area? - What do the examples have in common?

- What can we learn from this examples? How can we fight climate change? 25

6. Evaluation 7. Walking. Enjoy the work created and walk around if you ha-

ven’t done this during the presentation!

Note: You can create copies of the map and give them around

for more people to enjoy the walk!

Online adaptation: The research part can be adapted to an online workshop. For the walking tour, participants can then walk around independently whenever they can. It is also possible to create an interactive map (with links to more information) as the group of Kinderfreunde/Die Falken did. You can see their city tour here: https://rotefalken.at/rote-falken-in-wien/klimaspaziergang

What Does Anticapitalism mean to you Topics: Anticapitalism

Age: 12+ Group size: 8-30 Duration: 1–1.5 hours (dependent of group size)

Preparation/materials needed: Statements from Annex 1 Wrinted · Written on A4 paper · Posters and stuck on walls in room

Introduction: This activity has been developed using the statements that the Resist participants generated in a workshop of the same name.

Step by step instructions:

1. Stick the statements up on the walls or spread around the

room. If you have a larger space available, you can spread them over a large area/different rooms.

2. Ask the participants to walk around and read each of the

statements (in no particular order). If they are reading at the same time with someone else, they can discuss the meaning and their thoughts about it. (20 mins)

3. Once everyone has read each statement, tell people to stand by the one that most interested them (it can be because they strongly agree, do not agree, or maybe don’t quite understand it)

4. Then split into small groups based on which statements

people have chosen, if people are alone, group them together so that the groups are of a roughly equal size. 27

5. Ask the groups to arrive at an understanding of capitalism

and anticapitalism, beginning the discussion with their quotes. They should produce a poster explaining their ideas. (20-30 mins)

6.Present back and discuss people’s different ideas (20-30 mins) - What are the common ideas about capitalism/anticapitalism?

- How are the presentations different?

- Why are there so many people who support a capitalist economic system? - Can we reach a common understanding?

- Why is anticapitalism connected to climate justice?

Online adaptation

This exercise was originally done online using the Menti online tool.

Tips and variations - You can substitute quotes about specific aspects of capitalism (wages, production, ownership etc.) if you would like to get into more depth

Annex 1 · Statements

Gendered Climate?

Topics: Climate Change, Gender

Age: from 12 years old Group size: 5-20 people Duration: 45 mins - 1 hour

Preparation needed: Quiz

Introduction: Gender and Climate are not two concepts that everyone links on a first thought. But let’s explore together the links between the two topics... You might be surprised! This workshop idea was originally developed by Aggie Taylor (Woodcraft Folk) and Pia Zevnik (Slovenian Falcons), as part of Resist! The Global Climate Divide, a project supported by the European Youth Foundation and the Council of Europe. 29

Step by step instructions:

1. Ask the participants to stand up in the room, and assign one

side of the room to “true” and another to “false” (you can make signs for example)

2. Read the statements related to Climate Change and gender

aloud one by one. After everyone has moved to what they think is the right answer, reveal the answer and open the floor for discussion. See Annex I for examples of the statements.

3. As well as a small discussion after each statement, close the

activity by coming back into a circle and putting the statements into context. - Were you surprised at the answers?

- What does this tell us about the link between gender and climate? - How is the awareness of this connection in my society or organisation? - What ways can we highlight or change this?

Online adaptation

This workshop was planned for an online environment so it’s easily adaptable to both online and online events. For the quiz, you can use tools like Kahoot and for discussions and debriefings Google Jam Board. Ask participants to place themselves at either end of a line on the screen or circle “true” or “false” on Jamboard.

Tips and variations - This activity can be adapted to different topics with statements that you research and write yourselves. - As well as yes/no answers, with different statements the activity can be a ‘barometer of opinion’, where participants stand along a line depending on whether they agree or disagree. 30

Annex I: Examples of statements

45% of the world’s poor are women. – False, 70% of the world’s poor are women. (Women are primarily responsible for gathering/producing food, collecting water etc.)

