Community Organizing for Social Change: Insights from Climate Justice Organizing (Non-CE)

Overview

The planet is on fire, right wing authoritarian governments are on the rise, and marginalized groups are increasingly targeted and scapegoated as the vast majority suffer under rising economic inequality. Amidst the current moment of polycrisis, many are calling for organizing as a necessary political response. But what does organizing actually mean, and how does it differ from other social change strategies? In this interactive presentation, participants will learn about some of the fundamental principles and histories of community organizing as a form of leadership and a craft, and hear from a climate justice organizer and anthropologist on some of the challenges and possibilities for applying these lessons on the ground.

Objectives

1. Understand key characteristics of community organizing as a strategy for social change and how it differs from other approaches to social change (e.g. lifestyle changes, policy advocacy, research)
2. Explore fundamental principles and histories of community organizing as a leadership practice and craft
   
3. Examine practical applications of community organizing in efforts to respond to the climate crisis and other related social, economic, and environmental struggles
   

Registration and CE Information

• Register here for the Non-CE version.
• Please see the CE version if you need CEs
• The live webinar will be held April 29, 2025, from 12:00pm - 1:00pm
• Once registered, you will be able to access the course site to complete the Zoom registration to receive the link for the webinar.

Presenter: Amanda Harvey-Sánchez

Amanda Harvey-Sánchez (she/her) is a Latina organizer, activist-researcher, and educator. The daughter of a climate scientist and a teacher, Amanda was called into the climate justice movement through working on her campus fossil fuel divestment campaign at the University of Toronto in 2015. Since then, she has had the opportunity to take part in community-based and justice-focused campaigns and projects across Canada, the US, India, and France. She is currently completing her PhD in Anthropology at the University of Toronto, on the social and political life of climate justice organizing in Canada, and works at the Climate Justice Organizing HUB as their Principal Coach and Program Development Specialist.