{"id":11208,"date":"2021-11-23t15:46:55","date_gmt":"2021-11-23t15:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/essay-cop26-we-need-more-cross-cultural-cross-sectoral-collaboration\/"},"modified":"2023-03-07t19:39:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07t19:39:26","slug":"cop26-cultural-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/cop26-cultural-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"essay | cop26: we need more cross-cultural, cross-sectoral collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"
for the past few weeks, the topic of cop26 has taken over media headlines, political debates, and civil protests alike. the world has watched glasgow closely, and thanks to planet forward, i had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience cop26 firsthand. in the span of 2.5 jam-packed days, i tried to experience cop26 from as many viewpoints as possible \u2014 from the blue zone to the green zone to the fiery protests on the streets. despite all advocating for the same issue of climate change, i noticed that the energies and objectives of each space were actually quite different.<\/p>\n
the host of official un negotiations, the blue zone was packed with high-level panels, press conferences, and delegation meetings. while i could not access the highest-level negotiations, i was constantly in awe of all of the government officials, reporters, and activists from around the world that surrounded me. everyone there seemed to be on a mission, representing the interests of their respective organizations and constituents. one of my most memorable encounters was attending the u.s. congressional delegation\u2019s press conference, where both senate and house members spoke about their takeaways and action steps from the conference. since the press conference was quite small, i found myself only standing a few feet away from some of the most influential politicians in congress. after the press conference, i even sucked up the courage to talk to georgia sen. jon ossoff, who gave a powerful message on taking drastic climate action on behalf of young people. he was incredibly attentive to what i had to say, and even delivered a message to young people on my phone (that i posted on my planet forward instagram takeover<\/a>).<\/p>\n another highlight in the blue zone was getting the chance to hear from indigenous leaders, whose voices are crucial in climate conversations. there was one speaker in particular i was overjoyed to see on the mainstage: levi sucre romero, a leader of the bribri peoples and coordinator of the mesoamerican alliance of peoples and forests. i had the chance to interview and write about levi\u2019s work for an planet forward-hosted internship at mongabay last year, and so it was the best surprise to see levi speaking to thousands about the importance of indigenous knowledge and leadership in climate solutions.<\/p>\n