We just witnessed one of the worst climate catastrophes in Nepal, where thousands died or are still missing from a massive flash flood.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Shisir Khanal is demanding the country be given $20 million to somewhat compensate for the irreparable damages it has suffered, saying financial support should be viewed as a form of “climate justice,” not charity.
Nepal deserves all of the financial support it needs. But we can’t forget the system that drove the disaster in the first place.
As Afro-Indigenous creators Kyle Mays and Kailea Loften so necessarily point out in their story for Peace & Riot, reparations can’t be just a matter of a cash payout. “Cash payments don’t address the biggest elephant in the room: capitalism,” says Mays.
“Until you critique capitalism, racial capitalism and settler colonialism, I’m going to hold the line that cash reparations are not fundamentally going to change the lives of Black people, and especially the most vulnerable people.”
Their conversation is a brutally honest critique of how money transactions alone won’t change the systems responsible for the climate crisis.
Instead, Mays and Loften provide a framework for how we can practice true kinship and solidarity to bring climate and environmental justice back into focus, even as our global circumstances grow more dire.
“Why? Because this is the land we all must live on together!” Mays says. The same goes for this planet — and every life on it.
Community Over Catastrophe: 3 Climate Events Focused on Winning Justice
SEP 17-18: Make America Just Again
Counterstream’s very own Chess Jakobs will speak at the 12th Annual Environmental Justice and Health Disparities Symposium by the Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice & Health. This year’s theme will explore a 50-year plan for democracy, environmental justice, and health equity. Register
SEP 17: No Land Back Without Language Back
BLIS Collective’s Emi Aguilar will be a featured speaker in this virtual discussion on language keeping in the Land Back movement. Learn more
SEP 26: From Big Oil to Black Futures
This event by the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center and The Black Hive at M4BL will share how one family’s fight against oil and gas extraction became a growing movement for Black climate futures. Register
A Special Offer from Counterstream
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As countries across the globe face extreme and erratic weather, communities must figure out how to navigate compounding crises. Through engaging prompts, concise checklists, and heartfelt guidance, Compassion in Crisis: Building Disaster-Resilient Communities is a people-powered textbook for creating and sustaining durable mutual aid networks during disaster.
Curated by Peace & Riot editor Kate Weiner and celebrated community organizer Kailea Loften, the Indie Bestseller Compassion in Crisis is a first-of-its-kind resource for disaster preparedness rooted in community-shaped strategies from the frontlines.
Now through October 31, Counterstream readers can unlock 20% off of Compassion in Crisis with the “STREAM20” code!
Worth Revisiting
Power in the Storm: Disaster Relief Toolkit
Knowledge, strategies, and organizing tools to build resilience, demand equity in disaster response, and hold all levels of government accountable.