GLOBAL ECO-RESTORATION AND POWER DYNAMICS: Critical Ecosystems in Brazil, Senegal and the US

Climate disruption is increasing and with it so is polarization, both within the US as well as among nation states. Now more than ever it is incumbent upon us to highlight successful efforts to create a more sustainable, just, and peaceful world.

Important initiatives in regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, soil restoration, and related practices are making significant contributions to climate adaptation, often contributing to the resilience of communities and international collaboration.

This webinar, a joint project of the MAPA Peace & Climate group and of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (Bio4Climate), will focus on locations outside the US where regenerative practices largely based on local initiatives have been successful on a significant scale.

Our panelists will address a number of issues including the following:

• What aspects of these projects worked well and less well?
• How were local communities engaged, especially those from marginalized groups?
• Were there any significant collaborations with organizations in the Global North—and if so, are these collaborations continuing during the second Trump administration?
• Are there any impacts within these regions of US foreign/military policy, e.g. local US military bases?

Speakers:

Beck Mordini (moderator), Executive Director of Bio4Climate. She has worked on protecting biodiversity at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and protecting undocumented workers in Washington State.

John Leary, Founder and Executive Director of Mother Trees, is an advocate for sustainable agriculture with 20+ years experience in the field. He has dedicated his life to helping communities around the world and designing and implementing landscape restoration programs that rehabilitate farms and restore forest ecosystems.

Ousmane Aly Pame, PhD, is distinguished professor of literature at the Université of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal and the founder and President of REDES (Réseau pour l’Emergence et le Dévelopement des Ecovillages au Sahel). A respected regional community leader and former mayor of the eco-town of Guede Chantier, Dr. Pame has been instrumental in fostering sustainable development in the Sahel region.

Rob de Laet, is a Dutch entrepreneur, climate strategist and project lead at Cooling the Climate. Together with Peter Bunyard and others, Rob is developing the Cooling Climate Chaos project aimed at rapid restoration of the earth’s water cycles and regeneration of the biosphere. Their book Cooling the Climate: How to Revive the Biosphere and Cool the Earth Within 20 Years was published in November 2024.

Register for this event.