Northeastern University’s Climate Justice Action Plan (NU-CJAP) 2023-2024
1SW is working with Northeastern University to facilitate a community-centered process to create a Climate Justice Action Plan that is accountable to those most impacted by climate injustice in Boston while also harnessing the strengths and capacities of Northeastern University.
This work is being done alongside NU stakeholders and Boston residents to ensure that NU accurately and actively is accountable to Boston residents most impacted by environmental injustice, and that its actions and activities focus on the priorities and needs of these residents.
NU Environmental Justice Trainings, 2023.
The Huntington, community showcase, 2024. Photo: Annielly Camargo.
NU-CJAP 2023-2024
What is a Climate Justice Action Plan?
BACKGROUND. In 2023, Northeastern University engaged in a process to create a new Climate Justice Action Plan, to update their 2010 Climate Action Plan and further align their strategies with the priorities and concerns of Boston’s frontline communities and the climate justice movement at large. The process engaged people living and working in Boston about what a just and healthy community would look like for all and promised to use the strengths and capacities of Northeastern University towards just solutions.
One Square World worked as lead consultant with Northeastern University to steward and facilitate a community engagement process. 1SW assembled and facilitated a Steering Committee, with the responsibility to engage their communities around the priorities of this plan and hold the University accountable. Steering Committee members include representatives from Alternatives from Community and Environment (ACE), New England United for Justice, Reclaim Roxbury, and Ujima Boston. Learn more
Community priorities of NU Climate Justice Action Plan
Community priorities of NU Climate Justice Action Plan. Designed by Lily Xie.
Community visioning events 2024
The Huntington, theater community showcase, 2024. Photo: Annielly Camargo.
What’s Been Forgotten: A Resurfacing Project, 2024.
ART AS STRATEGY. In a curatorial project led by Vatic Kuumba, 1SW Director of Arts and Facilitation, 1SW commissioned visual artists, animators, and poets to respond to community priorities around Northeastern University’s Climate Justice Action Plan, in their own style and interpretation. Between April and July 2023, Boston residents were surveyed on their priorities around the Climate Justice Action Plan and the visions they have about how Northeastern can better support local communities. Artists responded to this feedback with a visual art, animations, and poetry pieces in their own style to help illustrate these community ideas, which can be shared with the Climate Justice Action Plan Steering Committee, Boston residents, and Northeastern University.
Artworks commissioned based on community priorities
WHAT’S BEEN FORGOTTEN:
A Resurfacing
An arts and community curatorial project led by Vatic Astahili Tayari Kuumba V.A.T.K., commissioning artists to respond to community voices and priorities from the NU-CJAP. This project resurfaces and platforms the wisdom of long term Boston residents as well as Northeastern University students, faculty, staff and contractors. These resulted from community conversations, and collective and asynchronous interviews.
This project features artists Charlotte Abotsi, Tarik Bartel, Eyevan, King K.O., D.S Kinsel, Nnenna Loveth, John Moraskie, Shey Rivera Ríos, Hakim Sutherland, and Lily Xie.
Sign O The Times: A Resurfacing
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What's Been Forgotten: A Resurfacing is a gallery of headlines inspired by knowledge shared in this process. This project is an extension of D.S Kinsel’s and Eyevan Sign O The Times: Protest Sign and Archive Reproduction which aims to reimagine and recreate protest signs from the #blacklivesmatter movement and civil actions that have taken place worldwide since the beginning of the 2020 pandemic.
Ideal Day in Boston
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A series of short animations that show the Ideal day of Boston residents and students, with scripts created from participants’ feedback shared in NU-CJAP community conversations.
Ideal Day 1: Transportation. By Lily Xie, featuring Hakim Sutherland. A young resident goes to a series of community events on public transportation for free.
Ideal Day 2: Student. By Shey Rivera & John Moraskie. A Boston based student works out in the park and connects with the rich culture in their neighborhood.
Ideal Day 3: Resident. By Shey Rivera & John Moraskie. An adult Boston resident enjoys living alone in a sustainable home that allows them a life of wellness and financial ease to support their dreams and family.
Poet/Rapper Commissions
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As part of our Art as Strategy approach, One Square World also commissioned poets and rappers to create pieces based on community priorities and experiences that were shared in the NU-CJAP community visioning process. Poets created a new piece based on community priorities, shared an existing piece about their own experience, and performed these at two community events in Boston (at Huntington Theater and at Ujima Nubian Square location).
Poets/Rappers commissioned:
Nnenna Loveth
Charlotte Abotsi
Hakim Sutherland
King K.O.
Tarik Bartel
NU Environmental Justice Trainings 2023
Students at Northeastern University, 2023.
Andrea Atkinson at NU Environmental Justice Trainings, 2023.
Vatic Kuumba at Northeastern University, 2023.
University’ students at training, 2023
IN THE BEGINNING. In May 2023, we started this process with environmental justice trainings and alignment sessions with Northeastern University students, faculty, staff, and community partner organizations. This process also involved the creation of a Steering Committee to co-lead this work, including representatives from Boston grassroots organizations involved in environmental and housing justice organizing.
1SW Northeastern University Training, 2023. Credit: Oliver “Syde-Sho” Arias.
With the support of
