What do environmental racism and climate justice mean? What are the different or common aspects of these phenomena from the perspectives of countries in the Global South, Roma and People of Colour in Europe? While nomadic cultures worldwide are deprived of their livelihoods due to environmental racism, other marginalised groups are forced to migrate. While indigenous peoples in Pakistan are forced to leave their homes and territories due to climate change, Roma* are not only forced to live on contaminated land in Southeastern Europe, but also in the middle of Germany - for example, in 2004 Sinti in Hamburg were given a plot of land as reparations for Nazi crimes without being informed that it was a former landfill site where both soil and groundwater are toxically contaminated.
In addition, the panelists also focus on the intersections of environmental racism: How are climate injustice and environmental racism related to classism and sexism? How can the environmental movement become more diverse and what struggles can be waged together?
Fazila Bhimji is an activist and independent scholar and researcher residing in Berlin. Among others, she was Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. She is interested in migrant and climate justice activism and research. She is part of the Critical Pakistan collective.
Ciprian-Valentin Nodis is a Roma activist from Bistrita, Romania. He owns a BA in environmental sciences from the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj. In 2015, he graduated with an MA in public administration at the School of Public Policy at Central European University in Budapest. He is a founding member of the Interethnic Association in Dumitrita and conducted research on environmental justice for CEU Romani Studies Program and the Environmental Bureau in Brussels. He considers that the promotion of Roma rights and the fight against racism to be one of his life standing goals.
Tatu Hey (she/her) is part of the BIPoC Black Earth Climate Justice Collective and lives in Berlin. With decolonial, queer-feminist and ecological perspectives, Black Earth advocates for an intersectional climate movement and narrative. Together with Imeh Ituen, she has published a study that shows the lack of awareness of environmental racism in Germany.
Sulti is a Kurdish non-binary activist (pronouns they/them or their name). Sulti is an activist in both, the areas of migration politics and the climate justice movement. The focus of their work is to raise awareness about racism, transphobia, border and police brutality towards BIPoC and making BIPoC voices be heard. Sulti is born in Slemani in South Kurdistan. They migrated 7 years ago to Germany and since then they have been involved in the Climate Movement in Hambacher Forest, Lützi and other forest occupations. Sulti is a part of the Abolish Frontex Campaign which is a campaign against Frontex and its military borders. They work on building communities especially connecting BIPoC migrant groups for fighting for freedom, liberation and a borderless world.
Samie Blasingame is a facilitator with a background in environmental policy, intercultural studies, and creative communications. She regularly curates, hosts and facilitates events on topics related to sustainability, environmental justice, anti-racist decolonization, and ecosystem mapping. She is the Creative Director of Food in my Kiez, sits on the board of Greenbuzz Berlin with who she runs the #FeedingBerlin series, and organises with the Berlin-based climate and environmental justice collective, Black Earth. Her work and political ethos revolves around community building and collective imaginations toward a just and resilient future.
With: Fazila Bhimji, Ciprian-Valentin Nodis, Nene Opoku, Sulti
Moderation: Samie Blasingame
In addition, the panelists also focus on the intersections of environmental racism: How are climate injustice and environmental racism related to classism and sexism? How can the environmental movement become more diverse and what struggles can be waged together?
Fazila Bhimji is an activist and independent scholar and researcher residing in Berlin. Among others, she was Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. She is interested in migrant and climate justice activism and research. She is part of the Critical Pakistan collective.
Ciprian-Valentin Nodis is a Roma activist from Bistrita, Romania. He owns a BA in environmental sciences from the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj. In 2015, he graduated with an MA in public administration at the School of Public Policy at Central European University in Budapest. He is a founding member of the Interethnic Association in Dumitrita and conducted research on environmental justice for CEU Romani Studies Program and the Environmental Bureau in Brussels. He considers that the promotion of Roma rights and the fight against racism to be one of his life standing goals.
Tatu Hey (she/her) is part of the BIPoC Black Earth Climate Justice Collective and lives in Berlin. With decolonial, queer-feminist and ecological perspectives, Black Earth advocates for an intersectional climate movement and narrative. Together with Imeh Ituen, she has published a study that shows the lack of awareness of environmental racism in Germany.
Sulti is a Kurdish non-binary activist (pronouns they/them or their name). Sulti is an activist in both, the areas of migration politics and the climate justice movement. The focus of their work is to raise awareness about racism, transphobia, border and police brutality towards BIPoC and making BIPoC voices be heard. Sulti is born in Slemani in South Kurdistan. They migrated 7 years ago to Germany and since then they have been involved in the Climate Movement in Hambacher Forest, Lützi and other forest occupations. Sulti is a part of the Abolish Frontex Campaign which is a campaign against Frontex and its military borders. They work on building communities especially connecting BIPoC migrant groups for fighting for freedom, liberation and a borderless world.
Samie Blasingame is a facilitator with a background in environmental policy, intercultural studies, and creative communications. She regularly curates, hosts and facilitates events on topics related to sustainability, environmental justice, anti-racist decolonization, and ecosystem mapping. She is the Creative Director of Food in my Kiez, sits on the board of Greenbuzz Berlin with who she runs the #FeedingBerlin series, and organises with the Berlin-based climate and environmental justice collective, Black Earth. Her work and political ethos revolves around community building and collective imaginations toward a just and resilient future.
With: Fazila Bhimji, Ciprian-Valentin Nodis, Nene Opoku, Sulti
Moderation: Samie Blasingame
