Over the weekend, Joe Biden was announced as the new President-elect of the United States of America, and Kamala Harris as the first woman, Black woman, and South Indian-American, as Vice President.
This was a monumental moment in the history of the United States, with many ramifications for the broader world. After four years of hateful rhetoric, human rights violations, and catastrophic accelerating of climate change, it feels like a cloud has finally lifted.
And it’s nice in the sunshine.
At Global Greengrants Fund, we are pleased that Americans have voted for a set of core values that our organization holds so dear: including environmental and social justice, diversity and inclusion, integrity, equity, and trust. We want to take a moment to reflect on what made this historic moment possible – unified action and a movement driven by hope.
Joe Biden received over 74 million votes, the most votes ever cast to the winner of a U.S. election. At the forefront of these efforts to get out the vote? Communities and grassroots groups not so different from the activists we support worldwide: people of color, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and women.
In Georgia, Black women mobilized and registered 800,000 Americans to vote in an area where voter suppression is endemic.
In Arizona, young and undocumented Latinx students phone banked to get voters to the polls.
And across the United States, Native communities showed up in record numbers to deliver democratic victories in historic swing states.
This is proof that when we set our minds to something, and work together, change can happen – and not just in the United States, but around the world.
Back in October, Chile also saw record voter turnout, and the people voted overwhelmingly to throw out their country’s Pinochet-era constitution and create a new document under which to live. Nearly 80% of the voters chose to form a new constitution.
As you can see, a vote can be powerful. Yet, political action is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing environmental and social injustices.
It is encouraging that as President, Joe Biden will be focused on a bold climate change strategy, with plans to restore dozens of environmental safeguards overturned by Donald Trump, and to rejoin the Paris Agreement.
Though as we know too well, time to take action on the changing climate and warming world is limited, and action by international institutions and governments is slow moving. This is why at Global Greengrants, we continue to fund grassroots activists on the frontlines, implementing solutions for real change NOW.
We need to keep our momentum going.
The election was one step in the right direction for our people and planet. But the work is far from over, and we need to keep up in the fight for environmental and social justice. Join our work at Global Greengrants Fund, and stand with those taking action now for a brighter future tomorrow. Together, we are where change takes root.
Photo: majunznk / CC BY-ND 2.0