Marie Meslin

How does reimagining funding mechanisms look in practice? ⚙ 🔧 “Get clear on why [it’s] the approach you want to take and what makes you uncomfortable about it. If you understand what makes you uncomfortable—perhaps a perceived lack of control or knowledge about how funds will be used, or questions about the organization’s leaders or approach—then you can address those concerns by building relationships and defining what information you need to proceed." Thanks for sharing David Vigoureux!

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𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝...  Social Finance are partnering with the Healey Administration to create the Massachusetts Climate Careers Fund. This will be an outcomes-based workforce fund designed to fill climate workforce gaps, increase access to economic mobility for workers, and support a diverse clean energy workforce. It's great to see more being done to help fill the skills gap in the Climate Tech space and hopefully we will see more of these types of funds being started! What do you think about this new fund? Any other cool developments you've seen in this space to help improve the skills gap? ⬇ #smartbuildings #climatetechnology #skillsgap #carboncapture #energyinnovation

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If you are looking for a magical community space where you can... ✨ Connect with neighbors and build generative friendships ✨ Learn about local climate solutions in NYC (this one will be on food justice + circularity!) ✨ Take meaningful action with your new friends to combat your climate anxiety while making an actual difference Come to our Soapbox NYC's pop-up community night on Thursday at Rethink Food! You'll be treated to a delicious upcycled dinner and share this meal with people who care deeply about our shared future. Soapbox Project is building joyful spaces for you to transform your climate anxiety into meaningful change, and if you come to our pop-ups this year, you'll be able to shape this social experiment that asks... What if we had vibrant places for people to go where they can truly belong and build community around things that actually matter? If you're in NYC and in your loneliness + climate anxiety feels, come bring them and let's transform them together. Link in the comments! Tag your friends so they can grab the last of our 5 tickets!!

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While my hometown and state suffer from immense flooding, exacerbated by the climate crisis, I can't stop thinking about the huge opportunities that we missed in preventing a great part of this tragedy. We are paying the price for our unpreparedness, even though we knew all the risks we were facing. Less than two years ago, I wrote my master's dissertation on the lack of green infrastructure/nature-based solutions (NbS) features for urban resilience along the Porto Alegre waterfront. Now, I look at this entire area of the city completely submerged. The guide "A Sphere Unpacked Guide: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience in Humanitarian Contexts," developed in collaboration by Sphere, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC, IUCN, FEBA, and SOMN, offers insights and crucial practices that we need - must - to start applying now. NbS is key not just during disasters but also before and after them. It's crucial to highlight innovative approaches for resilience in humanitarian contexts. It can be implemented across various stages of the disaster management cycle, from prevention and mitigation to sustainable reconstruction. And we will need all of this here in Rio Grande do Sul. The guide is relevant for national and local government agencies, disaster management authorities, and civil protection actors. It emphasises the importance of integrating ecosystems into environmental emergency preparedness plans, developing risk maps that consider ecosystems, and incorporating environmental considerations into development plans. It also stresses protecting and restoring green and blue areas crucial for disaster risk reduction. #RioGrandedoSul #NatureBasedSolutions #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange

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There is something beautiful about empowering movement participants to allocate funds and design programs. Participatory Grantmaking is poised to transform our approach to funding, but it also touches on a concept we are always chasing. Time: This process is time-consuming and must be considered when pursuing true participation. We need to reassess our relationship with the concept of time in movement building, embracing slowness and accepting that for powerful ideas like Participatory Grantmaking to be effective. https://lnkd.in/g9B7GyAH

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Participatory grantmaking breaks down the harmful hierarchies, top-down dynamics, and funder-vs-grantee binaries that dominate traditional philanthropy. Mama Cash’s entire grantmaking portfolio is fully participatory because self-led communities know best what works, and self-determination is radical change. Find out how and why grantmaking can and should become participatory: https://bit.ly/3TzPCQ1 participatory #ParticipatoryGrantmaking #FeministActivismWorks

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I spoke with Jade Sasser about her new book, “Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question,” which explores the complex intersection of climate change and reproductive decisions. We discussed the importance of diversifying the conversation around climate emotions, understanding climate anxiety as a collective experience, the challenges faced by climate-concerned parents, and cultural pressures around having children. Sasser emphasizes the power of inclusive dialogue and emotional resilience as we navigate this uncertain future together. Her insights provide much-needed perspective on one of the most profound questions of our time. Read our full interview through the link in comments. #ClimateAnxiety #ReproductiveJustice #HopeInAction

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A budget with nothing for nature is a budget that doesn’t actually care about people, eitherhttps://lnkd.in/eHm-dJsa  https://lnkd.in/eHm-dJsa 

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❗ Our partners at Rare just released an impact study on the episode of 'Madam Secretary' I consulted on —my first TV show (written by Good Energy advisor Alexander Maggio)! They found: "Watching the climate episode had a large impact on support for climate policies and attitudes about climate justice. Viewers reported increased overall support for “robust government action” to address climate change and were more likely to endorse the belief that “smaller, poorer, and developing nations are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change compared to richer, larger nations.” We saw a significant increase in support for hard-to-move climate justice policies, including: - compensating vulnerable countries for damages caused by climate change; - the US accepting climate migrants; - creating a resilience fund to protect from climate disaster; and - providing emergency aid to victims of climate disasters in poorer nations. Most importantly, immediately after watching the episode, viewers were nearly three times more likely to identify as a climate single-issue voter, meaning they would only vote for a candidate if they were willing to take action on climate change." Huge congrats to Ellis Watamanuk + Anirudh Tiwathia and the whole Rare team on this groundbreaking research! Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/gvHVfQ_i

