On May 22-24 LCN Europe and European Community Organizing Network (ECON) partnered to host the core training for the Climate Justice Movement Academy.

Organizers from Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Poland, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, and the UK dove into the key practices of organizing to build roadmaps to develop their campaigns further.

The gathering was hosted in Ostrava, Czech Republic in the Moravian-Silesian region that’s set to see the closure of its coal mines. Local organization Re-set and partners from Slovakia and Poland are part of a two-year “Just Transition” project with ECON, organizing to make the transition towards the European Green Deal a truly inclusive process that leaves no one behind.

Given the urgency and scope of climate change, organizers are focusing on building power with frontline communities who bear the brunt of the climate crisis. These are communities that have disproportionate impacts due to socioeconomic disparities, environmental risks, and limited resources. Leaders are also focusing on organizing young folks given that our ecological health is deeply intertwined with intergenerational justice: the actions we take today to mitigate climate change will shape the world that future generations inherit.

Beyond the training, leaders from the program will participate in activities throughout the summer. They will build a community of practice in which they learn from and offer feedback to one another’s campaigns, explore how to continue building local relationships and power, and get coaching on their continued organizing practice.

The program will close with a celebration in August.