We need your help, re: Help Connect US and African Environmental Activists

Dear friends,

For the last three months, I've been planning One Struggle, Many Fronts: US-Africa Environmental Justice Tour. I can hardly wait now that it's only 12 days away. I'm hoping you'll consider a donation to make the tour possible.

My background is in the US environmental justice movement, in particular the movement to divest from fossil fuel corporations. Speaking from that background, I am absolutely thrilled by the list of partnerships that the US-Africa Network is making through this tour. I would be honored to work with these groups in any context, but especially on this groundbreaking tour.

This includes environmental justice groups with long histories of transformative work, like East Michigan Environmental Action Council in Detroit, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization in Chicago, and Communities for a Better Environment in the Bay Area.

We're also connecting to my comrades in the fossil fuel divestment movement, through partnerships with young activists at George Washington University, Roosevelt University, Georgia State University, and UC Berkeley.

Please consider a donation to support these important relationships.

Finally, we're partnered with groups and individuals with a long history of US-Africa solidarity work, including two prominent HBCUs--Howard University and Spelman College--and the Priority Africa Network.

Thanks for your support, whether it's $5, $25, $100, or $1,000. Thanks as well to those of you who have already donated. I'm proud to be part of this committed grassroots network.

With respect,

Will Lawrence

Climate Justice Coordinator

US-Africa Network

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: US-Africa Network <info@usafricanetwork.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 21, 2014
Subject: Help Connect US and African Environmental Activists

Between March 20 and April 3, the US-Africa Network will be leading a speaking tour in Detroit, Chicago, Louisville, Atlanta, Washington DC, Oakland, and Berkeley. We have multiple events planned in each city. Some of our event hosts are long-time African solidarity activists. Others are community environmental justice groups. And others are student fossil fuel divestment activists. Each event is tailored to its local audience, and many local activists will be included as speakers.

One Struggle, Many Fronts will build bridges. The tour will inspire US environmental activists to think about African struggles. It will inspire African solidarity activists to think about environmental justice. It will build real connections between these groups and African environmental justice organizations. Finally, it will strengthen the US-Africa Network for future projects. This is just the beginning.

Donate and Support the Environmental Justice Speaking Tour

Your donation will help enable two African climate justice activists participate in the "One Struggle, Many Fronts" speaking tour.

Our Speakers

Emem J. Okon is a community organizer and women's rights advocate from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. She is the founder and Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre. Okon organizes women to resist oil drilling by Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil in the Niger Delta. In 2002, she and 600 other women successfully shut down Nigeria's largest oil production station for 10 days through a nonviolent occupation.

Mithika Mwenda, from Nairobi, Kenya, is the Secretary General of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA). Mwenda co-founded PACJA in 2008 with the aim to raise and unite the voices of poor people in the climate debate and in United Nations climate negotiations. PACJA is now Africa's largest climate network, with 300 member organizations in 45 countries. He works around the clock to raise awareness and to bring poor peopleâ€™s united voices to the table.

What We Need
We have raised enough money to fly our guests to the US and pay for their food and housing in each city. We need to raise $3700 more to meet our full tour budget. Your gift will pay for:

Emem's travel between the seven US cities. ($1500)
Mithika's travel between the seven US cities. ($1500)
Space rental fees so we can speak to under-funded community groups, who couldn't rent a space otherwise. ($700)

Donate and Support the Environmental Justice Speaking Tour

Other Ways You Can Help
Spread the word! Please share this campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

The US-Africa Network is a volunteer-driven organization. We are always looking for more people to join us! All are welcome. Sign up here to get involved or email usan.climatejustice@gmail.com.

Forward to Friend

Details for each event will be available shortly at www.usafricanetwork.org