Date: Thursday 14th April, 6pm

Speakers: Constance Okollet and Ursula Rakova of Climate Wise Women

Title: Making the global to local connection on climate change

Touring as part of their work for Climate Wise Women, Constance and Ursula present the stories of women leaders from regions already affected by climate change. Using their powerful narratives to bring a human face and voice to this complex issue, Constance and Ursula's experiences connect the dots between seemingly remote climate impacts with the daily realities of the global community.

Constance Okollet (pictured above) is the Chairperson of the Osukuru United Women’s Network and one of the founding members of the Climate Wise Women.

Constance is a farmer from Tororo district in Eastern Uganda and a mother of seven. Constance's own community have experienced the impacts of climate change, with both heavy rains and drought affecting the community's ability to sustain itself.

The Osukuru United Women’s Network includes 40 regional groups in Uganda's Osukuru subcounty focussing on three core areas of work: agriculture, education and health. They raise awareness on both contemporary farming methods an environmental impacts, provide mentoring & counselling for local students and run campaigns to improve home-based care.

Constance has addressed the UN General Assembly on climate change and participated in numerous international events, speaking on behalf of her community for climate change consciousness and climate justice.

Ursula Rakova is the Executive Director of Tulele Peisa, an organization whose mission is to voluntarily relocate 1,700 Carteret Islanders from their rapidly-eroding atoll to mainland Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Ursula has led her community in securing locations on Bougainville where new houses can be built. Ursula became a pioneer in the environmental movement after leaving the atoll to study social administration at Papua New Guinea University.

She was awarded the Pride of Papua New Guinea award in 2008 for her outstanding contribution to the environment. She has worked for NGOs such as the Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum, Environment Law Centre and Oxfam.

Click here to watch a short film about Ursula's work.

If you would like to attend please RSVP to Ben Evans on ben@1010uk.org