Hey there, I’m Rebecca, one of the Masters students working with Wa Ni Ska Tan! I joined the team in Fall 2019, and have been working to build our global connections following the Ki Ta Ski Naw conference we hosted in November. This incredible gathering brought together over 200 community members, researchers, activists, and allies from countries including Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, the United States, India, Spain, and from communities across Canada. It was an absolutely inspiring weekend of learning, sharing, and energizing for change.
From the presentations, discussions, and follow-up evaluations emerged some key hopes for an international alliance, including:
- Communication opportunities to continue connecting with each other,
- A platform for sharing resources and knowledge among impacted community members and allies; and
- A means of sharing the information and raising awareness among the public.
In response to these goals, we created the Dam Watch International facebook group, where we can continue to have conversations, share resources, and expand resistance efforts. If you haven’t joined us there yet, please do!
Plus, in the coming month, we will be launching a website to further share resources, stories, and opportunities to build this network. If you have anything you would like to contribute, we would love to hear from you.
Finally, given the current COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for connecting and sharing knowledge are more important than ever in understanding the challenges hydro-impacted communities face. As a component of my Masters research, I am conducting informal interviews with community members and allies from around the world, to understand the current implications of hydro development on communities and how an international alliance may be beneficial in building resilience and resistance. If you have any thoughts you wish to share (in an interview format or not), I would love to chat. My email is: rebecca@dev.hydroimpacted.ca.
Looking forward to sharing more exciting news as we take these next steps in connecting and building this incredible network.
