Women For Forests - Online Education & Advocacy Training

Around the world, from the rainforests to the temperate zones, diverse groups of women are rising up to protect vital forests ecosystems from deforestation, fossil fuel and mining extraction, agribusiness, and a host of other threats. Through their work, they are protecting irreplaceable biodiversity and the sources of community life and livelihoods, while also spearheading efforts that sequester massive amounts of carbon, and thus help mitigate against the worst effects of global climate change.

During the ‘Women For Forests’ training, we will explore various topics including - the link between forests and climate change; the need to defend women’s land rights as a forest protection strategy; inspiring examples of women planting trees and regenerating damaged lands from Indonesia to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and stories and lessons from Indigenous women’s work to stand for global forests, including the Sarayaku Living Forest Proposal from the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Speakers to date include - Wanda Culp (WECAN Tongass Coordinator, Indigenous Tlingit artists and forest defender of Hoonah, Alaska, US); Mary Lou Malig (Global Forest Coalition, Campaigns and Communications Coordinator and Researcher, Philippines); Nina Gualinga (Indigenous Kichwa woman leader of the community of SARAYAKU DEFENSORES DE LA SELVA, Ecuador); Ayana Young (Restoration ecologist and Founder of For The Wild, California, US); Clare Dubois (Founder of TreeSisters: women seeding change, US); and Neema Namadamu (founder of Hero Women Rising - Maman Shujaa and WECAN Regional Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo).

WECAN Executive Director, Osprey Orielle Lake, will facilitate the training.

As part of WECAN International’s commitment to a climate justice framework, this training will not promote any of the false solutions often associated with climate-forest programs, including carbon offsets and other market mechanisms. Rather, speakers will focus on the grassroots, community-driven, and rights-based strategies and solutions being demonstrated by women around the world.

Full information on this and other 2018 WECAN Education and Advocacy Trainings For Women For Climate Justice are available here: wecaninternational.org/pages/international-climate-justice-calls

WHAT: Women For Forests - WECAN Online Education and Advocacy Training

WHEN: Wednesday April 4, 2018 at 11:00 PT/ 2:00 ET

WHERE & HOW: This training is free and open to all. All WECAN trainings and international organizing calls are hosted on Zoom, a program similar to Skype. To join, please use the instructions below to dial in by phone, or download the free Zoom application and join via internet.

We encourage and welcome participants from all regions and all levels of experience to join us. If you can connect via computer, that is preferable.

Please direct any and all questions to Emily (WECAN Communications Coordinator) – emily@wecaninternational.org

Join via your computer or smart phone internet connection:
1. Click to download the free Zoom program: launcher.zoom.us/download

2. Click to join the call: https://zoom.us/j/4154152016

OR join by phone: +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll) or +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll)
Enter the Meeting ID: 415 415 2016
** If you are calling from outside the U.S. - click to find your international dial-in numbers: zoom.us/zoomconference