"What does climate justice mean to you?"my response

 For #biggreenweek #climatejusticeconversation "What does climate justice mean to you?" asked Climate Actio Leicester Leicestershire - Why not have a conversation with somebody?

About Climate Justice and what it means for me.

More often than not, when I discuss or read about what Climate Justice means: concerns about the impacts of climate change in developing countries, historical, colonial, racist and economic legacies and the need for retribution are mentioned. From this standpoint, Climate Justice is linked to international development and the human rights agenda. I can often feel powerless when the global perspective is promoted. What is it that I can truly do? So I ask myself:

• What is Climate Justice in the UK?
• What is Climate Justice for the communities I am most connected to? inc. Black British working-class communities as well as women, men and children who are dealing with the impacts of domestic and sexual violence
• Considering their existing vulnerabilities, resources and capabilities, I ask myself what can be done collectively and individually to prepare for, respond to and recover from climate change impacts?

Climate Justice becomes then for me about

• reducing inequalities - not only financial but also social, cultural, educational,
• striving for gender equality so that victims of abuse inc. women, men and children are protected from abuse and violence especially when we find ourselves in the midst of a climate, health, energy, economic or else related crisis,
• reducing poverty,
• providing decent work and pay
• supporting good health and wellbeing, especially FREE access to mental health support. It is what we do at Quetzal
• making cities and communities more sustainable
• making access to clean energy affordable

Zero Suicide Alliance - Free Suicide Awareness Training

On the 10th September 2022, it is World Suicide Prevention Day

Let's Talk about Suicide and Make it a preventable death!

Thanks to Zero Suicide Alliance for providing training, evidence-based and interactive resources for supporting communities in preventing suicide.

Follow the three steps - SEE - SAY - SIGNPOST - to prevent suicide

Notice if someone looks tired or irritable. Ask the person if they are OK, we shall show our concerns and invite them to share their feelings. If through the conversation, we notice that the person does not feel that they belong to a family or a group, they feel like a burden. We need to identify the latter as a risk factor a person does not feel that they belong somewhere.

There are more information and cues in the training and I with all my heart invite you to complete it and share it with others.

Suicide is a preventable death - Let's Talk about it

Training here

The Queen and I - resting in peace - Sue Townsend and the Queen in conversation

September 8, 2022 - a normal day.

I am sitting at my desk. Merlin arrived, ready to help me dismantle the display for the Queen and I, art & craft project. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse at Quetzal created the display to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee, honoured our late patron Sue Townsend and showcased their talents.

As we dismantled the display, we discussed the possibility of reusing the artworks when the Queen will pass. Little did we know that it would be on the same day.

For Merlin, the 8th of September is a special day full of celebration with the birth of the Virgin Mary and in her hometown back in India, they also had a full day of celebration. As she shared with me the meaning of the day, I thought, yes it is a special day.

I returned home under the heavy thunderstorms, entered home, took off my shoes, and walked up the stairs to greet my husband. He announced that the Queen passed. I could not help it. I shed a tear for her family. 

Later, I wondered what conversation the Queen and Sue Townsend will have looking from heaven upon us watching the various 'isms' at war.

Q: It was all a dream

S: Oh yes, that's was. You had a good one, didn't you?

Q: it all depends on which trees you are sitting on...

S: Yes, some of your people put trees in the shade, can't forget hell close, what a doomed place to sit on a tree

Q: I did ask if they could move them, but even when the Queen asks...

S: they don't always listen, do they?

Q: Well, they are not as deaf as one may think.

S: Thick, dare I say?

Q: they can eventually be smooth over

S: With a lot of asking

Q: Yes, wit, patience and intelligence

S: Is Charles III up to the tasks?

Q: yes, as well as all of my subjects

S: Let's pray that they keep on dreaming and restrain themselves from turning their present into a nightmare

Q: may god save them all...

Comets

 Would your accumulated and complex feelings, fuzzy memories and fantasies that protected you for so long and helped you define yourself as you are, combust when you return and become close to the sun of your life - a past and young love?

You are outgassing, releasing the pain and angst, making a wish for a brighter future.

Comets by Tamar Shavgulidze

Synopsis: Three decades after their separation, Irina and Nana remain mesmerized by memories of earlier days. But when Irina returns to the small community she left—where Nana stayed to start a traditional family—the women must reconcile with the past and their complex feelings.

Focus on what you want to become

And not what you were.

In the past month, tears dropped my cheeks almost everyday as I could not contain my sorrow. I am doing my best looking forward and reminding myself that all will be OK, that all my wishes will come true as long as I keep my eyes on the prize and believe that love is there. The tears are part of the process. To be happy, you have to truly feel, you have to truly grieve. Grieve fully you will receive solace. The sun will shine.

I kept asking myself why the fairy godmother only appeared when cinderela cried after being abused. The fairy godmother appeared when cinderella finally admitted to herself that she deserved better and she let herself grieve for what was lost so she could get it in a better or another form. 

The 7 Vital Self-Check Heath Program by Jonry Heyce

A good friend and writer, Jonry Heyce, recently published ''The 7 Vital Self-Check Heath Program''and invited me to listen to it on Audible.

The author clarifies some key terms such as self-efficacy, self-discipline, self-esteem, self-love and provides examples as to how we sometimes sabotage ourselves to live fulfilling lives and what we need to do, such as practising mindfulness. to always come back to love, care and kindness towards ourselves and others.

As the author mentioned and clarified the term self-efficacy, a concept originally proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura. It refers to the belief in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments, I could not stop thinking about my doctoral experience and belief in my capacity to complete the programme. Oh my, when your self-esteem is at a bottom of the bucket, that all the parts of you feel under scrutiny and judged by the demons of the past, you fall into the worst of habits. I won't tell you what happened there...

It is a responsibility to practise mindfulness, to come back to love and appreciation, to be compassionate towards oneself, stay present, true to oneself and others. It demands sacrifices. You have to kill the person who finds it easier to stop believing in themselves, blame their situation on others and circumstances and ask to be cared for, saved as if they were vulnerable.

It takes maturity, foresight and constant practice. A Happy, Successful Life is a Choice - a choice to believe in our capacity to create it and execute all the behaviours that will attain it.

 https://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/gods/god-of-the-month-quetzalcoatl