Women and men have the same accessibility to productive resources in agriculture. – False. According to UN Food and

Agriculture Organization, if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%.

Women have less impact on climate change, because they are not involved in decision-making processes. – Correct. Women

often have more knowledge on the inner workings of local communities, yet they do not have the same opportunities to express their opinions and propose solutions.

Women cannot contribute any more than what is already being done in order to stop climate change. – False. Women have

proven to be leading the way towards more equitable and sustainable solutions to climate change. 31

Climate change aﬀects people diﬀerently based on their gender. – Correct. As seen before, women have less resources and say in climate change activism.

Rural women produce 50 % of the world’s food and 60-80% in many countries of the global south (UNESCO) – Correct, women’s centrality in agricultural production makes them especially vulnerable to climate change.

Zines for Climate Justice! Topics: All

Age: Any age Group size: Any size Duration: 1-3 hours

Preparation needed: Instruction sheet printed large or copied onto flipchart, paper, pens, stamps, newspapers + magazine, craft stuff

Introduction Zines are small self-made magazines that have been central to a lot of specific interests and political identities, most recently queer and feminist politics. They promote the idea of DIY and self-publishing for ideas that may not yet be mainstream. Neriya and Maddy from the Woodcraft Folk made a zine about degrowth in Manchester as part of Resist! Degrowth is the idea that challenging industrial capitalism’s obsession with constant growth and development can help tackle climate change. 33

Step by step instructions 1. Start by demonstrating the zine making technique and

giving some background on zines, get some real or online examples to show participants! (10 mins)

2. Tell participants to pick a topic that you have been working on, that will fit into their 8-page zine, and then to get creative! Plan out each panel before drawing into the zine directly. Think about: - How do I address the reader?

- How do I ensure that I get my point across in a little space? - How do I want my zine to look? (1 hour)

- How can I give tips on where to find out more?

3. Ask people to pair up and talk to their partner through their

zine and then swap. After this, come back into the big group, and each person should quickly introduce their partner’s work. The discussion can end with thinking about taking pages from various zines to make a zine of the entire group. (30 mins)

Online adaptation

- issuu.com allows hosting of scans and photos

Tips and variations - This exercise can be done with more planning to create a final product that you wish to share with others within or beyond your organisations.

DEGROWTH IN MANCHESTER Economic and social aspects of degrowth Economic: What’s wrong with economic growth? The dominant understanding of economic growth is that it causes increasing prosperity to all. However, in recent years, growth has been accompanied by increasing inequality on both local and global scales. Similarly, even in countries with high material resources, levels of happiness and satisfaction have plateaued and even fallen in some places. What is often excluded from dominant narratives is that growth requires the exploitation of people, places and cultures. To sustain which is used to reinvest in more resources and grow the economy further. In ly. In the past this has been achieved through the exploitation and privatisation of land, colonialism, and both paid and unpaid work. Finite ecological resources are extracted without considering the consequences and disposed of as waste products, causing more harm.

(Some pages from Maddy and Neriya’s zine)

Myth busting Green growth: Green growth is often heralded as the saviour to the current climate crisis. Green growth is based on the idea that growth can continue Quite literally, it claims that the exploitation of resources can be decoupled endly production, growth can be sustained. Unfortunately, there is no empirical evidence to support that this could t, the nature of growth is that more resources would still be produced. This n creating more things - since this is what a growing economy requires. ources we have and thus ‘green growth’ is a myth. Degrowth vs Recession In a recession, the economy shrinks. This, however, is unplanned, and can cause mass unemployment and other social ills, as seen from the coronavirus pandemic. In contrast, degrowth is a democratically organised and equitable decrease of economic output by design.