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Is public deliberation the key to climate action? What is the role of climate assemblies? How can we best engage citizens to meaningfully participate in climate decision-making? These were some of the questions discussed in the second event in the #StockholmSeries of Public Lectures on #ClimateChange and #Democracy, on 11 June with Nicole Curato. The video recording and the lecture manuscript are now available ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dXEaK3YP

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Exponent Philanthropy is exploring new ways funders can increase their impact! Read and download "How Grantees Think Funders Can Improve" today. This report surveyed over 400 nonprofits across six foundations over the last two years. It highlights how funders can improve in effect and process. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4aCklUc.

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The best case study I taught last term was by Dorothee Baumann-Pauly and is about Veja’s efforts to responsibly source natural rubber from Brazil. Dorothee’s human rights work is amazing in general, and inspires me greatly. I will share the case study in the first comment. Here, she wrote for NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights about the gap between academic and practitioner research, and how much, much more work is needed to close that gap. https://lnkd.in/gwG3_zcF

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Rereading NY Renews Points of Unity today-- Make Justice Normal is a proud coalition member. If you're based in #NewYork and want to get involved in climate justice and policy action, send us an note -- and we're also happy to connect you onward. Read all the Points of Unity here: https://lnkd.in/eNecESNH 1. We seek a sustainable future for the earth and its people. We believe that all people have a right to live and make a living on a living planet. 2. We recognize climate change represents a serious threat to all and especially to vulnerable people such as workers, people of color, seniors, youth, and the poor.  3. We understand that unchecked corporate power jeopardizes a sustainable future. We support democratic and public control of the energy and finance sectors so that private interests never compromise the health and well-being of workers and our communities. 4. We can address both the climate crisis and the inequality crisis with the same set of policies. As the impacts of climate change mount, the crises of inequality and democracy will continue to grow. 5. We support rapid movement toward 100% clean renewable energy. We know what must be done. 6. Climate protection must serve as a means to greater economic justice and stronger local economies. The jobs created by climate protection must be good jobs that respect workers’ right to organize. 7. Climate protection must serve as a means to challenge environmental and racial injustice. We prioritize climate-vulnerable frontline communities and energy-insecure communities. 8. We must ensure economic security & job placement program for existing workers and young people.  9. We must ensure community participation and oversight in decision making. To do that, there need to be resources and meaningful participation by community, labor, environmental justice, environmental, and other constituents. MJN beloveds fighting for a just NY: Monique Aiken Cari Hanson Ernest Verrett Rakiba Kibria Satia Koroma

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We can't say enough how important democracy work is to climate progress. In a piece for Inside Philanthropy this week, foundation leaders Cathy Cha and Ralph Lewin remind us that "the strength of democracy — whether at the local, state or national level — has huge impacts on the ability of all funders and our nonprofit partners to deliver results on any issue and for any community." We see the impact of lack of representation across the South, from city councils and state regulatory agencies that greenlight polluting industry at the expense of residents' health, to a rash of state-level voter suppression and anti-protest laws that make it ever harder for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to be heard. Supporting fair elections, accessible public processes, and engaged and energized voters needs to be all of our business. https://lnkd.in/g-vPep6r

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On May 31st, Miss Oluwaseyi Olarinde presented on the topic of design thinking and innovation. She delved into circular design and its role in achieving zero waste. I learned about the cycle of resources in relation to food chains. We covered several concepts, including the sustainable natural cycle, the linear model, and the circular model, as well as the benefits of circular design thinking. The speaker discussed integrating secular design thinking into production processes to ensure natural resources can regenerate and replenish themselves. She said, "This contrasts with the linear model, which depletes reserves without replacement. Secular design thinking, which should be the norm, emphasizes usability, durability, and environmental friendliness. It is gaining relevance due to legal and societal pressures. The approach addresses pollution and waste across production stages, advocating for new professional roles in secular design to meet these goals. This method blends traditional design thinking with the secular economy, focusing on resource and material circularity, and involves community and stakeholder participation"

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Friends in the Democracy and Creative Placemaking worlds - I need your help! I'm excited to be guest editing the next edition of Forecast Public Art's FORWARD magazine, which will be focused on democracy and civic engagement. FORWARD highlights how artists are partnering with cities, institutions, and communities to courageously tackle the vital issues of our time. As part of my role, I’m gathering subjects for case studies that will be deep dives into how artists are meaningfully engaged in democracy work. I'm looking for projects along the following four themes: + Civic Learning - the formal and informal ways in which artists and arts entities are equipping individuals and groups with information that helps them participate in civic life. + Connecting Across Difference - work done by artists and arts entities to help individuals and groups build relationships across difference with the goal of building a healthier civic life. + Civic Transformation - ways that artists and arts entities are changing how democratic systems and processes work in order to strengthen civic life. + Elections - ways in which artists and arts entities are engaged in and around the process of democratic elections. I'm trying to tap into a big, broad network. If you have anyone else you think I should reach out to about this, please tag them in the comments or send them my way!

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