Colloquium on Green New Deal
October 10 2023
Our Colloquium on the Green New Deal saw Saul Levin of the Green New Deal Network and Magnolia Mead & JP Mejia of Sunrise Movement AU joined for a conversation about what a Green New Deal really means. Together, they tapped into one exciting, radical idea - that a liveable future for all is up to the collective imagination, organizing, and dedication we put forward today. SIS Professor Malini Ranganathan moderated this inspiring conversation.
All-Hands-Meeting
September 12, 2023
Faculty and staff from across the campus joined us for the first CECE meeting of the new academic year! We introduced the CECE Clearinghouse and the CECE Faculty Research Incubator Program, and shared information about other exciting CECE events and opportunities on deck for this semester.
Environment Colloquium: Environmental Justice
April 27, 2023
Our final colloquium of the semester saw a gathering of scholars from across AU whose work either directly or tangentially relates to Environmental Justice. We heard about folks creating databases that track environmental justice laws, empowering communities to monitor environmental conditions themselves, mapping flooding across cities, working to abate lead contamination, and documenting injustices through film and literature, amongst many other projects. In addition to hearing from many remarkable members of our community, this inspiring gathering allowed for people to come together and connect over similar interests and topics.
Environment Colloquium: Fisheries and Oceans
March 30, 2023
This colloquium brought together scholars from AU CAS and SIS to share their research on Fisheries and Oceans. Topics covered included fishing crimes in Latin America, microbial communities and how they provide coral with resilience to climate change, and the urgent need for more sustainable fishing practices that take into account the long-term health of our oceans and the communities that depend on them.
The speakers included Professor Matthew Taylor of SIS and Professors Anny Cárdenas and Jessica Gephart of CAS.
Supporting Migrant Fisher's Rights
March 23, 2023 | Recording
On Thursday March 23, CECE co-hosted an event with the Accountability Research Center (ARC), Washington College of Law’s Program on Environmental and Energy Law, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) on migrant fishers’ rights. Esteemed speakers Judy Gearhart of the ARC, Kevin Cassidy of the ILO, Anne Zolner of the U.S. Department of Labor, and JJ Rosenbaum of Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum joined special guest Tola Moeun of the Center for the Alliance of Labor and Human Rights for a rich conversation on the complexity of ensuring and enforcing rights and protections for all migrant fishers. The panelists overviewed international and national legal and policy challenges, as well as grassroots advocacy and legal efforts.
Environmental Colloquium: Indigenous Sovereignties
Febraury 23, 2023
This colloquium brought together scholars from AU CAS – CRGC and the Washington College of Law to share their research, careers, and visions for the intersections of Indigenous sovereignties (over lands, identities, cultures), ecologies (waters, biodiversity, foodways, and more) and law (to protect and uplift Indigenous rights in the US and globally). The four faculty who joined us have diverse experience working from and with Indigenous communities in the US and abroad, and offered insight into current research, activism, and pathways to foster and uphold Indigenous self determination and rights.
The speakers included Dr. Elizabeth Rule of CAS- CRGC and Professors William Snape, Victoria Phillips, and Ezra Rosser from WCL.
Environment Colloquium: Climate Migration
Janurary 26, 2023
Our inaugural cross-campus colloquium brought together experts from various fields to discuss climate migration. In particular, the event provided a comprehensive look at the complexities surrounding migration, particularly the interplay of climate factors and other historical and structural elements. Our panelists noted the challenges in isolating the role of climate in migration and acknowledged the deficiencies of current policies addressing climate loss and damages.
They discussed the cost of social integration of climate; the particular rise in temperature in Brazil; and the need to develop a hermeneutics of loss, an anthropology of how migrants experience loss.
The speakers included Claire Brunel of SIS, Jesse Ribot of SIS, and Rob Albro of CLALS.
Disparity to Parity Webinar
December 8, 2022 | Recording
This webinar was cohosted with the National Family Farm Coalition to explore the intertwined relationship between food sovereignty, the right to food, and parity.
Speakers included Onika Abraham, Executive Director, Farm School NYC; Heather Retberg, Quill’s End Farm; Indra Shekhar Singh, Agricultural Policy Analyst and Writer; Monika Castillo, Unión Nacional de Organizaciones Regionales Campesinas Autónomas and Niaz Dorry, Executive Director, National Family Farm Coalition.
COP27 Climate Hub
November 17, 2022 | Recording
This Climate Hub featured a live broadcast in collaboration with We Don't Have Time and the School of International Service. Amongst the many issue raised at the UN Climate Change Conference 27 (COP27), the requirement for a community-centered and collective action approach gained significance for the countries to tackle an issue as big as climate change. Panelists also discussed climate justice and the urgent need for a global cohesive action towards curbing carbon emissions; the role of activism in creating change and building resilient communities; food justice and the importance of building communities from the ground-up; and citizens playing an important role in governance with the help of digital tools and campaigning.
Panelists included Ms. Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States; Mr. Wendall K. Jones, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the United States; Tanya Clay House of Hip-Hop Caucus; Amanda Janoo, the Economics and Policy Lead at WEAll; and Tambra Stevenson, Founder/CEO of WANDA. The broadcast also featured American University faculty and staff, inlcuding CECE's Director Simon Nicholson, Sauleh Siddiqui, Justine Williams, faculty affiliate Malini Ranganathan and Professor Mubbashir Rizvi.
Indian Farmers Revolution: Public Presentation and Film Screening with Indra Shekhar Singh
November 10, 2022
At the event, Filmmaker and journalist Indra Shekhar Signh screened his recent documentary "Farming for Our Future: The Importance of Parity in the
Global Farm Justice Movement". Indra was then joined by experts on agriculture policy as they discussed different topics related for farm justice, including ffarm parity, minimum support price, and how farmer-led movements in India and the US have achieved success.
CECE Launch
October 19, 2022 | Recap
At the event, we asked attendees where AU's strengths in environmental work lie. The responses ranged from Kogod's Sustainability Management Course, to AU's Office of Sustainability, equity and justice focused research initiatives at SIS, top-notch scientific inquiry in the department of Environmental Science, not to mention the Program in Environmental and Energy Law, the Center for Environmental Policy, and the Center for Environmental Filmmaking. The university's willingness to work for change has been reflected in the kind of work and academic journey faculty seek to offer their students. The launch was also covered both the School of International Service and the Eagle.