The Sunrise Movement, a national organization focused on uniting young adults across different areas to combat climate change has made its way to Virginia Wesleyan’s campus through four VWU students: Devin Calpo, Celine Maharaj, Brooke Morris and Criofan Shaw.
The National Sunrise Movement is described as “a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We’re building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people” on the Sunrise Movement website.
The main focus of the current movement is to stop climate change and establish millions of jobs relating to clean energy in the process, build the Sunrise Movement through communities across the world, welcome all types of people, remain nonviolent during the fight against climate change and help the local community and the areas around each hub.
The Sunrise Movement Tidewater Hub will focus its actions in the Hampton Roads area, and will “be heavily involved in the community both on and off campus. We will work together to bring about awareness of the devastating effects of climate change and take action through public policy and outreach,” said Celine Maharaj, Treasurer and Action Planning Lead.
Currently the movement has about 20 members on campus, and hopes to gain more through their weekly virtual meetings that are open to any Marlins who are interested in participating.
Last week, the movement hosted their first event on campus where they had a virtual watch party of the “Good Jobs for All Campaign” livestream from Sunrise National. The Sunrise Movement Tidewater branch plans to hold “community events in the future and expand beyond the bounds of the club at VWU,” Maharaj said. The plan is to hold multiple interactive and thought-provoking events during the year that will be open to the on-campus and off-campus community.
The new movement hopes to increase their members and establish themselves as a powerful organization not just on-campus but in the local community.
For more information about joining, community members can email the movement at sunrisetidewater@gmail.com or follow the movement on Instagram @sunrisetidewater to learn about upcoming events and meetings.
For a more in-depth look at the overall message of the Sunrise Movement, please go to the following site: https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement-WeAreTheClimateRevolution.
By Lauren Faulkner
lafaulkner@vwu.edu