“It’s heartbreaking how they have commodified nature — the land, water, and air that is necessary to sustain life, and that should be accessible to all life forms.”
— Nyiesha Mallett, UPROSE
Nyiesha Mallett (Uprose, Brooklyn): COP is a space where bad business negotiations between irresponsible and powerful people take place. The people on the frontlines with the solutions are set to the side to sit on panels and preach to the choir when they should be at the table with the decision-makers.
Nyiesha: My COP25 experience was one I didn’t recognize I needed. I went to Spain as an 18-year-old, young, Black woman not knowing what COP was or what to expect. I came out with a brand-new perspective, experience, and purpose. Now that I’m back, I can’t help but wonder what that experience would have looked like in Chile, as the Chilean people are really stepping up and taking a stance against neoliberalism.
It was so powerful to see how Indigenous people showed up in the space. Indigenous people’s voices from across the globe were lifted. They showed up and demanded to be heard. I’m grateful that alternative spaces, such as the Cumbre and the Artspace were created. They provided a space where the real solutions could be discussed amongst the people who created them.
The best part of this trip was that I had the opportunity to connect with It Takes Roots members, activists, and youth from all over. It was an opportunity for us to sit together and share our stories and the work we do. Storytelling and gathering is important in the work that we do because it is a cultural practice. We have so much to teach each other, and the connections made on this trip created lanes so that knowledge can be shared. My future and the future of my family and friends should not be thrown to the side or taken for a joke. The best people to implement the solutions are Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color across the world who are being affected. We need to hold those in power accountable for the lives they are stealing.