If you didn't know, now you know! Topics: Climate Change, Racial Justice

Age: from 12 years old Group size: any group size Duration: 1-3 hours

Introduction What is Racial Justice? What is intersectionality? And Decolonization? Explore these questions and reflect on the links between them and climate change! This workshop idea was originally developed in Coquimbo, Chile, by Jorge Gómez (Integridad Absoluta), as part of Resist! The Global Climate Divide.

Step by step instructions: 1. Energizer and/or getting to know each other. (10 mins) 2. Affects game. To approach the climate movement through an intersectional lense, start by playing a game looking at the causes and effects of climate change: -Give everyone a person description individually and have them share this character (examples in annex I) - Ask them to place themselves on a line looking at who would be affected the most by climate change and who would be affected the least and have the participants. - Debrief and ask participants questions such as: - Can you order people? Is it easy or hard?

- Is everyone affected by climate change? 36

- Who in general is affected the most/least?

- What are the structures in place that put some people more at risk than others? - Is it possible to have a climate activism that unites all of these people? - How?

(50 mins)

3. Definitions. Introduce the terms: racial justice, intersectionality and decolonization (terms contained in the glossary at the beginning of this toolkit), and ask the following questions: - Is it the first time you hear these terms? If so, can you guess what they mean? - Where/When have you heard these words?

4. Interviews. Divide the participants in groups and ask them to

go around in the area to ask people in the community if they know these three terms. Invite them to think of a creative way of presenting the outcomes of the interview. (1 hour)

5. Presentation. (30 mins) 6. Debriefing and evaluation. You can debrief the workshop

with questions such as:

- How was the interviewing process? Was it hard/easy? Did you enjoy it? - What was the reaction of people to these words? Did they know them already? - Why are these words important?

- Do you see some of the discussed things in your community? (30 mins)

Online adaptation The effects game can also be done on a Jam Board drawing a line and discussing it out loud. For the interviews, they can be organised in separate video calls and then presented on the following day.

Annex I: Examples of roles

Tourist Guide. You are a Tourist Guide in the Maldives. You support your family by taking tourists on boat rides to look at coral reefs and beautiful fish. You need tourists to come in order to get paid. Water levels are rising, shrinking the Maldives. There are less fish for people to see. First Nation Tribe. You are a member of an indigenous tribe. Your community is dependent on natural resources and moving around. You have the smallest ecological footprint and do not contribute to greenhouse emissions. Increased weather extremes and variability impacts domestic and wild plants and animals making your food and lifestyle unsustainable. Environmental degradation erodes the quality of life dependent on the purity of the land, water, flora and fauna, and affects your cultures, languages and spiritual health and well-being. Individual in Flood Risk UK. You live in the North of the UK. Changes in the weather has led to flood risks becoming more frequent in your area. Now every year or more frequently you have to leave your home and stay elsewhere as there is water everywhere. You cannot get insurance for your house, you have to reduce your hours when the flooding comes which reduces your income and puts you and your family under the poverty line. Black Woman in the USA. You live in an Black majority area as racist housing policies prevent you buying or getting a mortgage in “desirable” areas. Your area has extremely high exposure to environmental hazards with the water contaminated by uranium making it unsafe to drink. You have tried to protest and bring 38

this to the attention of policy makers in your area however this is dangerous as the police tear gas, beat up and kill black people. Businessman from Japan. You are a businessman from Japan involved in the sales of Toyota electric cars. Earthquakes are increasing in your area putting yourself and your family at risk. Intense and extreme weather events such as typhoons and tsunamis are becoming more frequent and are a real risk to you, your young children and to your business that you rely on to feed your children. Farmer on the edge of the Sahara. You live on the edge of the Sahara and farm for a living. Rising temperatures are increasing desertification which is reducing the amount of fertile land to live off. In order to increase the yields from crops you decide to grow tobacco as it is a cash crop. This increases your profit when the weather is right for growing but also cannot feed your family. When the weather is bad you cannot grow tobacco or food. Student in India. You are a university student in India studying geography and environmental law. You live with constant anxiety and dread around the effects of climate change and how there is so little response. You are worried about the future, about how to live a sustainable life and if it is responsible to bring children into a world such as this. Politician from Vietnam. You are an economic minister in Vietnam. Developmental strategies for economic growth are made more difficult by following global warming policies. Vietnam could lose 11% of its GDP as climate change could affect agriculture, tourism and fishing in the region. If you choose to invest in industries that are profitable it is good for your country's economy and brings up the quality of life in Vietnam but investing in these same industries contributes to global warming which will then bring the QOL down again. You think whatever happens you will be voted out and lose your job. 39

