Dear Friends,

At the 1969 UNESCO Conference on the Environment, a peace activist named John McConnell proposed the idea of an international Earth Day to foster appreciation of the earth and to remind people around the world of their common need to preserve its delicate ecosystems. Around that same time, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin announced the idea for a national environmental teach-in because he wanted to force environmental issues onto the national political agenda. On April 22, 1970, buoyed by the massive momentum and energy of the Vietnam War protests, 20 million Americans marched or participated in environmental teach-ins around the country.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the concept of environmental justice also gained national visibility as activists of color pointed out that communities of color and other marginalized communities were disparately impacted by pollution, toxic dumping, and other negative environmental consequences of industrial, government, and commercial activities. Leaders like Jeanne Gauna and Bill Gallegos and groups like the Mothers of East Los Angeles and the Indigenous Environmental Network mobilized to protect their communities. They argued that the environment wasn’t only about the outdoor wilderness, but also comprised the spaces where people live, work, and play.

Climate change and environmental justice, like other social and environmental issues, are complex challenges that require unconventional thinking and problem solving that are supported by the effective use of technology and data. They require the sharing of power, resources, skills, and knowledge between diverse teams and diverse communities.

EPIP offers our members a space in which to practice your skills, share your resources, and work collaboratively to pursue justice at every level of our society. We encourage you to check out the resources listed below.


Sincerely,
Christen Lee
Program Manager | Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy

 This April, we are highlighting Measuring a Leader’s Innovation and Problem Solving skills, which include:

• Thinking unconventionally while inspiring others to as well
• Soliciting diverse perspectives to aid problem solving
• Analyzing problems, creating solutions and solving problems quickly
• Integrating new technology and data analysis into problem solving

We’re also highlighting some of the ways that members are demonstrating these skills, such as:

• Proposing new ideas to problems in their workplace or community organizations
• Building diverse teams when creating solutions
• Using new media to connect with partners for problem solving