Inclusion conference

Elevate, Empower, and Rise Up Together 

CCL Inclusion Conference

Online

September 16-17, 2022 (past)

A conference where all are welcome

Climate change impacts all life, but especially people in frontline communities, who are left out of important conversations about taking climate action. Our first diversity and inclusion virtual conference will bring individuals from all backgrounds together in unity, community, and trust. Join the conference to form connections with fellow climate advocates and walk away with tools of empowerment and confidence.

Share your story, and listen to others

The virtual conference will provide a safe space for people who have been historically excluded and should be heard in climate conversations, such as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), people with disabilities, and people of the LGBTQIA+ community. We invite you to be yourself and share your stories, experiences, successes, and struggles as a path forward in continuing your climate action. Allies are welcome to attend the conference to listen, observe, respect, and reflect on the experiences of others, with the hope of bringing back ideas for the next steps on how to make your CCL chapter more inclusive. 

Our event will kick off with a reception on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT for a chance to get to know each other. The one day virtual conference is Saturday, Sept. 17, 12 – 6 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT. 

This conference is organized and led by CCL’s Affinity Action Teams including: Asian Pacific, Climate and Culture, Differently ABLED, Environmental Justice, Higher Education, Latinos, LGBTQIA+ and Allies OUTreach, Listening to Indigenous Voices, Peace Corps, People of the Global Majority, and Youth. Learn more about the Action Teams on CCL Community.

Featuring Remarks from:

Dr. Harold Dorrell Briscoe

Writer, speaker, pastor, and public theologian

Princella Talley

Fellow At Large, The OpEd Project

Arlene JM Grant, Esq.

Climate Advocate + Mind – Body – Food Practitioner

Clara Fang

Deputy Director of Partnerships, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Zahra Biabani

Climate Activist, Influencer, CEO, and Writer

Fernanda Lugo

Certified yoga instructor & CCL Volunteer

Luivette Resto

Poet

Program

Time Zone: EDT/Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Friday, September 16, 2022

Friday

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Virtual Reception

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7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Join a virtual reception for the chance to get to know fellow conference attendees and CCL staff.

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Conference Opening & Welcome

Conference opening with remarks by Madeleine Para and Karina Ramirez.

Saturday

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Spoken Word Poem

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12:05 PM – 12:25 PM ET

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Luivette Resto

Poet, Teacher, and

Author

Saturday

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Keynote: Climate Change Adaptation as a Moral and Theological Imperative

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12:25 PM – 1:10 PM ET

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The evidence of climate change is incontrovertible. Yet, among Christians (particularly the evangelical community), working to ensure a just and sustainable climate is met with derision, ignorance, and hostility. According to a study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, evangelicals are most likely to believe that God expects humans to be good stewards of nature. Unfortunately, that same study shows that evangelicals are least likely to believe that climate change is real and human-caused. The need to adapt to climate change will require more than policy-level change; we have to see the that the real root of our trouble lies in anthropological and theological conceptions about who we are and in relation to the planet. Global warming is happening at an alarming rate because humans lack an appropriate understanding of ourselves. Join Dr. Harold Dorrell Briscoe as he discusses the distorted theological notion of unlimited desire that fuels our market system and how to have an alternative ecological economic order that is ecologically just and sustainable.

Dr. Harold Dorrell Briscoe

Writer, Speaker, Pastor,

and Public Theologian

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1:10 – 1:15 PM ET

Saturday

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1:15 – 2:15 PM ET

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People of color have been an important part of the climate movement since its beginning. Today they make up the supporters, volunteers, staff, leadership, and board members of environmental organizations. However, representation is still low—people of color make up 20-30% of the staff at environmental organizations, and much less when it comes to leadership positions. What barriers do they experience to engaging in the climate movement? Where do they find support and motivation? What do organizations need to do to improve diversity, equity, inclusion? What has changed over time? How can we create a movement with more belonging where people can be their authentic selves? Clara Fang asked these questions in her interviews with 17 BIPOC participants as part of her PhD research at Antioch University. This presentation shares the results of that research.

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Break

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2:15 – 2:25 PM ET

Saturday

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People First to Save Earth: Communicating Beyond Echo Chambers

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2:25 – 3:25 PM ET

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At the root of our identities is an irrefutable connection to Earth, but climate change continues to shift, and altogether erase, human identities on a global scale. Exclusionary and elitist messaging also keeps driving underrepresented identities away from the climate movement – the same voices that experience the worst climate impacts while contributing least to the climate crisis. In this session, Princella Talley explores the art and nuances of impactful communication as our social and personal identities are being altered by climate change. She will provide creative strategies and insights for more effective and inclusive climate communication.

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Break – with yoga

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3:25 – 3:45 PM ET

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Take a break to grab a snack, or stick around for a yoga session with Fernanda Lugo.

