The Intersections of People and the Planet: A Climate Justice Workshop

The Intersection of People and the Planet: A Climate Justice Workshop

This workshop is hosted by EDI.I Office in the Faculties of Applied Science, Forestry and Land and Food Systems at UBC. 

In honor of Earth Day, we are thrilled to invite you to our first Climate Justice Workshop rooted in intersectionality, decolonization and community resilience! This workshop is part of the IDEAL and Cascades of Change educational programs and is open to all members of the UBC community interested in climate justice from a racialized and decolonial perspective.

Workshop Overview

Part 1: Ecological Kinship Exercise
Participants will take part in a guided Ecological Kinship Exercise that invites them to build a personal, grounded relationship with the land. Through hands-on, reflective practice, this session offers space to process the emotional weight of the climate crisis—including grief and hopelessness—while reconnecting with traditional knowledge systems that center resilience, reciprocity, and care for the land. The experience concludes with a collective reflection to share insights and strengthen connection.

Part 2: Panel Discussion
A moderated conversation featuring UBC researchers working in the areas of climate justice, community and social inequities. The panel will explore the intersections of climate justice and equity, with a focus on the experiences and voices of IBPOC communities. The session will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue with our speakers. 

Contributors 

Mary Jessome, Facilitator - Ecological Kinship Exercise

As a place-based educator and doctoral candidate, Mary's work focuses on decolonizing people's relationship with themselves, others, and the world around them. Her work encourages individuals to reconnect with their unique ancestral practices and the cultural wisdom that has been erased by colonial systems. Mary's work is essential for creating more equitable, sustainable communities, as it helps individuals break free from ingrained patterns and develop more mindful, interconnected ways of living.

Dr. Amanda Giang, Panelist - Intersections of People and the Planet

Dr. Giang is an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC. Her work combines environmental modelling, policy, and justice, with a focus on air pollution and toxic chemicals. Her research is rooted in an interdisciplinary approach and aims to support frontline communities and address systemic environmental injustices, particularly in the context of climate change. Current projects in her research group focus on advancing community-centered responses to environmental injustice in Canada. They are assessing how technology and policy impact air quality in overburdened regions and exploring the integration of diverse forms of knowledge—including Indigenous and local knowledges—into environmental assessment and governance.

Dr. Holly Caggiano, Panelist - Intersections of People and the Planet

Dr. Caggiano is an Assistant Professor in Climate Justice and Environmental Planning in the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP). Her research explores social dimensions of climate transitions in the US and Canada. Her interdisciplinary scholarship draws from various social science theories and methods, often community-engaged, and she prioritizes working collaboratively with people impacted by climate change and the plans and policies developed to mitigate its impacts. She holds at PhD in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University.

Dana LaFayette Hunter, Panelist - The Intersections of People and the Planet

Dana was raised in Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan and carries mixed Afro-ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ (Aniyvwiya/Cherokee) and Celtic Settler ancestries. Coming from a long line of growers and helpers, some of Dana’s earliest memories are of her hands in the soil planting flowers and food with her mom. An incoming UBC Master’s student in Cognitive Psychology, her transdisciplinary research will focus on culturally and ecologically embodied and embedded cognition, consciousness, and neuroplasticity. She is experienced in community-engaged land, culture, and arts-based wellness and food-sovereignty initiatives as well as programming with diverse and local communities and has co-led classes at UBC rooted in Indigenized and accessible pedagogies. Dana is honored to be mentoring in traditional medicines with the Medicine Collective from Dr. Alannah Young, and is training in Indigenous Focusing-Oriented Therapy, a land-engaged therapeutic approach.