Refugee from Syria. You are a refugee fleeing the conflict in Syria with your family, this conflict was exacerbated by droughts in the region caused by climate change. You and your family are now in a refugee camp in a much colder winter than normal. Your camp has covid-19 cases and testing kits and medication is held up as supplies cannot get to you as there are unprecedented storms at sea. Lithium Miner in Bolivia. You mine Lithium from salt deserts for phone and electric car batteries. The mining is increasing droughts which threatens livestock farming and leads to vegetation drying out. New green methods of mining Lithium threaten your livelihood as you have invested in the mining of lithium. Farmer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You rely on farming cattle and crops for food. Shifts in the timing and magnitude of rainform is undermining the food production in the area which is dramatically increasing competition for the arable land in the area. Conflict in the area is increasing as land and water decrease, there is a lot of violence and cattle raiding. If the violence continues you may be forced to leave your home to protect your family.

Plastic pirates

Topics: Climate Change, Children’s Rights Age: all ages Group size: any group size Duration: 1-3 hours

Materials needed: Gloves, plastic bags, trash pickers Materials for drawing

Introduction The world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic every year and the vast majority of plastic products are not recyclable. The United Nations published a report estimating that 79% of plastic waste is thrown in landfills, dumps or the environment, while about 12% is incinerated and only 9% recycled. Plastic damages our environment and planet, so the world needs saviours! This is a great activity to engage smaller kids in climate action and to introduce topics such as climate change and pollution. This workshop idea is a combination of two projects from Saaed Altahami (Fram Fylkingen) in Norway and Loukmanou Toure (Pionniers du Mali) in Mali. Both were part of Resist! The Global Climate Divide, a project supported by the European Youth Foundation and the Council of Europe.

Step by step instructions:

1. Energizer and/or getting to know each other. (10 mins) 41

2. Introduction. Explain what the purpose of the workshop is:

clean up the local area and collect the waste. Depending on the group, you can also include an introductory activity to present the effects of plastic on climate.

3. Introduction. Explain what the purpose of the workshop is:

clean up the local area and collect the waste. Depending on the group, you can also include an introductory activity to present the effects of plastic on climate.

4. Debriefing. Come back to the group and reflect with the

participants. You can use leading questions such as: - How was it? Was it fun?

- Was there a lot of waste? Why do you think there was so much waste? - What can we do to improve the situation?

5. Drawing. As a conclusion, children can draw something related to the activity they experienced. Some fun ideas may be plastic monster vs pirate, effects of pollution, picking up the trash...

Online adaptation: Collecting trash in your area can hardly be done online, but you can organise an online meeting to present the project and coordinate different pirate plastic collectors that will then go to their communities and clean them up. A second session can be organised to evaluate the activity, share some pictures and brainstorm about other possible actions.

Tips and variations Add a discussion of where and how the various things you have collected are manufactured to go into more depth.

Projects and Actions

Projects and actions are interventions to change the world around us, a vital stage in every socialist educational process. There are so many different possibilities and ways of planning and carrying out your ideas, that it can help to have a few small tips to guide us. When there is so much wrong with the world, it’s easy to think so big that we end up being disappointed. The SMART aims above are a good way to plan your actions based on your resources and aims. Even if it helps to be realistic, we should still dream big, as without people daring to believe that the world can be different, nothing would ever change! Thinking about the balance between radical demands and realistic goals is a key part of every group and educational process in your organisations, so make sure to give it space in your planning and discussions! Below are the ‘Campaign Planning Questions’ used by the Resist! Participants when planning their activities, followed by concrete examples to inspire your own activism! 44

Campaign Planning Questions 1. What’s wrong?

