The first-ever Caribbean Climate Justice Camp for 120 community leaders from more than 25 Caribbean nations was hosted by EPIC, EPIC Sint Maarten, Roots, and many collaborators during a four-day event in March on Sint Maarten. The successful camp built knowledge and networks, included the sharing of stories and skills, and the co-creation of strategies to address conservation challenges faced by the region.
A series of interactive tracks offered in the mornings focused on energy, gender and climate justice, marine conservation, and adaptation and resilience. The adaptation and resilience track was co-led and facilitated by EPIC Director Tabitha Stadler and EPIC Sint Maarten Associate Riddhi Samtani. Samtani attended a prior camp and was a major driver in bringing the Camp to the Caribbean and hosting it on Sint Maarten. “The Climate Justice Camp Caribbean has sparked an unparalleled sense of solidarity among movement builders and activists in our region. It’s been amazing to witness people, many of whom are new to such events, embracing the crucial need to unify in the Caribbean. Seeing these interactions unfold in the heart of my community, Sint Maarten, adds an extra layer of significance to the work. We’re not simply facing the climate crisis; we’re rewriting the narrative of our collective futures for our islands,” said Samtani.
Panel sessions entitled Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Involvement as Climate Adaptation Strategies and Promoting Sustainability and Resilience Through Education and Behavior Change featured EPIC’s work in Sint Maarten, Grenada, and the Virgin Islands. The afternoon sessions were participant-led on a wide range of topics including solar water heating, funding, data tools, sustainability, activism, human rights, communications, the climate economy, and more.
The first Climate Justice Camp was hosted by Roots in 2022 with the vision of convening youth living in the world’s most climate-impacted regions to work at the intersection between climate and social justice. Over the last two years, this effort has brought together over 1,000 participants from more than 100 countries across the Global South, leading to new climate initiatives around the world.
EPIC also continues its role in the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance, initiated by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI). EPIC Director Tabitha Stadler is the co-lead of the Adaptation and Loss and Damage Working
Group, along with Kevan Kalapnath-Maharaj, Managing Director of IAMovement from Trinidad and Tobago. Discussions continue about hosting another Caribbean Climate Justice Camp in the near future. Follow us on social media for the opportunity to apply for the next Camp.
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