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Climate Optimism – The Root of Climate Nihilism and Steps to Overcome It

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3:45 – 4:25 PM ET

Gen Z climate activist, entrepreneur, and writer Zahra Biabani explores cognitive biases that make it hard for us to be optimistic – especially in regard to our shared environment – and why and how we can and should move forward past those biases.

Zahra Biabani

Climate Activist, Influencer, CEO,

and Writer

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Break

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4:25 – 4:35 PM ET

Saturday

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Closing – In Stillness, Rise Together

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4:35 – 5:35 PM ET

Harness the power of community through stillness. In this session, we will focus upon breathwork, meditation and multisensory techniques to enhance your advocacy and wellbeing.

Arlene JM Grant, Esq

Climate Advocate + Mind – Body

– Food Practitioner

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration

Who is invited to attend the Inclusion Conference?

Everyone is invited to participate. There are many ways to contribute to the success of CCL’s mission, and we encourage those who are able to join us virtually for our first Inclusion Conference to please register.

How do I register?

You can register above, or go to our Eventbrite registration page. Registration will be open through the conference hours. 

Is there a registration fee?

No, this is a free event. If you would like to support CCL’s work, including our virtual conferences, you can make a donation on our website or make an additional donation when you complete your registration.

What should I do if I need to cancel?

Although this is a free virtual event and we plan to have space for all, we would like to have an accurate count of attendees. If you need to cancel, contact us as soon as possible by email.

Program and Agenda

Where can I find the conference schedule?

The program is still in progress, but you’ll be able to find the conference schedule on this webpage you are currently viewing, scroll up to the “Program” section. We’ll be making updates to the program as we get closer to the virtual conference, so be sure to check back for the most up-to-date agenda. You do not have to sign up for specific sessions, you can log in to whichever session you choose the day of the conference. 

Video conferencing information will be made available the day before the conference begins. You can check back on the program section to find the access information closer to the event date.

What is the Friday night event?

Friday, Sept. 16 in the evening, 7pm ET / 4pm PT, we will hold a reception to give attendees a chance to connect and socialize before the conference kicks off on Saturday 9/17. This also serves to give attendees practice on logging in to the conference video platform and troubleshoot any issues.

Technology

How do I connect to the virtual conference?

We’ll be using Zoom for this conference. For the best experience on Zoom, be sure to update your Zoom app to the latest version. We’ll be sending reminder emails in the week leading up to the conference with more details on how to access each session.

Getting Help in Zoom

If you have any issues connecting to Zoom or experience audio or video problems, visit the Zoom Support Help Center. 

Video conference etiquette & tips:

  • We suggest you use earbuds or headphones rather than your computer speakers & mic for better sound quality and reduced feedback.
  • Please mute your mic when you are not speaking. All conference sessions will mute participants upon entry. 
  • If you have unstable internet, try to turn your video off and close all internet browsers and windows on your computer.
  • Plan to restart your computer before the event begins.

All conference sessions can be viewed on the conference website at cclusa.org/program. You can see the session titles, times, descriptions, and speaker names. On the day of the conference, Zoom connection information will be available. We recommend you keep the Program page open in your web browser so you can refer back to it, and easily switch sessions through the conference.

Click the “Join via Zoom” button next to the session you’d like to join. Zoom will open in your web browser, and give you the option to open the meeting in your Zoom Application if you have it downloaded.

Once you are in a meeting, to join a different session, you will have to leave the Zoom meeting you are currently in, and then click another “Join via Zoom” button from the Program for the session you want to switch to. 

If you are joining by phone, find your local number to dial: https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/u/adtOOuWWAo, or, U.S. Toll-free 1-877-369-0926 or 1-855-880-1246. Each session’s Zoom Meeting ID will be available on the Program page which you can enter when prompted on the phone.

What if I have technical issues participating virtually?

To improve audio/video quality, close all applications and other browser windows. You can read this support topic to learn how to turn on closed captions. If you have problems connecting, please contact our video and audio conference provider’s support site.

How do I find the video conference login information for each session?

You can check back on this conference website (scroll up on this page) starting the day before the conference to find the video conference access for each session. 

All conference sessions can be viewed on the conference website. You can see the session titles, times, descriptions, and speaker names. On the day of the conference, Zoom connection information will be available. We recommend you keep the Program page open in your web browser so you can refer back to it, and easily switch sessions through the conference.

Click the “Join via Zoom” button next to the session you’d like to join. Zoom will open in your web browser, and give you the option to open the meeting in your Zoom Application if you have it downloaded.

Once you are in a meeting, to join a different session, you will have to leave the Zoom meeting you are currently in, and then click another “Join via Zoom” button from the Program for the session you want to switch to.