Friends,
Last night, nearly 300 people participated in 350 Canada’s Mass Strategy Session for a Just Recovery.
It was incredible. And it affirmed for me that people across the country are energized and ready to get organized.
If you missed it, you can catch the recording here.
Here is a recap of what happened on last night’s call:
First, we broke down the moment that we’re in with the pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has left the majority of people across the country struggling.
Then, we talked about how we can’t afford to go back to business as usual after the pandemic ends -- and we're not expected to. Recent polls have shown that the majority of people in Canada are expecting a broad transformation of our society.1
Next, we talked about our 3-part plan to respond, recover and rebuild as we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read more about our plan here.
Finally, we broke down how we make this plan a reality. It’s easy to think... that we can’t organize while stuck at home. Fortunately, we’ve got a tactic that can be done virtually from your home, and has laid the foundation for some of the most successful social movements of our time. Teach-ins have been used by movements like Idle No More and Occupy Wall Street to build a shared understanding of the problem we’re up against and help movements map out how to win.
We can’t afford to wait until social distancing is lifted to build the movement for a Just Recovery. That’s why I am asking you to join dozens of people across the country to host a digital teach-in for a Just Recovery between now and June 7th.
We’ll give you everything you need to host a successful teach-in: a toolkit, slide deck, and speaking notes. Then, alongside hundreds of people, you’ll (virtually) bring your community together so you can take action from home. We will be there every step of the way to guide you. You can sign up to host a teach-in near you here.
How we respond to, recover from, and rebuild after this crisis will define the next chapter of human history. That’s why, to win a Just Recovery, we need everyone to take responsibility for educating and organizing their communities.
I’m excited that nearly 100 people raised their hand last night to host a Just Recovery Teach-In. It was, honestly, the most hopeful I have felt since this pandemic started. Now, let’s get to work building a movement for a Just Recovery and a Green New Deal
With gratitude,
Atiya
PS — Today is the three year anniversary of the historic journey “Raise a Paddle,” where our friends from the Pacific Islands travelled to Northern Canada to bear witness to the devastating tar sands expansion. We are hosting a Facebook watch party with our friends from 350 Pacific tonight at 6:30 PM PT/ 9:30 PM ET to look back on the “Raise a Paddle” journey so we can move forward to demand climate justice.
References:
1. Outlook on Post COVID-19 World Poll Result
350.org is building a global climate movement. You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and r38