Those of us working to end the climate emergency face a very challenging situation. Climate change is accelerating as those currently with power to cause change fail to address the root causes. We must take actions to ensure our long-term survival as a species.

We want to stay engaged in this challenge and thinking of possibilities. But feelings of despair and hopelessness confuse us and cloud our thinking. We can take action whether we feel hopeful or not. But taking action while being hopeful frees up our thinking and helps other people see more and new possibilities. Holding out hope for the future is a key tool for climate activists. We can reclaim our hope and have a strategy for how to stay hopeful in the face of difficult times.

In Sustaining All Life (SAL) and United to End Racism (UER) we have learned that the despair and hopelessness we feel are rooted in our earlier life experiences. We work to free ourselves from the effects of these hurts so they do not limit our future. Our experience is that we can heal from these hurts if someone listens to us attentively and allows and encourages us to express our grief, fear, and other painful emotions. By intentionally releasing these feelings in a supportive network, we can stay united, hopeful, thoughtful, joyful, and committed. This in turn strengthens us in building our movements to stop the effects of climate change and oppression.

In this workshop we will

• Talk about the importance of support networks to stay hopeful and engaged in the climate crisis
• Hear from several people sharing stories of overcoming feelings of despair to address environmental and social injustice
• Share the approaches used by Sustaining All Life and United to End Racism to heal from early life experiences that diminish our hope and effectiveness