[ad_1]
Climate change warriors have many faces, such as an outdoor worker with a sunburnt face who needs life-saving protection during extreme heat. the face of a tired doctor on the streets of Miami who provides a difference to the homeless during a natural disaster; and an organizing face that works with communities on housing and energy affordability issues.
I had the opportunity to meet many of these climate change warriors and hear their stories The Miami-Dade County Learning Tour focuses on climate, heat and health equity. Organized by Catalyst Miami, Florida Clinics for Climate Action and Health Grantmakers. The tour, at the 2022 Grantmakers in Health annual conference, included stops around Miami-Dade County to hear how community members are promoting climate resilience and health equity in the county’s low-income neighborhoods.
The GIH conference was held in June 2022, one month after Governor DeSantis signed it. “Don’t Say Gay Bill” It would be a law that would prohibit public school teachers from having classroom discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity. And just days before the conference, the US Supreme Court was overruled. Roe v. WadeBy removing women’s constitutional right to abortion in this country for so long.
Considering these devastating legislative actions, the theme that resonated most loudly for me during the conference was that a broken political system is the greatest threat to public health. Political polarization in the US has exacerbated ongoing public health concerns such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. In Roe v. The disenfranchisement we’ve seen in Wade’s flip is appalling, and highlights the alarming state of polarization in this country. Health problems for Americans.
There are many reasons to be depressed about the political situation in this country. However, I prefer to lean towards what can be done by reflecting on the art and stories of climate change warriors.
Below, I discuss three lessons I learned during my visit to Miami-Dade along with questions I have about the philanthropic sector.
Lesson #1: Win with a long-term strategy
Extreme heat threatens the health and safety of Miami-Dade residents and kills more people nationwide than any other weather-related disaster. Community-based organizations and leaders are organizing and building communities and political forces to address climate change threats to their communities. They strategized for a long time and built powerful alliances to achieve victory. One clear victory: After years of organizing and persuading local city officials to commit resources to climate resilience, Miami-Dade County became the first city in the world Chief heat officer position. The Heat Officer is responsible for promoting heat awareness and supporting measures to protect vulnerable populations.
Question 1: How can foundations and progressive groups work together on a long-term strategy that goes beyond funding cycles to advance climate change and health equity goals?
Lesson #2: Using health glasses can work
What kind of heat is it? It’s a worker-led campaign to secure protections for foreign workers working in extreme heat in Miami-Dade County. Outdoor workers are vulnerable to heat and need water, shade and rest to prevent heat illness and heat-related death. The Que Calor campaign supports the bill SB 732It was introduced by Republican Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. If passed, the bill would ensure worker protections and require employers to attend annual training to prevent heat-related illness. SB 732 demonstrates the power of using a health framework to advance protections for workers dealing with extreme temperatures exacerbated by climate change.
Question No. 2:- How can a foundation adopt a health framework to successfully advance climate change work?
Lesson #3 Accompaniment is key.
The Dade County Street Response Clinic has a street treatment team that serves the poor and homeless by deploying physicians around the city. The physicians serve Miami-Dade’s most vulnerable populations by providing free health care, providing relief after natural disasters and building trust. The providers walk with their patients, and are fully human to all their patients. The ability to witness to one’s full humanity is key to advancing meaningful climate change action.
Questions No. 3 and No. 4:- How can people in the philanthropic sector be fully humane to the communities they serve, and how can philanthropic charities adapt their grantmaking or investment practices to avoid unintended harm to communities?
A big thank you to the speakers and organizers of the Miami-Dade County Learning Tour. I sit with the lessons and questions that have arisen as a result of my visit and invite you to sit with these reflections as well.
[ad_2]
Source link
