Today, we spent an educational day at the base house where we discussed multiple topics pertaining to environmental justice. We had breakfast at 7:30 am and we were served french toast, eggs, and a variety of fruits. Next, we proceeded with our mental warm-up and engaged in discussions about questions and quotes that relate to the ability of community members to make a difference in the environment.
From 9 am – 12 pm, we completed our CAP Seminar # 2, where we shared different perspectives on the negative effects of sacrifice zones as an environmental justice issue. The leaders organized an activity for us called Four Corners where they asked us questions such as “Have we been affected by sacrifice zones?” and “Do we believe there is balance between fun and work?” The activity made us aware of the various backgrounds and experiences of each Glimpser. Overall, we realized that, despite our shared home of San Francisco-Bay Area, California, we still live different lives.
For lunch, most of us devoured delicious pork chops with grilled potatoes, and those with dietary restrictions enjoyed “el pollo” or steamed vegetables. During down-time (break), a few of us enjoyed a short nap, others played pool, and my fellow co-leader and I took part in a game called “Mafia”. Mafia is an energetic, exciting, and fun game that challenged our minds as we tried to guess who the Mafia were. After our break, we had a guest speaker named, Andres “Fofo” Zuñiga. He came to speak to us about environmental justice. He is an expert in Environmental Management and Ecotourism. He gave an informative presentation explaining social, economical, and ecological integrity, which are all important in implementing a sustainable structure or project. To illustrate this, one group role-played as local community members in Costa Rica protecting a wetland and another group acted as investors proposing to build a hotel near the wetlands The rest of the group played the government officials and were tasked to listen to both sides to make a decision. Mia and I felt that all of us were highly engaged during this activity, with everyone demonstrating their debate skills and expressing their ideals about sustainability. The activity also encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones and speak up to express our roles within it. As someone aspiring to pursue a career in Environmental Policy, I, Shreya, found it highly engaging and inspiring to hear from and interact with an active environmental activist.
After the seminar, a few of us cooled off in the pool and played an adventurous game of Marco Polo. Around 6 pm, we enjoyed chicken lasagna or vegetable lasagna with a side of “ensalada.”
As Lideres Del Día, we enjoyed leading our fellow Glimpsers during an engaging and educational day!
It sounds like you’ve had another full and exciting day! We chuckled imagining you all participating in the “4 corners” activity, voicing your perspectives on sacrifice zones, and dashing to devour those delectable pork chops and “el pollo”. We also imagined some of you, who shall remain nameless (you know who you are!), sneaking in a quick nap when the opportunity presented itself. The picture of you all engaged in a game of “Mafia” brought smiles to our faces. We’re pleased to hear that such an exciting and fun game also served as a mental challenge for you.
On a more serious note, it’s truly inspiring to read about your participation in the seminar on environmental justice. Listening to an active environmental activist like Andres “Fofo” Zuñiga must have been incredibly enlightening. The role-play activity sounds like a valuable hands-on experience to understand the intricate balance between social, economical, and ecological integrity. Continue to soak up these experiences and learn from each moment, they’re stepping stones on your path to making a significant impact in the world. Also, remember to have a good laugh, to play, and to enjoy your surroundings. Can’t wait to hear who won the game of Marco Pollo! Keep being open, keep growing, and keep having fun.
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It sounds like a busy day full of knowledge. How amazing!
It’s hard to believe you’re more than your halfway mark of this experience. Embrace it all!
Environmental justice is such an important issue for everyone, but I often don’t have time to think about it, especially when I am trying hard every day to work, pay my mortgage, save for my child’s education, and put food on the table. I only think about it when disasters happen such as flooding or wild fires that burned all over California in the past few years. I was not always this way, because back in my high school days, I was very active in trying to save our planet. Seeing what these young people are learning gives me a reminder that I need to be aware and do more to protect this planet. We all need to find a way to balance having a good economy and not destroy our natural resources. Glad to see students listening, discussing, and role-play to learn about this issue. Thank you GG for teaching my child and also making me more conscious about the world that I live in.
Love reading about the food you are eating there! Role playing is an engaging way to learn about environmental justice. Always nice to have some down time and seems like there are lots of ways to enjoy it.