A thought provoking discussion exploring the topic of Climate Migration and DR Congo, illustrated with music performed online. An event exploring the ways in which colonialism, conflict, race and migration connect with climate change, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and people arriving from there to the UK.
Thursday 12 November 2020, 6pm – 8pm (GMT)
How does climate change affect DR Congo and the chain of migration, what is the colonial context for this and what does it mean for how both People Of Colour and Europeans understand Climate Change / Justice?
The first event involving Crossing Footprints since we have now just begun operation as a CIC, in collaboration with Amani Creatives and the Radical Lates programme of People’s History Museum (PHM). The event involves a brief performance by singer-songwriters Emmanuela Yogolelo and Samuella Ganda, and a key discussion with Kooj Chuhan from Crossing Footprints and Alex Randall from the Climate and Migration Coalition.
Booking via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-change-migration-and-dr-congo-online-tickets-123158001899
Led by artist-activist Kooj Chuhan, the discussion will include researcher-writer Alex Randall along with Emmanuela Yogolelo for a thought provoking discussion about the ways in which colonialism, conflict, race and migration connect with climate change, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and people arriving from there to the UK. Emmanuela Yogolelo and Samuella Ganda will creatively engage the audience in a conversation about climate justice activism, using music and other art forms to narrate their opinions.
Booking via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-change-migration-and-dr-congo-online-tickets-123158001899
Online only event: live streamed on PHM’s YouTube channel, joining details will be sent by email one hour in advance of session
About the speakers at Climate Migration and DR Congo:
Emmanuela Yogolelo
Emmanuela is a singer-songwriter, music facilitator, cultural leader and producer originally from the world’s second largest tropical rain forest, the Congo basin. Her interest in climate justice activism started when she was commissioned by HOME in Manchester to create and perform a new interactive performance as part of the annual Horizons Festival. She chose to use her personal experience of climate change as a refugee and third world citizen to create an interactive performance.
Samuella Ganda
Samuella is a singer-songwriter, plays piano and has written a song about climate change. She is one of the upcoming and talented young musicians in Manchester’s local African community, who are provided with artistic and professional development support from Amani Creatives, an African led arts organisation based in Manchester.
Alex Randall
Alex is the Programme Manager for both Climate Outreach and the Climate and Migration Coalition; a network of refugee and migration Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working together on issues around climate change. Alex was lead author on the Moving Stories report, which explores the real lives of people displaced by climate linked disasters. He has written frequently for The Guardian newspaper and other outlets on climate change and migration.
Kooj Chuhan
Kooj (Kuljit Singh) Chuhan is the Director of Crossing Footprints, an organisation connecting creativity with issues of human rights, environment and wellbeing. As a digital artist, filmmaker and creative producer, Kooj artistically interweaves racial justice with climate change. He is also the founding member of artist collective Virtual Migrants. Kooj has won an award for digital arts connecting refugees with climate change, and curated the exhibition Footprint Modulation on climate migration across five venues in Durham. Other work includes Chamada From Chico Mendes, interactive art combining documentary, poetry and sound from across the world, and Buy This, a two screen interactive video installation connecting over consumption, human displacement and environmental destruction.
