Washington, DC — A broad coalition of climate-justice and progressive organizations are hosting the first-ever People’s Climate Candidate Training on Sunday, April 30th, to encourage and support climate activists to run for office on bold and progressive climate agendas. The training will take place in the nation’s capital the day following the People’s Climate March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate.
Date: Sunday, April 30, 2017
Time: 8:00am-3:30pm
Location: The Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage, 1816 12th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Registration: https://climatehawksvote.com/training/
The People’s Climate Candidate Training will focus on the fundamentals of running a grassroots campaign to get elected, and what the climate movement can achieve by running for local office.
The training will feature elected officials who have won major climate victories, and political strategists and trainers from some of the top environmental and political organizations in the country. A live-streamed webinar will also be available for people who cannot attend the training in-person.
“This is really about building grassroots political power for the climate movement, from the bottom upward,” said RL Miller, President of Climate Hawks Vote. “More climate organizers and activists in elected office translates to more fossil-fuel divestment, more action against creating new coal terminals, more investments for green jobs, and more climate-resilient cities. And a fiercer class of of emerging politicians.”
“We can win local elections that will protect communities from dirty fossil fuel infrastructure, and create a path forward towards 100% clean energy. We’re building the people power it will take to beat Trump’s dirty agenda at the ballot box this November and beyond,” said Whit Jones, founder of Lead Locally, a new organization dedicated to electing local leadership that will protect communities from dirty fossil fuel infrastructure.
“If we want elected officials who can stand up for the climate and our future, we can start by supporting leaders who already fight for climate justice in their communities prepare to run for office,” said 350 Action Executive Director May Boeve. “With Trump’s administration blocking federal climate action and trying to dismantle ‘keep it in the ground’ victories, building local power is critical for the climate movement. Following the People’s Climate March, making our vision of a just transition to clean energy into reality will require support at every level. The more climate leaders run for office, the more widely our fight for a livable future can reach, from the streets to the ballot box, and into the day-to-day workings of this country.”
“In Richmond and Benicia, CA, we have been able to hold Chevron accountable, and stop Valero’s proposed crude-by-rail facility by engaging with our local city councils. The only way to effect progressive political change is the old-fashioned way, organizing at the grassroots with a deliberate political agenda,” said Andres Soto, Richmond Organized, for Communities for a Better Environment Action.
“Local elected officials can lead on climate and protect their communities by opposing fossil fuels and advancing clean energy,” said Dominic Frongillo, former councilmember in Caroline, New York, and co-founder of Elected Officials to Protect America. “As a local lawmaker, I helped ban fracking in Caroline and teamed up with hundreds of other local lawmakers across the state to help win New York’s fracking ban. By leveraging our power together, we can change state or national policy.”
“Trump and his cronies are on the verge of controlling all three branches of the federal government. It’s reckless for us to hope that establishment politicians in Washington will miraculously begin to stand with and protect the American people, instead of the the fossil fuel CEOS and Wall Street bankers,” said Yong Jung Cho, co-founder of #AllofUs. “We have marched, made calls to Congress, and showed up in the streets to resist Trump’s hateful and greedy agenda. Now, it’s time for us to fight for an alternative by supporting the next generation of leaders to run for office and build a new America.”
“#VOTEPROCHOICE is proud to support this critical effort. Since women make up over half the planet’s population and we are responsible for creating all the humans, climate and reproductive freedom is always linked. It’s devastating to be facing the systemic destruction of our country and our climate as we know it. The only chance we have to survive is to transform our decision making systems at the foundation. That means we must put all of our effort into electing progressive, pro-choice candidates in every election at every level from school board to Congress. There is nothing more important.” said Heidi L. Sieck, Co-Founder/CEO, #VOTEPROCHOICE.
“If we want elected officials who can stand up for the climate and our future, we can start by supporting leaders who already fight for climate justice in their communities prepare to run for office,” said 350 Action Executive Director May Boeve. “With Trump’s administration blocking federal climate action and trying to dismantle ‘keep it in the ground’ victories, building local power is critical for the climate movement. Following the Peoples Climate March, making our vision of a just transition to clean energy into reality will require support at every level. The more climate leaders run for office, the more widely our fight for a livable future can reach, from the streets to the ballot box, and into the day-to-day workings of this country.”
“Millions of Americans are angry, energized and looking for ways to engage, but it’s not enough to just recruit great activists to run for office — we have to give them the tools necessary to win. PCCC is committed to building the next generation of progressive leaders who are on the side of the people, not big corporations and polluters, at every level — local, state, and federal,” said Stephanie Taylor, Co-Founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
“We need new progressive leaders who believe that a healthy and just world is possible,” said Friends of the Earth Action President Erich Pica. “Given the state of our political discourse, we need activists willing to run for elected office to give voice and substance to the growing progressive movement. This political leadership training will help activists go from protesters and marchers to elected officials in their communities.”
For more information, contact:
Jasmine Burney-Clark, 407-466-6468, training@climatehawksvote.com
Full List of Partners:
Climate Hawks Vote
Lead Locally
350 Action
#AllOfUs
Blue America
ClimateTruth.org Action
Communities for a Better Environment Action
Democracy for America
Friends of the Earth Action
Netroots Nation
Oil Change USA
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Progressive Democrats of America
Working Families Party
#VOTEPROCHOICE
