What is Roots?
Roots is a Greenpeace initiative aiming to catalyze the growth and impact of a Global South climate justice movement made up of intersectional and youth-led grassroots groups.
At our core, we are about sustained, strategic, and responsible relationship and movement building whilst investing in the long-term grassroots power and leadership critical to drive climate action.
What this looks like in practice is a range of offerings, from workshops on organizational building, well-being and resilience, creative storytelling, and tackling climate disinformation; to building networks and hosting events that connect intersectional communities across borders and issues; and providing funding grants and resources to support promising youth-led climate justice initiatives.
How is Roots funded?
Our work and operations are made possible due to the financial contributions of both Greenpeace as well as our foundational partners.
How does Roots operate?
As the capacity and power of movements steadily grow and build power, so do the opportunities to successfully ‘spend’ that power, resulting in more frequent wins and larger scale demonstrations. These wins energize and encourage movements, creating the conditions for further recruitment and scaling up of capacity, and in turn even more substantial campaigning impact.
Our approach to movement building and grassroots work in the Global South region relies on a combination of capacity development, community building, and micro funding. Through our Climate Justice Camp and other workshops and trainings, which place heavy emphasis on organizing and local campaigning, we focus on building power, leadership, and resilience within our youth networks. A key component of this is sustainable campaigning for the long-term; and we embed safeguards into all of our programs to ensure the physical, digital, and mental wellbeing of mobilizers and organizers in all spaces. This is paired with ongoing support for these groups and initiatives to build, implement and see through impactful intersectional campaigns. The third pillar of our work consists of targeted assistance in key areas, such as funding requirements, tactical guidance, and external communications support.
Where does Roots operate?
Our work prioritizes the Global South and we almost exclusively focus on work with activists and organizers in this region. We recognise that the impacts of the climate crisis disproportionately affects the regions that have contributed the least to the problem and are least able to mitigate them, and we believe that leaders and movements from these areas should be at the center of a global climate justice agenda. Collaborating with and supporting these young leaders to build capacity, organize and mobilize is a critical step in achieving systemic change.
Who does Roots partner with?
Over the past seven years, Roots has worked in partnership with hundreds of small, medium, and large movement groups and organizations that focus on a wide range of issues at the intersection of climate and social justice, including human rights, gender rights, racial justice, LGBTQI rights, and Indigenous rights. We believe that collaborative campaigning guided by local context and led by those most impacted is the way to create meaningful, systemic change.
How can I work with Roots?
Reach out to us! We are always looking for new and ambitious opportunities to collaborate with local and regional groups. If you or your group have an idea or opportunity that you’d like to team up on, please contact us and tell us more.