8. How much does this all cost?

4. Who do you want to reach?

11. How will we know it worked?

6. What and Why?

13. How was it?

2. What do you want to see in the end? 9. What can go wrong? 3. What are the steps towards the aim? 10. Who can help you?

12. Implementation Stage

5. What is our message? 7. When and Where?

Project Ideas

Get Active, Fight The Global Climate Divide!

Jorge from Integridad Absoluta in Chile organized a local day of action to reclaim public space with art activities and food. An event like this is a great way to meet different people from the community, create a feeling of responsibility for our surroundings and talk about important issues!

Marla from the Woodcraft Folk organized a swap and save meeting to promote reusing things. She also made her own podcast. Both of these are great to do with your own groups! Loukmanou from Pionniers du Mali did a project looking at the conflicts between herders and crop farmers: “Although my country is very vulnerable to the shocks and tensions induced by climate change, this precariousness is not distributed in an equitable way between the different groups (Communities). Minority groups of herders (such as Tuaregs, Peulhs and other Arab-Berber communities) are the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change which leads to the scarcity and disappearance of grasses, green spaces to feed the herds. This leads herders to direct their herds to agricultural land where there is food for their cattle, while destroying the crops of the majority ethnic farming populations. Hence the cause of conflicts between these communities”

- Loukmanou’s project worked with the different communities to find solutions. - What conflicts exist in your own community that are caused by climate change? - How could you start to help solve them and look to the underlying structural problems?

Posters are a great way to get across information and political messages. They help us practice making complicated topics easy to understand and interesting for people.

Willy from the German Falcon designed posters to highlight the topic of the gendered impact of climate change (left) and against the “overpopulation” argument (right). while destroying the crops of the Use creative writing methods in majority ethnic farming populathe group to come up with slogans tions. Hence the cause of conflicts and ideas for posters. between these communities” Go out with the group and stick you posters up to spread the message!

“Women* perform 12 billion hours of unpaid care work worldwide every year including the majority of cleaning, changing nappys, cooking, doing laundry, providing emotional support, and more. Without this work the world would stand still. If one were to economically value this work, it would be worth $10.8 trillion. That is three times the value of the entire IT sector! In Germany only if the minimum wage were paid for every hour of care work the countries GDP would be one third higher. But care work is unpaid, despite being vital, and this shows a lack of social appreciation.”

Evaluation After your projects, don’t forget to reflect and evaluate about how they went! You can think about what went well and what could have been better, as well as how you can develop the ideas for use in the future and sharing with other groups. Also, don’t forget that evaluation can also be fun and creative, a great way of generating new ideas and reminding everyone in the group that they have done something great!

Think global, Act local

Act Global, Think Local

IFM SEI is a global organisation. The last year living with Covid has shown us both how certain problems affect the entire world ignoring all borders, as well as how, even in a crisis, we can stay connected across different countries and regions. Think about the global aspect of your project and how it relates to climate justice. We organise activities on the local level but are also part of a global family. Think about reaching out to an IFM organisation in another part of the globe and collaborating. International solidarity is the perfect tool with which to resist the global climate divide!

International Falcon Movement Socialist Educational International

www.ifm-sei.org

This publication was produced by IFM-SEI with the support of the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. It does not necessarily reflect the official position of the Council of Europe.

Supported by the Council of Europe through the European Youth Foundation.

Resist! The toolkit

Articles inside

Projects and Actions

Campaign Planning Questions

Plastic pirates

The Problem With Technological Solutionism

Glossary

What Does Anticapitalism mean to you

Climate Resistance in your Area

Introduction

Gendered Climate?

If you didn't know, now you know

Action Planning