Indigenous leaders from the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC) during Climate Week NYC 2022.
IMAGE CREDIT: Rachel Elkind/GATC
Climate Week NYC is quickly approaching. From September 17 to 24, thousands of political leaders, policymakers, scientists, experts, and activists will gather in New York City to drive climate action and demand change.
Held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly, Climate Week NYC provides a platform for global citizens to call on world leaders to commit to action. Last year, the Rainforest Foundation Family (Rainforest Foundation US, Rainforest Foundation UK and Rainforest Foundation Norway) collaborated with our partner, the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), to advocate for direct funding for Indigenous peoples and local communities and launch their vision for direct finance: the Shandia platform. We are excited to continue to support the GATC to promote Shandia and other key demands of the alliance.
Highlights From This Year’s Schedule of Events:
- In a public event organized by the Global Justice Clinic at NYU School of Law on Monday, Sept. 18, we will be hearing the perspectives of two partners from Guyana—the Amerindian Peoples’ Association and South Rupununi District Council, as well as the Mesoamerican Alliance of People and Forests. All will share their concerns around the recent carbon credit deal in Guyana—the first country accredited under the TREES standard. There will also be discussions about the implications of this experience in a burgeoning carbon market. The event will be held from 5:30 to 7pm at the NYU School of Law in Vanderbilt Hall, Room 220.
- We are co-convening a dialogue led by rights holders on climate-related finance, supporting representatives of Indigenous peoples and local communities from some 30 organizations around the world to share reflections and experiences with existing mechanisms and assess gaps, issues, and challenges in addressing partners’ critical needs. For this, we are collaborating with valued allies, including the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), Rainforest Foundation Norway, and the Forest Peoples’ Programme (FPP).
- We will also co-host an event with our sister organizations Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) and Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) to showcase effective community-based solutions to climate change that are ready to be scaled up for even greater impact. This event, “Saving the World’s Rainforests Through Scalable Grassroots Solutions,” will take place on Friday, Sept. 22, from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm at The Shed, as part of the Our Village event series in partnership with If Not Us Then Who?.
Book your ticket for the “Our Village” event series at eventbrite.com.
Check out additional events scheduled during Climate Week and please join us on Saturday, Sept. 23, for the ceremonial walk down the High Line to commemorate the struggle of Indigenous peoples in their fight to protect their lands.
