Climate change is a human rights issue, and Amnesty Canada’s Climate Justice Advocacy Team is taking action! This passionate group of activists from across the country campaigns on everything from fossil fuel divestment to Indigenous land rights to deep sea mining.
They’ve been leading creative actions, sparking important conversations, and amplifying the voices of those most impacted by the climate crisis.
Want to hear directly from the activists themselves and learn how you can get involved?
Who we are and what we do
Our Climate Justice Advocacy (CJA) Team is one of Amnesty Canada’s specialized teams, bringing together members from across the country to work on specific human rights issues. The team is diverse in terms of Amnesty experience, age, gender, and ethnicity. This range of perspectives and life experiences leads to thoughtful, engaging discussions on topics like carbon offsets, climate refugees, and more.
The CJA Team is primarily focused on campaigning. Our work includes:
- Supporting core Amnesty campaigns, such as reducing fossil fuel use, respecting human rights in the battery supply chain, and advocating for a just transition.
- Taking on emerging issues, such as Deep Sea Mining.
- Writing letters to federal and provincial governments about their energy transition plans.
Our campaigning techniques include letter writing, social media actions, solidarity banners, tree planting, community information tables, protests, and more. We’ve also developed a Climate Justice Resource Kit to support youth activists and educators, and we’ve hosted webinars on climate justice issues for Amnesty members.
We recognize that many organizations have long been leading on climate issues, and we actively support and amplify their work whenever possible.
Collaboration, People Power and Impact
We have worked with Indigenous leaders on multiple occasions, including a webinar featuring Chief Patrick Michell, who shared about the impact of devastating fires in British Columbia. We are also supported by our friends on Amnesty’s Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRD) team, who work to protect land, water, and earth defenders.
Within Amnesty, we participate in governance and planning processes. For example, we’ve led debates at Amnesty Canada’s Annual General Meeting that resulted in decisions for Amnesty Canada to divest from fossil fuels and work towards becoming a carbon-neutral organization.
Amnesty International often speaks of “People Power”, strengthening and supporting grassroots activism. People Power unleashes the potential of activists to lead and take initiative, in partnership with staff and other organizations. Our CJA Team is a strong example of what People Power can look like within Amnesty Canada.
Why This Work Matters: Voices from Our Team
Sharad told us: “Working with a dedicated team of volunteers from across Canada, with the shared leadership in coming up with and leading different actions. The Provincial letter writing campaigns where we write to all the legislative assembly members. It was gratifying to get a personal response from the Premier of Alberta.”
Anneka told us: “Connecting with people from many different locations over our shared goal of climate justice and focusing on how the most marginalized people are impacted and uplifting the voices of front-line communities.
I’ve had the opportunity to hear Indigenous land defenders speak about their vital work and then to take action in line with what they’ve told us they need. This has included raising awareness about the danger they face for defending the planet and calling on authorities to support defenders’ work rather than harassing them for it.”
Ready to join us?
If you’re passionate about climate justice and want to take meaningful action alongside other dedicated activists, we’d love to have you with us. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or just getting started, there’s a place for you here.
Join the Climate Justice Advocacy Team!
Email edumitru@amnesty.ca or amnestyca.climatejusticeteam@gmail.com to get involved.
