My name is Samia Dumbuya and I was born and raised in East London. My ethnicity is Sierra Leonean and my culture and heritage have shaped my work and my relationship with the environment. I started climate justice activism in my teenage years and campaigned on issues concerning environmental hazards, such as air pollution. As my activism journey progressed, I learnt a lot about the intersections between environmental and social justice. Intersections such as environmental classism, environmental ableism, environmental racism, etc. I aim to raise more awareness of these issues and highlight global case studies that depict global inequalities that exist in our present day.
I have campaigned with activists across Europe, lobbying the EU to act on plans that ensure that all communities have livable, sustainable and green futures. I have worked with Friends of the Earth Europe to build coalitions to strengthen the fight against energy poverty.
Being in different change-making, influential spaces I have seen the impact of coalition building, building collective tools and resources and holding space for community.
As the climate crisis becomes more urgent each day, I think about the ways we can collectively support each other and collaboratively create an impact in our communities. After working with some of the most talented and skilful individuals, I've realised that we all carry the solutions to move towards a sustainable future. However, many of us are burning out and feeling overwhelmed by the heaviness of eco-anxiety, which results in disempowerment and disconnection from the fight to tackle the climate crisis.
It is challenging to overcome overwhelmed feelings and I use my facilitation skills to help provide tools that encourage sustainable activism. I have varied experiences with facilitating conversations and spaces that address the intersections of environmental justice and social justice. I enjoy creating spaces where I create opportunities for young people, campaigners and other stakeholders to explore and experiment with different ways to implement equitability, sustainability and adaptability in their work and communities.
Facilitating these spaces, I have noticed that people rarely get the opportunity to have their feelings, thoughts and ideas heard. In the battle to tackle the climate crisis, it is important that our spaces allow all voices to be heard without discrimination and prejudice. I have gained formal and informal training to ensure that the spaces I facilitate are inclusive for people from different backgrounds.
